June 13, 1907

This letter is the first one in chronological order. The folds in the letter are torn and blackened with age so there are missing words here and there. I can use contextual hints to fill them in but have shown the missing words with [--------]. I will let the reader fill in the blanks themselves.

June 13, 1907
Hematite, Mo.

Miss Bessie Barnhart

Joplin, Mo.

Dear Sister Barnhart,

[--------] yesterday and received your welcome letter, and was glad to hear from you again.

I will answer yours tonight so that if I should take an unexpected notion to go to town tomorrow I can mail it.

I suppose you are acquainted with farm life enough to know that going to town is to a great extent governed by circumstances.

[--------] I say [--------] home for several days and something occurs (often) that I sometimes that very day.

This is the busiest time of the year for me, and we have had so very much rain this spring that the weeds are getting a good start.

I managed to [--------] of an acre of ground this afternoon but it was none to dry.
It has been thundering a little [--------] with rain all around [--------] this evening. I thought for sure it was going to pour down but it didn’t.

I hope it will not rain before I get the seed in the ground.

I have often been constrained to lift my thoughts with praise to God for, what has seemed to me, [--------] in my farm work.

True it is that seems he has chastened me to some [--------] that a com------] instead of discouragement then we “despise not” the “chastening of the Lord.”

“Happy is the man whom the Lord correcteth.” Job 5:17

The verse you drew my attention is full of comfort and encouragement and causes me to praise God for leading me to his [--------] who love to “speak often [--------] the godly fear.

Yes I received the regular and special numbers of the instruction for which I thank [--------] with interest.

I do hope I might attend camp meeting but I am so afraid the rain has set things back so it is doubtful, but I will hope.

I wish you success in your studies and selling the Signs.

If you go the Joplin High School [--------] not be like our schools, will it? It will be a school world[--------].

[--------] wonder if [--------] folks do like worldly teachers, that is, become an efficient teacher and then marry and cease to teach.

I can not say that I condemn it but it seems so unprofitable to spend money and energy to become an efficient teacher and then stop.

I think that should be left entirely with the teacher and the Lord.

I will close at this time hoping to hear from you soon and that the Lord will fulfill his promise in Luke 21:15 in you. “And I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.”

Yours for truth and righteousness.
C.E. Rowe
(over)

This is Monday and I have not been to town but Mother is going, and [--------] was not [--------] in reaching you as it has been, but better late than never.

But this makes me think that we can be to late in accepting salvation.

I hope to hear from you soon.
C.E. Rowe

your friend in brother in Christ