February 3, 1933

Dear Claudine

No I aint staying with Miss Tolbert no more. She dead. She fell ill before last Christmas and never did get better, tho her husband kep saying she was. Doctor say she have a lump. I know she dint have no lump cause I was the one had to dress and feed her. Feel like I know her body better than she did and I would have knowed it if she had one where he said she did. I know why she died but I keep quiet for now. You better not say nothing either.

Now I with the Charles over on Mosley St., over by the cimitery. I have my own room over the garage. Cold but its big with great big windowlights, so I can look out and see if anybody up yet in the mornings, and if they staying up late at night. Mrs. Charles, she often up late. She go out a lot too. Sometime she dont come in till near about 3. But I dont say nothing about that either. She treat me pretty nice, always smiling. She gave me a china plate with a peach pained on it after I help her carry out the things in Miss Lavinia's room. She going to make that into her sewing place, she say. I say where Miss Lavinia going to sleep when she come home. Mrs. Charles say she spect Miss Lavinia wont be coming back much, if she do she sleep in the guess bedroom down the hall. Miss Lavinia gone to the normal school, she gon be a teacher. Nobody never could teach her nothing so I say how she gon teach somebody elses chilren. I say it to mysef, not to nobody else. She smart but cant nobody tell her nothing cept she gon come right back and say something sassy. She already snap at me several time. I try to stay out of her way. I'm glad she gone.

If your baby aint got nothing wrong with her besides fever then take a big red onion and put it up there in her nite gown when she sleep. She going to fret and fuss but leave it up there. That onion take the fever right out of her. Just take it right on out. When its all shrivel up you know the fever gone. If that dont work take her to the doctor. I in close 5 dollar in case you need to. If you dont use it to by the baby some shoes, she going to need some before long.

Love,

Essie