Letter of April 22, 1876 – Letter from Avery to Liz

Letter of April 22, 1876 – Letter from Avery to Liz

Domesticity

This letter is from Liz’s other son, Avery. He has enclosed a speech he plans to make to win an award at his school. The name of the speech is “The Demon Drunk,” so Avery at least dabbled in the temperance movement. Since Avery has sent his speech to his mother rather than his father we can see that this is something about which the two of them cared. We also see how serious Avery took his mother’s opinion, similar to Lee. Also, Avery writes, “Trusting you in your kindness of heart…” So Liz was not a harsh mother. Rather, she seems to be a great example of the ideals of domesticity brought to life.

Meriwether, Avery

Mississippi Valley Collection

The University of Memphis Libraries

April 22, 1876

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Hist4851, Spring 2015