The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

Rochester N.Y. April 22 1876

To My Oldest Sister Julia

You are the first to write to after our sad sad loss. Julia. God has taken from us our only little Boy. He was to good for this world. We loved him to dearly he could not stay. God wanted him where he could live in a better world. So he   he sent the angel of death. to take whe the treasure that he had given us five years and five months ago. and how dear he had grown to us in that time. And when we seen that there was dainger of him leaving us how we all clung to him. And prayed God not to take from us our little boy. But when he sent that hasty cruel messenger the Scarlet fever. there was no hope from the start. death claimed him as their own at once. and only gave us   two short days. to say farewell and bid him good bye. Then he was gone. And now his place is vacant and can never never be filled. for he has gone to be a beautiful angel in that better world. where he will wait for us. every one will know him there. As they did here on earth. (For every one knew our little Kitty) So if we only live good that we may be permitted to go where he has gone. We will have no trouble in finding   him when we are there. for every one will know our Kitty. The messenger seems not to have been satisfied by plucking the brighte flower. and is still hovering near by. thinking whether he shall take the others or not. for the same fever. has taken hold of our little Girls but so far only lightly. But with Kitty it claimed him from the first. Lulu is worn out and sick. I am it is now three oclock in the morning. I am sitting by the bed side of our sick babys. I was hundreds of miles away when. Lulu telegraphed me. and I only got home a few hours before Kitty died. he could not speak. but he put his little arms around my neck. as much as to say. Papa has come. I must now write to Lida. Nellie & May. Good bye. from