Misc. Married Couples Letters Collection

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Letter: Margaret Stabler Hallowell to James S. Hallowell, July 14, 1849

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is bleached up here most beautifully for 50¢ a good deal cheaper than thee can get it done in town - Anna Wetherald does them, I want thee to get me one and & a half yards of the prettiest 12'-4 gingham they have at Taylors. Father says get him a yard & a half of that green vesting, or gingham, or whatever it is, like Edgar Hutchinson had, the one he had in the spring & I wanted thee to get one like it, he says if they have any brown that is as pretty as the green thee may get one pattern of each, Mother says if thee will bring some of our chickens up with thee she will give us some ducks in the fall, for them if they are left - there they will all be stolen, I expect, and I want some fried chicked to eat myself - if thee will not be ready to come before sixth-day we can write again - I think that would be the best way to fix it - father may change his mind & send all the way - by that time. Little Eddy is fast a sleep in the cradle by my side - is improving every day and is very good - it is bed time & I am very tired - so good night says thy faithful loving & affectionate wife Maggie I would have no objection to [Alban's?] sleeping at our house, while thee is up here - he can have Mother Jones's room - that is if thee thinks well of it-

Last edit 12 months ago by MaryV

Letter: Margaret Bancroft to Milton Bancroft, August 30, 1900

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I think thee and Joe together must have made Jeannot out worse than he is - you are both so supersensitive that you would naturally misunderstand each other.

It is still warm but getting more bearable. I am reading "Mansfield Park" - my mind and body are in that state when they can [settle?] to nothing but need diversion. and Jane Austen's quaint old words suit my mood. I wrote Bobbin a note today.

I must send thee Mrs. Dolleys letter so sweet affectionate and friendly. Thank the Lord for our friends all leal & true.

I am not sleeping at all well - a new experience thee will say - I don't see know Mrs. Moore stands week after week of it. She has lately been forced to but medicine which has helped her somewhat.

Wish love and trust unfaltering in thee and thy ability to do and win

I am thy loyal wife - Margaret.

Last edit 11 months ago by EllaDeer

Letter: Margaret Bancroft to Milton Bancroft, August 5, 1900

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and [silver?]. He and "Peggy" as he now calls Miss Hetty, are keeping house alone - she cooking breakfast and lunch and going out for dinner - real bohemian living. I hear nothing about the Prince Line - perhaps Dr. has written directly to them.

They can't imagine how much better I feel - I think the quiet was just what I most needed - the [twins?] have written back copiously. The ducks hid so that [Wayne] could not find them Tuesday morning- bitter dis appointment. Loving thee Margie aug 5th 1900

Norwood,

My dearest-

the heat is on us again - not as terrible a spell as we had in July but a genial warmth which makes shade very welcome. I hope thee is out of it. I miss thee so much but feel that we are doing right which takes away some of the sting. If ever we get a good start together again - It will take a great deal to make me leave thee and home.

Emma Stabler telephoned today that she had written to [Levin?] Lynch but had no reply so concluded he must be dead

Last edit 9 months ago by MaryV
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I told her to write to the hotel in the village which she is going to do, and then she asked if thee would make her a list of water colors necessary in outdoor sketch ing - she thought thee was such here. I told her I would write and ask thee.

Mrs. Moore has had such a bad headache for a day or two that she has been quite invalided - she is better this morning. Clara is back again I think father finds the quiet of no company in the

house well nigh unbearable.

I never knew a man so depen dent in his home on the outside influence he brings in to it. It is really pitiful to me.

There is no home life here - nothing but a constant run of company. I feel [selfish?] as the cause of the quiet at present, and have begged him not to consider me, but he is so kind always. Cousin [Dollie?] wont be able to come for some weeks as her Aunt is sick & she has boarders. [?] Appleton wrote ackowldging the certificate

Last edit 10 months ago by MaryV

Letter: Margaret Bancroft to Milton Bancroft, August 8, 1900

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Mrs. More went driving on Saturday last,and was affected by the [our], and has been really ill ever since in addition she has had a [illegible] tooth so I have been the only whole member of the family, and have done what I could to relieve their discomfort. You don't appreciate health 'till you have something the matterwith you. This little boy of thime and mine grows more and more active. I hope he will be a brave laddie. Has thee been playing the Scotch airs? Father did not go to Mr. Poor's funeral after all as it was strictly private- I think he was really disappointed. Now I shall answer thy letters line for line. Thy letters so far have always come in the morning mail, and have had such a welcome as thee can't imagine - Thee has been so good writing evry day.

Norwood, Aug. 8th, 1900 My dearest, and the cry of the locust is heard in the land and the heat waxeish intense and more intenser ; save for a blessed breeze which came with- the dawn we would be in misery. I am thinking always of thee and hoping against hope that the wave stopped south of Mason and Dixon.

Thee asks me to tell thee all that happens - all would make but a brief letter, save for the soul life which seems to grow greater every day of my life there are no happenings go. There is only the tender.

Last edit 6 months ago by MaryV
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light of dawn, and the rich hot glow of these August sunsets to mark the coming and the going of the days -

"And morn and noon and night built up another day."

From thy descriptions I love the view from Bert's window - full of movement it must be yet with - the quiet of distance to give it an ensemble. I cannot be blue because funds are low - I just can't; I try to show myself that I have no right to be happy, but there is so much real richness in life and in the world about that I forget to be miserable. And then we have our love for each other, but that lies deeper than words. Does thee know I would write thee such long letters were it not that writing stiffens me more than anything I do, after fifteen minutes of it I can hardly work. I am so well, exercising regularly. Thee might picture me every morning down in the tomato patch gathering the few I can find, and putting them on the ledge to ripen, and then the grapes and apples have a turn, and the flowers when [Call?] is otherwise engaged - light occupations thee will say but I manage to get in a great many slips. Clara has an abscess in her tooth, and last night suffered to the breaking down point - I feel sympathy of the keenest for I remem ber vividly the agony I went through in Paris. She is better this morning

Last edit 11 months ago by MaryV
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to think of the void his absence makes.

I woke up this morning hearing his dear little voice saying "Here I am." Bless his heart. [Jesis euile] child is very sick with malaria, whooping cough and kidney trouble - she kept him in Washington too late.

Mrs Moore recieved thy letter, and thanks thee for it. I almost forgot to tell them that the fan and chain were found by Josephine back of the piano - the plot thickens - how did it get there? I have tried to write on my [La?] [illegible] article but somehow I can't make any satisfactory headway. - it will come with effort perhaps.

Dr. [Ellrey?] says he is descended from Jeame d' [Albret?] if I had such ancestors I would know something about them. All love Marqie

I have June & July & Aug. McClures here - has thee bought them?

Last edit 10 months ago by MaryV

Letter: Margaret Bancroft to Milton Bancroft, June 1, 1900

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2005.0028.00129

It was funny about those kittens one day four appeared from nobody knows where - Father wanted them disposed of at once, but none of the colored people would kill them because they were "old enough to look at you." Providence came to Father's aid - one day the prettiest of the lot was found in a decapitated state, cause unknown, the next day the 2nd prettiest laid down and gasped its little life away, the next day the ugliest conveniently disappeared, nobody knows where, & now we have the 3rd in order of beauty left to us & thriving daily. It watches Jean at his play like a person. J chatters away to it and himself. Greetings to Mr. Crank. as thee sees I am rushed. All love, Margaret.

Norwood June 1st, 1900.

My dearieI don't wonder thee can't establish a balance between Prof. Appleton and Miss Esther - they seem to an outsider too different to ever marry but we don't know what depths of sympathy there may be between them; and Mrs. M. says Aunt E. is really handsome she is so happy. She is not going to tell any one until she gets down here towards the end of June. Won't thee have to get some kind of clothes for such a momentous occasion? I have that blue dress just ready to step into - how fortunate that I brought it with me instead of packing it away at 30th St. Father has had a really bad cold - he caught it, he thinks, when the thermometer fell during the eclipse. It really did get 6° colder here. Thee don't tell me one thing of what thee is doing - I feel it in thy letters. Are things going

Last edit 10 months ago by MaryV
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hand, and is thee trying to keep it from me? Please don't do that I want to share all, the bad as well as the good. Jean is well but has been eating too many strawberries lately - we shall have to call a halt and I hate to say "no" - he is so fond of them. We found a ground - sparrows nest in the strawberry bed - the five eggs are laid now, and she is [sitting?]. I like to interest J. in all natural things, and teach him to respect them - I feel that I know so little when it comes to teaching him. I am going to Aunt Carrie's today to send our boy's slips on her little machine - Clara [rathert?] is going to do the machine work for me, and we will do it all up in a day, for as clara unsuspectingly says "After Aunt Hetty & Mary Tilton come you know there is no settlement" - she little thinks what unsettlement

there will be. Imagine Miss [Het?] those days before her wedding. She is like an uneasy spirit under ordinary conditions; but she ought to have the repose of a soul in Paradise under those. It is the strangest - my mind refuses to accept the facts without question; but it only concerns us to the degree of wishing her all joy & happiness

I think a picture of thine would please Aunt E. more than anything we could give her; but if thee don't feel like giving that in our chest are innumerable duplicate salad forks, and we could give her one of those. Jean came into my bed at 5:30 this morning - imagine my state of sleepiness. J. has the prettiest little picture - the only one of the four which has lived.

Last edit 7 months ago by MaryV

Letter: Margaret Bancroft to Milton Bancroft, June 13, 1900

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Norwood, June 4th, 1900.

My dearestI am so glad to have the photo, and think its very good, and encouraging too to see thee so fatdon't grow any more so though, dear.

Did thee read the letter from Mrs. Bruce - she says she has never heard whether thee received the etching or not. I will send it if thee did not read, but of course thee must have. I am writing in a rush, as I seem to do always now - I don't attempt to do any any writing at night which used to be my time for thee. I am half hoping thee will come back with Father - though I hardly dare think of it.

I am so glad thee has been sketching up the river - I known thee loves me, but I can't help wishing thee was free of care, and thoughts about living etc.

Last edit 12 months ago by MaryV
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