Letter from Isabel Bolton dated 4 January 1916

10 Ocean Port Ave
Jan 4, 1916

My dear Bob
I have waited
just as you did, till the
last moment to write
You see we have had
so much trouble and
I wanted to wait til
I could tell you about
Eunice, Her frial came
up last night, Mama
and Papa both went
to the trial and it
was put off till Friday

Mama got McCally our
lawyer for her and he
is waiting till one of the
judgets whom is his friend
to sit, Because he carn
talk to him and say
he knows our family and
get her on probation
and one day in jail.
If she has any other
judge she will get
three years in the
Megdellain home. and
that will be awful, She
has been laying in
Jefferson market west
since she was arrested.
Mama wanted to bail
her out, But I said no
and finally talked it
into Mama, Maybe this
will make a good girl
of her, she didnt think
of jail when she was
running around, and
if she gets out too easy
it will not teach her
a lesson, she sees now
that there is bitter as
well as sweet in that
kind of life. Of course
she will come home and
stay if she behaves, I
will have to share my
pleasures and luxuries
with her and Mama
will either have to
discharge May or we
have both to go to work
because the expense
on Papa[.] Mama really
needs May so the only
thing left to do is go
to work. Papa says
I should stay home and
make her work to pay
her for being naughty,
But Mama says, Eunice
is just as dear to her
as I am and if she
works I have to also,
I can just see my trouble
starting, my life will
be miserable after she
comes because we
never agree in any-
thing, But I am willing
to sacrifice rather
than see her go away
for three years, that is
a long time, But if I
wanted to talk to Papa
and ask him not to
let her come, he would
not let her come in
the house, so Mama
told me if he says
to me "Do you think
I better take her and
give her another chance"
I have to say "Yes" and
try to make him care
for her as much as he
does me, But he told
me and so has mMay that
I come first in their
hearts, I'll just have
to take what comes
and just as I said about
her taking the bitter
with the sweet I have
to do the same. She is my
sister and maybe she
is just as good as I
am, it might have
been me instead of her
that went wrong and
I'd look for sympathy
also, I think you still
have love in your heart
for her, She telephoned the
day before she was
arrested and said how
she met you on eighth
ave and you took her
to a restaurant and
when you asked if she
would have another
cock-tail she said "no
George", you seemed
quite peeved and question
ed her who he was
etc. You also said it
was all your fault
about Lobley and said
you hadn't spoken
very nice to Mama
about her, I think
you mean well and
good Bob when you
dont see her, but I
am quite sure a little
spark of love still
burns in your heart
for Miss Eunice You
will forgive me I know
but I must tell you
You say yoiu like me
but something seem's
to tell me that you dont.
I sent Mrs Donavan
a New Years card, I
sent it to Panama So
she would be sure and
get it this trip. It is a
week after New Years
but it was the best
I could do. I would have
sent your sister one
had I known her address.
It was good the boat
was delayed Because
if it had sailed Thursday
I was coming to see
you off, then go and
spend a couple of hours
with Eunice, then come
home on a later train.
I was going unbeknown
to Papa, and I would
have been arrested two[sic].
You know they came
to her house and said
that George (her friend)
had sent them, She
let them in and told
them to sit down
and after they had
talked a little while
the Detective said "you
are under arrest." She
really hadn't done
a thing out of the way.
So if I had been there
I would have been arrested
too. YOu see the judge
looks down on anyone
that admits strangers
to their flats. So she is
up for tenement house.
Of course the officers
lied on her and said she
asked them to go to bed
But they tell lies on
every body. She surely
would get three years.
If McCally wasn't a
personal friend of a Judge
and as it is she might
get six months, I hope
not anyway. Because
they treat you so bad and
the food is abominable
and she would be way
up state where we
couldnt visit her
frequently so I hope
and pray she will
be let out, maybe God
has picked this device
to make a good girl of her.
The pictures Mama and
I took are finished and
the whole six are good.
We cannot find the
other ones that papa
took of the Gordon's and
yourself and I, I thought
I saw you take them but
I wasn't sure so I didn't
say anything about it.
Ethel stayed till Frank
made her go home and
she didn't send him
a cent for spending money
and when the lawyer
telephoned and said his
trial would come up
the 3 of Jan. she didn't
telephone or send a
cent so Mama had
to pay his carfare
to New York & so he
could be to trial. She
is the laziest person
I ever saw and after
all we done for them
when Eunice got in
trouble I asked if
Ethel wouldnt try
to get her some decent
food in to her if we
sent some money,
she said she was sorry
but she wasnt going
to be in New York. She
lives in Jersey the fare
is only seven cents to
N.Y. And when she
left here she stold [sic]
a box of bath soap,
all papa's and Mama's
handkerchiefs and one
of the little dolls I had
made for your [illeg]
the yellow one. She is
an awful thief. Well I
am talking about
a lot of foolishness
and something I know
does not interest you.
But I am home all
alone - mama and papa
are both in New York -
and I feel ready to burst
with talk to tell some
one. This letter is longer
than the last but not
half as interesting or
half as intelect, But
I cannot express the
feeling in words that
I have I feel as though
I could tear some body
to pieces, I took all the
stove apart and black-
ened it, it never shone
so before. I put about
a box of blackening on
it, three coats and
then shone it. I also
scrubbed the floor and
the celar[sic] steps are
as white as snow. But it
releaved [sic] the awful feeling
that I had, I think
I need a good whiping [sic]

Mama says she can not
seem to get herself
togeather[sic] when it
comes to whip me but
she can beat Eunice
three times a day. And
she will too when she
comes home we will
both get it for dinner
supper and breakfast.
I haven't been feeling
very well since you
are away that confounded
[illeg] seems to stick to
me. The dog ran away
and stayed for three
days then came back
starved to death. We
washed him the other
night he looks nice
now, and feels so gay
that he snaped[sic] at Frank
and almost tore
his good pants off.
Frank went yesterday
and the house seems
deserted. May is upstairs
cleaning the windows. She
sends her love to you.
Give my love to Mrs Donavan
and Mrs Smith. I suppose
you were bothered all
this trip with the
blooming ass. Well
Robbie dear I am going
to make a new pillow
for the couch so I think
I'll be after slosing
this muddled up thing
and I ask you to forgive
me dear for the penman
ship and spelling as I
am very much out of
sorts. And I hope you
have a nice trip and come
back home safely to
me. Love and a billion
kisses to you. I only wish
I had you all the time
instead of 1/4 of the time.
Little Buster sends her
love to you. wishing you
a very happy New Year
I remains always till
niagara falls your little
girleen
Isabel
XXXXXXXX

PS. Dont forget and
telephone as soon
as you dock. Will
have a little card waiting
for you when you
come in.

I D Bolton
XXXX

Note: Envelope is addressed to Mr Robert Noble, Cristoble, Panama, attention to S. S. Panama, Canal Zone, 2nd Steward, postmarked Long Branch, NJ Jan 5, 7 AM, year unclear; return address is partial, [Isabel Bolto]n, [Oc]eanport, Long Branch, NJ; sealing wax on back of envelope.