Fannie Houston, b. bet, 1864 - 1867 m. Willie W. Powell

Fannie Houston was one of the 10 children from the first marriage of my grandfather Joseph C. Houston.  She married Willie W. Powell.  I will appreciate any further information about this couple, or their two children, birth or death dates, descendants, or anything!

The following is a letter from Fannie Houston dated Nov. 1898 addressed to Mr. J. C. Houston, Phenix, AL

The letter is old and obviously handwritten and not very clear, and I've done the best I can at reading it and copying it here.  I have copyed the capital letters, spelling, etc, exactly as handwritten.

Postmarked Nov 12, 1898  ELMVIEW, TEX.  on the front. On the back, postmarked HOWE, TEX NOV 12, 1898 REC'D.

Mr. J. C. Houston, Phenix, Ala   Elm View Tex. Nov 1898

Dear Pap and Family,

I guess you think I'm not going to write to you anymore. You will please forgive me for waiting so long to write.  We are enjoying the best of health. hope this will find you all enjoying the same. Willie is most done gathering wehave had a nice fall for gathering. it has not raind any here to amount to anything since July.  Cotton is not hardly worth picking it is selling at 3 @ 4 cts.  Corn is going up a little. Willie sold 100 bushels at 20 cts. per bushel. papa I have got part of my money at last and I guess I'll get the balance sometime soon. You said I seem to think that you was the caus of me not getting it  Oh, No I did not think that. I did think it was the hardest mater to get any hereing from I had gave it up and I thought I would never get it.  papa did Lizzie ever pay the money back that she borrowed from you.  I think you could have put that money to a better use than to send it here to Murry to spend cureing his old   (?-see note below)   for I know that is the way it went him and Lizzie done so bad that thay sold ever thing they had and left here in August and said thay was going back to Ala. so I don't know where thay are and dont care. Jhonnie why dont you and Oliver write to me I would be so glad to just get one word from you. well I will close write real soon. Your love, Fannie

I have scanned the portion of the letter above because I can not make out the word or words in one sentence, so I'm hoping someone can help me here!  Here is the image:

It is the middle line that is in question:  "to spend cureing his old Pack? Back? Porche?  Also I'm not sure about the word "cureing" ... I notice the image above is rather small and not clear so I've made a special page online with just that image...full size:   http://www.cdagro.com/TNG/oldletter.html
Will appreciate if anyone can tell me what those words are!   Thanks, Dean