Dear Pansy:
My brother Milton and I take The Pansy this year, and I want to be one of your little Pansies. I am seven years old, and can read and make letters and figures on my slate. I am trying to be a good boy, and if you will let me be one of your Blossoms, I will try to be better every day, and will promise not to drink any wine or cider, or anything that will make people drunk, and to be like the little boy my grandma read about in The Pansy, who signed the pledge when he was such a little boy. I say my prayers, and go to Sunday-school when I am well. I am sick now, have been in bed for two days, and my grandma reads to me out of The Pansy. We have some pretty pansies in our flower garden in the spring, and when they bloom I shall think of Pansy, and maybe I will send you some. My brother Milton has written to you, and I send twelve cents to pay for one of our badges. Warren wants to join too—says he is going to try to be good every day, but we think he is too little—he is only three years old. Don't you think he had better wait till he is a little bigger? With love from
Your little Blossom, D. Jemison Titlow.
I can write my own name, but not very good yet.
Dear Pansy:
My papa takes The Pansy for me this year, and I want to be one of your little Pansies. I am a little boy five years old, and live away down on the Eastern shore of Virginia. I go to school and am in my Second Reader and spelling-book, and make letters and figures on my slate. I can't write yet, so my papa is writing this for me. I try to be a good boy, but I want to be better, and am going to try and mind my papa and mamma every day, and help them all I can. I also promise not to drink any wine or cider, or anything to make me drunk. I say my prayers every night, and ask the Lord to bless my papa and mamma and brothers, and make me a good boy. I have a brother named Jemison who is seven years old, and a little brother named Warren who is three years old. Warren says naughty words sometimes. He says he is going to stop, and wants to be one of your Pansies, but I think he is too little. Jemmie is going to write to you and send twelve cents to pay for a badge. I go to Ocean Grove sometimes, and if I go this summer I hope I will see you. My papa gave me a copy-book to-day, and I am going to learn to write, so that I can write to you myself. I must now close, with love, from
Your little Blossom, Milton R. Titlow.
