"a prairie wedding..."

dear annie....your father and i are well
and think of you hourly.  it is hard for us
to imagine the adventure you have been on
or the man you will find at the end of that
journey, but we pray for your safety and
happiness each and every moment.

to cross the unknown and begin your
life as the wife of a man you have never
seen is very brave and we hope your courage
is wisely vested.  reports of indian raids
and prairie winds return in letters from
those who have gone before you and write
to their parents...

since you were not able to take your wedding
dress, or your trousseau with you, I have sent
along this piece of the veil I've been tatting
since you were a girl.  I hope it makes you feel
special and that you will know that each stitch
was made with a mother's love.

please write and let us know that you are well
and that the conditions are not so harsh that
you cannot bear them...my friend Emma's
daughter wrote that she has a canary to keep
her company when her man is gone, and to
break the silence of the prairie when there
is no wind...

we love you...mother and father