William Audley Couper papers

painful and distressing in the last degree. My motives in coming here were good - may Providence being good acct of it! !

Kiss your dear children for me a thousand times. My kindest regards to your good husband.

Your ever affectionate and devoted father T. Butler King

P.S. I write in the midst of business and as you will see, in great haste.

himself Andrew Louisa & myself took a long ride. On our return - we all got up into my room again - but Lord had engaged to Polk [sic] with some young lady over at the Tontine and would have G & uncle Andrew go too - so there they staid [sic] until near 11 - Andrew would never eat with us - he would give me Louisa & take which ever of your brothers who would go with him up to the New Haven & give them a feed there. Very good eating up there - but I find no fault with good Miss Lines' table. What she gives us is good and wholesome. And then that good old lady Miss Dagget - always sits opposite to me & will help me to the best on the table. The only waiter is a big-greesy [sic] faced old nigger - very stupid & very slow - he always helps me first = so you see I am well taken care of. I am glad to say Louisa is very much better - She is getting flesh & regain-ing her good looks - She is a lovely woman - & dear Andrew is so affectionate & kind - I do feel so sad at losing them again so soon. But I know that he has much to occupy him in N.Y. & I could not expect Louisa to stay here without him. They would have Lord go to N.Y. with them - & wished me to let G & F. go also - but I could not spare them yet. If nothing turns up to prevent I have promised to let them go a few weeks hence. Andrew told me - if I required it - he would advance me money - He is making a vast fortinu fortune - but - at this time money is borrow-ed at a 12 per ct. to carry on their improvements. The machinery now building in N.Y. will cost him $40-000 -- -- The one last year was for $30-000. I only mention this to show that he is not at this time flush of money -- -- He is very affectionate in his manner to all of us - Louisa gave me hers & Andrews [sic] Daguerreotypes - very good ones - & I am to have the childrens [sic] taken for her -

[upper-right corner] 3th^rd September 1852

My dearly beloved child

I did not write to you on Wednesday & have been reproaching myself ever since - knowing by experience the pain of suspense. It happened just in this way on Tuesday evening just when I was dresssed to go out & pay some calls Appy came running up to say Uncle Andrew was down stairs. We were soon all down to welcome him. He told us Louisa was at the New Haven Hotel. We all trotted off & found poor Lou up in the 3^rd Story [sic] - dozing away on a comfortable Sopha [sic] - She was not well - but cheered up & consented to come down to spend the evening with us, here we made quite a room full of Kings - only nine 10 - not as many as I muster of my own dear ones when we are all at home They could only stay in N.H. until today - as Andrew really has important business in New York. From that time to 12 oclock today - They have been with us all the time - that is Lou took her dinner & tea with us. We all collected in my room in the 3^rd Story [sic]. / it made Andrew puff & blow to get up so high/ He[re] we talked & laughed - She helping us to sew - directly Andrew would take one of the boys & away he would go - by & bye [sic] he would come back followed by a man the first day - a boy the second bearing a large basket of peaches - for which he each day paid $1.50 - then Rhina would be called to bring plates & knives & crushed sugar - for the peaches are all so sour they cannot be eaten without sugar This was very pleasant past time [sic] for the whole party The second evening Lordy got a carriage in which

We had the happiness to hear from your dear Father & Butler on Monday last up to the 30^th of July - Thank God! both were quite well - dear Butler says "I am so happy to hear you are better I can scarce tell the truth." What a dear good son he is. I know you write to one or the other of them every fortnight - Oh! my Tootee how mercifully we have been dealt with. If we are not rich - still we have the rich wealth of loving hearts to enjoy the little we have & God! mercifully grants us life. By yesterdays [sic] Herald I see the death of Mrs Stephen King coupled with that of Hannah Lords [sic] - as having died in July. How severely they have been visited. Oh! how much do I pity the survivors - How suddenly has that family been broken up. I really fear poor old Steve cannot survive such shocks. Mrs Preston still boards here - She is a very pleasant lady - She seems to feel very much for the Kings - I cannot realize those deaths - I forget all their unkindness in pity to their misfortunes. Oh! that I could drop take one drop from their cup of bitter sorrow I[t] seems perhaps strange that we do not feel more for them. We do feel - but Oh! not as such near relatives should.

I have yet to write my California letters & am trying hard to get this into the office so as to get it taken by the Steamer tomorrow. I find the Land Mails have been delayed by the late storm - I very much fear it extended to our poor little Island.

Dear Tootee how hard dear William has been working to make my poor old House comfortable - He has been a kind son to me - & you my child are blessed in having such a husband - Oh! Tootee I am very stupid - I could say a great deal on this subject could I find words to

told you she had got us a german to give us lessons on the Piano whilst we remain here - Prof Stechels, a little ugly monkey - he plays splendidly - but he talks so badly that it makes me mad - I must tell you the other day - I almost laughed out - the poor devil wanted me to use the Peddle [sic] - so he called it "Piddle" - I dislike him - he always plasters his pate with some nasty smelling stuff - I think you asked sometime ago for Adele Picot's direction, when you write direct care of Hector Bopange - No. 25 Quai Voltaire Paris - I love Adele very much - old Madame is a rowdy - I wish you could see her in a rage - it is a perfect curiosity - To-morrow we are going to see a Balloon go up - the largest that has ever been made in America, it is 100 feet high - & more than 70 through - Six persons have engaged their passage at 50 dollars each - Dearest Tootee it does my heart so much good to abuse the Picots - no one but those who were so unfortunate as to be a boarder at No. 15 - can understand what cruelty we suffered - never mind when we get once more on S^t Simons - then I will have my tongue free & can tell you many things that will astonish & disgust you - I cannot understand my darling Tootee, what you mean by telling us to write the Floyds - I have written Coral

fine long letters since she has written me - I am very much distressed to hear of dear Fannie's ill health, Oh! Tootee do tell me all you hear of her - I suppose you have heard the distressing news of M^rs Stephen King's death - poor woman how I do pity her family - Appy dreamed the other night she saw King & Bobby - that Bob was too fat to sleep in the bed with anyone - & that King was perfectly beautiful - little darlings - I can scarcely realize in two months if nothing happens I will see all the loved ones of S^t Simons - I believe that brother William of ours has forgotten me - he never has the manners even to send his love - what a kind noble fellow he is! I love him as dearly as I do my own brothers - How proud we are of him - If I can muster enough brass, I will call him brother when I go home. Why did you ask me, dearest Tootee about M^r Gibson? he is nothing to me, He went home in the vacation but will soon return - I love his sister dearly - she & I are very intimate - she went to school with us - Darling Tootee, this a wonderfully stupid letter - but when the writer is so stupid what can you expect but a dull letter - Did mother tell you of the Tableaux we had at the Tontine some nights ago? After a great deal of persuasion I consented to act in two - once

we sallied out again to make more calls - the Gov^r went with us as it was a long way up to Mrs Exeters [sic]. Found them at home too - they are very pleasant people - the old gentlemans [sic] head is as white as cotton I remained there whilst the others went to make another call on Georgias [sic] account & eventually we got home, much gratified by the duties we had performed - I hate returning calls - but really it would nev-er do not to return their call, the people are so polite to us - This morning Mrs Jacksons [sic] 2 daughters & little boy came here to board wife of John Aderso Jackson of the firm of Andersons & Co - I knew her Mother when I was a school girl - She is Cousin to M^r James Johnson of S - h. (With Mrs Preston) - we form quite a party of Southerners - I am just as pleasantly situated as I could be, when from home. There has been quite an excitement today, the great Balloon was to be let off. The evening was beautiful but rather warm, we conclu-ded all to go - hired an open Carriage - which had to make two turns to get us there - near one mile - Mrs Preston & the 5 girls went first - then Miss Lines - Mrs Daggett - Mrs Jackson & myself - the boys walked There is no use entering into all the particulars - We went & Oh! the crowd the dust - the heat - There must have been many thousands there We waited two blessed hours - but owing to the inferiority of the Gas the Balloon could not be made to go up, & we had to return - Poor Flora had a bad headache - Appy was burnt with the sun - We sent them home in a Carriage - I gave them 75 cts. to pay the hackman. Mrs Daggett told Flora to offer him 25 cts & then if he made a fuss she may have to give him instead 50 cts. When we got back I found them in high glee - As soon as they got back - they had given but 25 cts for their ride - they sent off Rhina with the 50 cts for ice cream & cake Miserable stuff it us was - Mrs Gordon called this evening - what a lovely woman she is - beautiful eyes & teeth - but very stout - I hope Lordy will get back tomorrow - I shall not send this letter until tomorrow or the next day - And will now go on to notice certain parts of your dear letter. I feel the importance of

having those negro houses - It is a real necessary expense - had these houses been built last year - I may not have been forced to come here. But let me not repine - God! has spared me those most important to my happiness. I leave it to William to make the best arrangement he can, in every way for me - feeling confident he will do so for my interest. I hope he will think old shells will make lime good enough for the purpose if so I need not pay $100 to Capt. Anderson for his. I know William will use his excellent judgement in all matters. I am sorry poor Dunham is such a sufferer. I really wish one of his brothers could stay with him. If I was but at home I would try to attend to my own business with Williams [sic] help - & let poor Dunham come North or go some where for help - I very much fear he will be more cross than is necessary. You must not think hard of dear Andrew. If I was ill - I doubt not he would do all in his power to give me assistance - Tho' he is in a fair way to be very rich - he cannot now command as much money - he has to borrow at high interest to carry on the improvements he requires. He does not seem to be uneasy about the State of Cuba - his partner is a Spaniard which is somewhat of a security to his property. It would make William open his big eyes to hear Andrew tell of the product of the lands in Cuba. It would be doing grand business if I could smuggle my darkies over to him, but as this is not possible we need not say any more about it. Tell my Anna if she will but give up sucking her tongue I will bring her a crying baby.

Tip ran down to the depot to see his Uncle & Aunt off - /Tip is a great favorite with everyone who knows him / Andrew gave him a gold dollar, poor little fellow he did not want to take it so Andrew told him to buy peaches for his Mother & sisters with it - but did I not tell you of this in my last? I think I did. Those darling little ones - how I do long to see them!! --- God! grant no sickness may come among you, if so then my darling you will indeed miss your poor Mother ---

[written in pencil] [end 6 Sept 1852] [left of page]

7^th September [upper right corner] [1852][written in pencil]

I had another letter from M^r Woolley this evening he confirms the report of poor Mary Kings [sic] death Oh! my child how terribly has that family been afflicted Poor Stephen!! And yet perhaps those two girls are most to be pitied - Amanda was still suffering from a cold. They still are determined to stay where they are until towards the last of the month when they go to Philadelphia to prepare for their move south either in the state of Georgia or by land. I rather think they will decide on the latter. Lord did not return today. I hope he will come tomorrow. Another Professor died yesterday - two within 10 days - the oldest & youngest of the Profs Kingsly & Norton. Mallery your sisters & the Misses Jackson have gone to a kind of concert tonight - they [took?] little boys to some show - I am alone & my thoughts wander to you my own precious child - I dread every week to hear that one or the other of you have been sick. I need not entreat of you to avoid the hot sun or the night air - you have a careful watchful husband to take care of you. - I hope he will also be careful of his own pre-cious self. I have experienced very little warm weather since I came to New Haven - latterly the temperature

10^th September 1852 [upper right corner]

My own beloved Tootee

When I used to receive letters on bits of paper from the girls I wondered that they could not at any moment get paper - I now find it difficult to keep a supply of any thing - pins clean clothes paper pen ink - nothing comes easy this is a real unpleasant state of things - one that I am heartily sick of, & would be glad to change for even the trials of a plantation life. But to begin my own darling in my usual prosing way - I fear my last letter did not reach you on the usual day - this was owing entirely to the want of a stamp. But to proceed - Our colds are better (i.e., Mallerys [sic] & mine) - if this dry weather continues I fear the other children will be complaining - I know that I would be all the better for some exercise but it does seem a most difficult matter for me to get out of the house. We have fallen into a very bad habit of sitting up late that brings on the worse one of sleeping late in the morning - & there is never a day that I am not obliged to help Rhina mend seats

In all my life I never saw so much destruction to clothes - all of which I attribute to the length of the dresses - & carelessness of work in women, then we dine so early - but dear me why should I waste time & tax your patience by entering into these details --

On Wednesday evening G & myself sallied out to return calls - the afternoon was very warm & we really hoped the ladies would all be indulging & be denied - but no such good luck - all were at home - so that we only made 5 calls - only four more due - & what do you think already 4 new ones have called & many more threatened. I really am very much obliged to the good people for their politeness but would rather be let alone. I dislike calling or making new acquaintances. Whilst at breakfast yesterday morning I received a card on which was written Mrs Roswell King of Georgia - will call at 1/4 past nine. So she did call. I have not seen Julia King for more than 20 years. She is much