Preview
Identifier
MSS114_B02F02_003B
Creation Date
3-13-1899
Keywords
Paul Laurence Dunbar, primary sources, Black history, Black poets, prominent Ohioans
Description
Letter (incomplete) describes a verbal and physical conflict between the writer, Mrs. D., and Mrs. H.:
(Page 1)
Chicago March 13-99
Paul.
Replying to yours of the 5th I must say the reason I have not answered before now first: astonishment, second I did not know what to say, of course the money was very thankfully rec’d. My thanks for it but what counted more than the money was the act its self. You see it is this way with me I have rec’d so very few favors + unsought kindnesses
(Page 2)
in my life that naturally I was astounded I am so very bitter against the world at large that I hardly know in what spirit to receive your gift and thereby hangs a tale the telling of which will doubtless enlighten you to some things now dark at least, sun in a different light, now first I want to impress on your mind that I have no intention of telling anything but the truth. Now for the public I dont care a snap and have never told them this story but you are entitled to know the facts of the case.
Year before last as you know Ma came out here and we were very glad
(Page 3)
to see her and did every to make her comfortable and happy. I was at that time employed at the Northern and shortly after Ma came I lost my job and after that things did not move so very smoothly for me Ma became unhappy and discontented I did all I could for her but you know that was not much more than offer her a home it is a hard matter to live here when you are out of work in the meantime my wife was was rapidly approaching her “time” Mrs Holland knowing that
(Page 4)
Lick was again about to become a mother came up from (illegible; maybe Cin’ti). Then the story begins between Ma + Mrs H. neither willing to give an inch of what each can (illegible) her rights I warned Lick to have nothing to do with it in any way whatever. And she never did I did not interfere myself for it would have done no good and then those two ladies took the house. A few days after the baby was born they nearly came to blows but happily the storm was averted
(Page 5)
for at a time, Ma in the meantime spent most of her time downtown things moved along this way for some time and then one day Mrs D. called Mrs. H something and Mrs H responded by calling Mrs D a black bitch that settled it. Ma went on horribly I was not in the house at the time but when I came home I had been working all night and was trying to sleep Ma began again and then came after me now you must remember Ma began to abuse Mrs H. first. Ma came after
(Page 6)
me Robert Mrs H. called me a black bitch she kept yelling this at the top of her voice did she have a right to call me so. Did she do right you could have heard her yelling a block at first I would not say a word but tried to get her to leave me go to sleep. She just kept that line up until the next time she asked me did she have a right to call me that I said yes. That is all I had to say and she flew out of the house and went downtown and commenced to talk about me and my wife
(Page 7)
I never paid any attention to it at all at last Mrs H. went home. In a few days Mrs D. came after her trunk and box and after I had picked them up for her she had brought a man along for that but he did not understand how and I did it. After her things were packed she came into the kitchen and said Rob I want that 20.00 you owe Paul I told her I did not have it in fact I had just 60¢ in the world she came in to the house and began to scream and rage
(Page 8)
and call all sort of bad names I never opened my mouth the neighbors began to gather by that time when she that she had a enough people for her purpose she commenced to scream out Licks history. I then told her to leave the house I did not want anything to do with her. She sprang on me like a tiger hitting me in the face and clawing me I jumped up out of the chair in which I was sitting in when attacked by her and caught hold of her (this is the last page of the letter in the archive)
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Primary Item Type
Personal Correspondence
Rights
This item is part of the Paul Laurence Dunbar House collection at Ohio History Connection, Columbus, Ohio. The collection contains items from 219 N. Summit St., Dayton, Ohio (later 219 N. Paul Laurence Dunbar St.), the home Dunbar purchased for his mother, Matilda J. Dunbar, in 1904. Paul Laurence Dunbar lived there until his death in 1906; Matilda lived there until her death in 1934. It is now the Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site, part of the National Park Service.
Keywords
Paul Laurence Dunbar, primary sources, Black history, Black poets, prominent Ohioans
