William Audley Couper papers

Georgia & Lord are almost indispensable to me when making calls - They have the talent of talking. I am sadly at a loss for subjects here to go on - tho' I do flatter myself I am getting on better in this respect - I am even learning to talk fast. dear me - how these women do talk - 19 to the doz-en. Flora will have to give you her own account of her visit to N.Y. - She brings me two disappointments - they did not go to see Mrs Janson & they cannot get a glass shade for the bust. These shades are not made in this country, & none to be had of the size required. I hope you will let me know about the figure & colours of the parlour Carpet that I may try & get some as near it as possible. I could have sent you a stripe Carpet - even better than the one I got for myself at the same price - but Georgia thought the one we got for you you would be better pleased with. If I could only Telegraph you - I would say - make the 30 yds do for G & F room & I would send you a stripe for your room in the place of it. I will do it yet - if Anderson sends me the money I wrote for. I will say no more about the oil cloth as ere this you have received my letter on the subject. I will have to get Lord to see after his box - he sent it down to N.Y. before the bale of Carpeting went. I hope it has not been lost. It contained all his books as well as odd ends. It is very late dear Tootee do not blame me for writing at night, if I went to bed I should not sleep before twelve or one o clock - I never do - let me go to bed ever so early. If I could only keep from thinking - I would do better.

Flora tells me - that H Couper & Savage both called to see them at the Metropolitan - both quite well. I have not seen Alic since the evening I saw him at Mrs Devereux' - Rhina has spent her last money in getting Maria's shawl - it is so pretty she has a half mind to keep it for herself, it was purchased at Stewarts in N.Y. Dear me I wish the miser who left Queen Victoria $500.000 the other day had made me his heir - I am sure I stand more in need of it than she does. What lots of pretty things I would bring home for you all But let me be thankful for what I have --- Appy has been hard at work on a dress for Bob, after all her pains I fear it will be a failure - I will not forget my Annas Willies or Kings - but we will have to make them after we get home - as I cannot guess their size Good night my darling Child - if you can read this I will

[written in pencil] [encl 22 Sept 1852] [centered]

[upper right corner] Friday 24^th September

I can scarce realize that you are suffering from rain & heat - when the weather & climate is so dry & cool here. Neither can I realize the destruction of those ruinous worms. Oh! what a bane they have been to us We have never suffered by Caterpillars on the New field - it has ever been at [Vas'?] field. I suppose at Hamilton this peculiarity of soil also prevails. Well my darling - if life is spared - let us be [but] try & be cheerful. Resigned we must be to whatever it may seem God! in his wisdom may send us. In crops - I must say, "misery loves company" - We can only expect an advance in price when there is a general failure - Has Mrs Cater been as fortunate as she was the last year these vile worms ate us out? Poor old M^r Gould prophesied a very rainy season - he lived to see his prophecy verified. If my candles had held out last night I could have spun out a monstrous long letter - I never feel capable of writing in the day - I am always dull & stupid, feeling the necessity of doing a great deal of work - & that nothing will be accomplished - this is a distressing feeling - it makes me cross - might finds [sic] I was worried little is done - each day makes me only the more suspicious of what the next day will end in - nothing is accomplished except the endless spending of money. Oh! I do wish I had never left home ___________

I shall not even have the comfort of having anything to talk about for the rest of my life. Now Amanda & M^r Woolley have had the full worth of their money, & as they have a peculiar dislike "to travelling over the same road twice" they need never come to the North again.

I had just got this far when Miss Pope came in - with Florence & Appy - & here they have been chattering about all sorts of things & chased every idea out of my poor head - Oh! I do wish I was at home! ________ I have every confidence in the judgement of dear William & hope & trust he will be able to advise my returning by the middle of October - If I stay here until dooms day I shall not be a bit more ready than I now am to take my passage home -

[upper right corner] New Haven 25^th September 1852

My own dearly beloved child

I do no know why I begin this letter now - but the fact is I do so love to write to you. I can never tire of the pleasure Nothing has occurred of any consequence since I dispatched my letter yesterday evening - I have been engaged all day in patching & fixing up the "girls's" [sic] flannel - the rats of No 15 having feasted even on them there really seems to be no end to mending. In fact I have done more sewing since I left home than I have done for years - & yet I cannot see what I have accomplished - all mending ________ I wonder Tootee dear if I shall ever know what peace is - I do want to get home very much - & yet I shrink from its troubles. If I had my wish - I would have William yourself & children join me here & let us all go to California - The more I think of the troubles which drove me from home the more I dislike holding negro [sic] property -- Oh! that we could sell out & invest in some other pursuit less trying. But enough of this for the present. I lament this morbid state of mind I ought to know there is no perfect happiness for mortal. I have my blessings if they are mix'd with trials. Now let me be done with this prosing - I ought not to depress you my darling - for tho' you are blessed with having your husband with you - your pecuniary pros-pects are no brighter than my own. Let us both my Child try to gain riches - which will ensure us a better home: --- ---

I have not heard from Georgia since Lord & Flora left here on Thursday. I do not think she has written over a dozen letters since I came on. She no doubt is much taken up with entertaining her Uncle & Aunt - Flora soon tired of the excitement - From what she tells me nothing but the purse of Fortunatus would induce me to go to the Metropolitan. Andrew & Louisa have a splendid suite of apartments - they pay $9 per day - for board & Lodging - this tells when weeks roll on - The extra's [sic] no doubt are great -

Andrew seems never tired of making his wife the most costly presents of jewelry - These will keep - She had purchased dresses & their accompa-niments that appear to me ridiculous as the fashions will change even if she comes North next summer - but it is no business of mine ______ I have some idea of letting Virginia go with Lord on Monday. She is so fond of good singing - & Sontag - is not only a fine singer but a virtuous woman. Lord heard her in London several times, & speaks highly of her voice. Flora cannot be persuaded to return - she heard Alboni. I would not in-dulge Virginia - but she may never hear good singing again. No one thinks of asking me to go - I suppose they all look on me as much of a fixture here as I am when at home. I really hope Georgia may be able to visit the Gordons before she returns - They live 10 miles from N.Y. & it seemed impossible for your sisters to get time to go whilst Flora was in the City. I am very grateful to that family for their kindness to your sisters - & would be sorry if they return home without making them a visit. I believe I mentioned to you that they have lost one of their sons this summer. Yesterday even-ing Miss Elizabeth Baldwin - Mrs & Miss Devereux called - Flora promised Miss D. to visit her this evening - & nothing must do but I must go with her. She made me put down her dress which I was darning & put on my very best silk dress. Mall came in & she got him to promise to accompany us - (he had first to go & get a drink of ale - the end of a bottle in Lords [sic] room to give him Dutch courage. We found the young lady looking very charming &c &c - We had received a beautiful basket of grapes from Mrs Devereux this evening - which pleased Appy not a little. They were very fine & her garden looked very beautiful - but Mall will not admit that it is as pretty as mine. She has one little Canary - but certainly not so pretty as my lamented "William Couper" was.

By the way Tootee - I wonder if Mrs Cater will let me have

a mate for poor Tootee - or is was it the female which died of the pair she sold me. I cannot let Tootee be a widow - Dear me what a fool I am about those birds - The girls & myself had undressed - when Floyd came up to say Alic Couper had called - it would have taken some time to dress - so I sent him back to tell Alic the state of the case & with a request that he would call again as we would soon leave New Haven - his answer / according to Floyd & Tip's version / "I cannot call again - I leave New Haven on Monday - I am going back to Browns". I fear from this that he has again been found unable to enter Yale. If so I am truly sorry - I mentioned in my last that Hamilton had called to see Geo & Flo in New York. I wish the cool weather we have here could extend to the SW We have fires in the parlour & Rhina gives me one in my room when-ever she can get the cole [sic]. It is as dry as punch - the dust is terrible. The farmers in this section of country have suffered greatly for want of rain they say Hay is $20 a ton. I wish they could have had all we could have spared from S^t Simons. I must not get on the subject of crops or I shall not sleep tonight. Let me be grateful that you my children & these dear ones with those beloved ones far away have been permit-ted to enjoy health. The Savannah paper which Lord gets is silent on the subject of yellow fever in that City. The New York Herald is laud loud on the subject. But that paper contains so little truth I am at a loss what to believe. M^r Bourke has promised to let me know how matters stand in October. I am most anxious to leave about the middle of that month & trust I may be permitted to do so. Tootee dear it was a rash thing my coming North _______

Malley has just come in to say good night - he sends much love to you & begs you will not answer his letters as he fears it may make you sick he will write to you very soon. He is really a good boy, so affectionate & quiet. I believe it would break his heart poor fellow if I did not take him home with me, he saw Alic Couper & under-stood from him that he was going to Browns University I am very sorry that he called so late this evening - the weather threatens another rainy or stormy Sunday. I hope it may

be the tail of a Storm at the South. I suppose if I was at home I would see rain enough once more - For the last three years it did seem as tho' I would never again see the ground wet. Do let me know how my first peach trees are. I would not give one of our peaches for a bushel of such as they have here - By the way dearest - I am sorry for the failure of the brandy peaches both on your account & on mine - but do not let it trouble you Mrs Devereux says - she thinks the peaches were not ripe enough I may have forgotten to tell you that they must be quite ripe ____

Lordy has just been in to bid good night - & reminds me that this is your birthday. May God! bless you my own darling child - & grant you many happy returns of the day. May each return find you more fit for that better world to which we are all hastening - Oh! that we could all grow in grace as we do in years - how blest we would be.

I cannot imagine what can cause those attacks of yours - I am thankful that they are less severe - still I am uneasy about you I can only hope they may wear off entirely . I do love to read of dear Williams [sic] devotion to you & of those darling children - bless the dear ones how I do long to see them. I often try to find a likeness to William in some one here - & have thought I could in some tall strong man - who wore a hat like his - had whiskers & took strong steps - but the likeness would soon be lost when the object came nearer. I have missed the dear little girl who reminds me of Bob - She has not been at Church for several Sundays - I was much tempted to ask her sister last Sunday if she was sick but had not the courage. My own sweet Bob, it does really seem 10 years since I left her. My darling Anna Willie & Cooney too. God! grant we may all meet again. I must say I do dread getting on board ship again. The wind blows now - & I pity those at sea this night. I would prefer going by way of Philadelphia but for the trouble of getting to that City. The girls are very anxious to ship from thence - but Lordy thinks N.Y. will be the most convenient. I expect to go back feeling very mean for it does seem as tho' I can get nothing to carry home with me - not clothes enough. Floyd has grown out of everything he has not worn out. He begins to feel that he is a shabby looking fellow & really makes a fuss that I do not give him new clothes - Good night my own child - I will add to this & send it off tomorrow night --

San Francisco Cal.[California] Sep 30^th 1852 ~

My own dearest Sister

Your long and affectionate letter of Aug 5^th came to hand by the last mail - for which allows me to return my warmest thanks. - I am truly sorry that the news of my sickness had caused you all so much un= =easiness - for twas not much after all - But long ere this all your fears have been quieted -

What in the world could have induced Stockwell to tell such a story about my having fought a duel - the only reason I did not mention it to you was - it never happened - that

is as far as I know. - No - my dear Sister I have been fortunate enough - during my stay here to have had no occasion for a friend to say "fire - one - two - three" however near it I may have come I will be willing to tell you next winter - on one condition - that you make me a good old fashioned toddy.

What the h--l put into your head to say "I do not love you as in years gone by" Now if I was in a misanthropic humor / as I think you were when you wrote the above quo= =tation / I would say it was very unkind of you - to say such a thing to a brother who has all his life tried so hard to please you - loved & ever will love you so fondly &c &c

But I am in too good a humor at the idea of going home so soon. - I think we shall leave here about the middle of Dec. -- now this may not sound so good to you as it does to me - for till [sic] within the last two weeks our plans were for Father to leave here about the 1^st of Nov. and I remane [sic] till [sic] next Spring. --- not a very pleasant arrangement for me. - Our plans are however at length fixed - and we leave here together some time in Dec! Then old lady - we will have a general - unanimous - spree -

Tell Anna to get ready - for I will Kiss her to death - if she dont [sic] look out - Tell Annie Cater not to get married before I get back. I want to be at the wedding.

[written in pencil, upper left corner] [Mrs. Wm. A. Couper Hamilton St. Simons Island Ga.]

[top right of page] San Francisco 30^th Sept 1852

My Dear Tootee

By the last Steamer I had the happiness to receive the beautiful watch-chain, made of your own hair and I believe with your own hands - I have attached it to my watch and wear it next to my heart - To say I thank you a thousand times for this evidence of your affectionate remembrance would be but a poor expression of my feelings - I shall wear it while it lasts and then place what remains in a casket as a precious relic - Your dear mother sent me her daguerreotype - it is not a good likeness - yet it is better than none at all - She informs me of her intention to return home about the first of October - I hope M^r Couper has advised her whether it will be safe to return at that time - I cannot think it will from all I hear respecting Catterpillers [sic] and wet weather - I have sent her $1,200 in bills of exchange which will be paid on presentation and $3,000 in drafts on persons who are indebted to me - so I hope she will have funds to make her comfortable - Butler has also sent her a few hundred dollars - These funds will have reached her before the time of her intended departure - I have resigned my office and the President has accepted my resignation - As soon as my successor arrives - and I expect him next week - I shall make my arrangements to return home as soon as possible