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 trial 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 can 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 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 anything, 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 May 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 eight have 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 questioned 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 blackened 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 closing this muddled up thing and I ask you to forgive me dear for the penmanship 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
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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[Envelope 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]
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