A Hand-Written Hello from 1886

“mama said for you and Sabers to com up soon as you can”

Step into my little corner of history for a moment and take a look at this fragile slip of paper I found tucked away. It is a single sheet of lined paper, now a soft, golden yellow from the passage of over a hundred years. The left edge is a bit ragged and torn, as if it were pulled quickly from a notebook by someone with a lot on their mind. It was written back in 1886 by someone named S. E. Lusher, and though the ink is old, the feelings behind the words are as fresh as a spring morning.

The letter is a wonderful mix of local news and the practical side of country life. S. E. starts off by making sure the recipient hasn’t forgotten about a fine letter sent by James White. Then comes a warm invitation from Mama, who wants the reader and someone named Sabers to come up for a visit as soon as they can manage it. But then the tone shifts just a bit to the urgent business of the day. It seems S. E. had to pay John for his hard work plowing the fields, and now the purse strings are looking a little thin. There is a gentle but clear plea for a bit of money to be sent back.

In the late 1800s, life moved at the speed of a horse and plow, and community was the glue that held everything together. This isn’t just a request for cash; it’s a window into a world where families relied on one another for every harvest and every meal. Paying a neighbor like John for his labor was a matter of honor and survival. When you see those jagged edges and the simple, phonetic spelling, you can almost hear the scratching of the pen in a quiet farmhouse while the sun sets over the newly turned soil.

It is funny how a few lines written on a scrap of paper can bridge the gap of time so perfectly. We might not be plowing fields with horses anymore, but we all know that feeling of wanting to see our loved ones and the stress of making ends meet. S. E. Lusher’s short note reminds us that at the heart of history are just ordinary people doing their best to take care of each other and keep the farm running. It is a little piece of a human life, preserved for us to cherish today.

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