folder 15: October–December 1852

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Needs Review

[upper right corner] New Haven - October 3d 1852

My dearly beloved Tootee

If I do not send this letter to the office tonight you will be disappointed on Sunday next in getting a letter from me. I must say that I do not feel much like writing - I never do by day light. My room has always so many talkers in it - It worries me more than you can think. On Sundays Floyd & Tip came here from Church with us - I am sorry to say we do not feel like going in the afternoons - I have to keep the boys with me until it is time for their supper - &c &c. - Lord & his sisters got back yes-terday in time for dinner. They seem to have enjoyed their visit very much - tho' it was really too short for much pleas-ure. They are delighted with John King's wife & children - Saw also Mrs Preston that good lady seems to take matters very easy she is staying at her sons. I guess if she was paying board she would not be so content to remain North until the 30th October. What an age to look forward to - & yet the time will soon pass. I feel obliged to be governed by your advice - & have tho' very reluctantly decided to remain until the 30th of October. I did not We must leave this next Friday - dear me how I dread to move - If I could just get into the Steamship at this place & steam away for home it would not be so bad - I miss dear William now very much - Dear me I do wish I was safe at home. We have not yet received our California letters. I hope tomorrow will bring us pleasant ones from those beloved ones. I do hope and trust we shall not find that they have postponed their return. I have never seen in the papers or heard any one say they have seen his resignation formally announced I am so much afraid he may be induced to hold on until

[written lengthwise on left, from bottom to top of page] I hope there is a good chance of groundnuts, I have promised to send Simeon Baldwin a supply -

Last edit about 1 year ago by Cursivefancier
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Needs Review

next Spring - I know your dear Father will do all for the best. I can only hope he may have made enough to enable him to return to us. Dear little Tip is again well - tho [although] he & Floyd both have had colds. It seems a hard matter here to get rid of colds - The weather is delightfully cool & bright & if I could be induced to exercise freely I would feel better than I do - but I do hate the parade of dressing every time I put my head out of the house - This will be a busy week with us - Several visits to make - trunks to pack &c &c [etc., etc.] I shall certainly leave New Haven with regret - I shall never see it more. Yesterday evening Georgia & myself took tea at Mrs Baldwins [Baldwin's] - Flora had head ache - Appy a toe ache Malley Floyd & Tip came in afterwards - the [they] were all invited but the boys could not be got, Miss E. B. is certainly a very pleasant intelligent young lady. And we spent a very pleasant evening They have done everything in their power to make us be on sociable terms with them. But we are every one miserable visiters [visitors] --

We all went to Church today - Flora Tip & myself to St Thomas', Georgia & Floyd to Trinity & Appy to the Center Church. Georgie Devereux communed today for the first time. I wish L. was as pious as Georgie is - Mrs D., L. & G. all have bad colds - the two young ladies are to be here tomorrow - G & F. sat in their pew today. Yesterday evening a man shot himself very near this - poor wretch - he had been drinking - he did not kill himself dead - for hours his sufferings were very great. Another poor man - was burnt so badly two nights ago that he died yesterday - I do not know what tempted me to tell you this - Because I suppose I have very little to tell about. Mr Gibson called yesterday to in-vite G & F. to go to Chapel this evening. I had to entertain him as the girls had not yet returned from Princeton It was a hard matter for me to find talk for him & he did make a most unconcianable [unconscionable] call ----

Last edit over 1 year ago by Cursivefancier
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Needs Review

We got on Caterpillars at last - on this subject I am most eloquent. George Gordon called the other day on Georgia & asked to see me - I do not care when G or F are present how many call - they are neither of them ever at a loss for something to say. Mr Gibson has just called to take G & F. to Chapel &c [etc.] I had another kind letter from Mr Hall yesterday - he has shipped the 8 yds [yards] carpeting - to make out the parlour [parlor] carpet. I assure you dear Tootee I ought to thank Mr & Mrs Hall for these attentions - they are more so than any one else I have met with. He offers to get me comfortable board for me whenever I can make up my mind when I shall go to New York, & insists on Floyd & Tip's staying with them. If it is possible I would like to remain a few days in New York before we sail. I believe Andrew & Louisa are yet in New York. I would like to be at Allentown at the same time they are - as it is probably the last I shall see of them. I will try & write you again before we leave New Haven We shall have a great deal to do - & I dare say will leave a great deal undune [undone] - I do not think there ever was a family as large as mine who accomplish as little as we do - we have no tact. I every night determine to do a great deal the next day the day comes & is over & nothing done. We want you & William here. I have had a box made to put such clothing as we do not wear in & will send it on before we go - our bagga[ge] even tho' [though] we have but one trunk and bag apiece is very troublesome. I am going to try & make two trunks answer, for our visit to Allentown. And with all this show there is nothing of value in our trunks. I presume you know that Hugh Grant Eugenia & Fraser have come on - & the rest of them gone to Marietta. Florence got a letter yesterday from Jenny they were to leave in the Steam Ship yesterday for New York - Georgia has had several very long letters from Fanny She intends G. to be God Mother to her baby. I am very nervous

Last edit over 1 year ago by Cursivefancier
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Needs Review

as the time draws near for me again to venture on the great deaep. You see I can scarce spell - much less make up a tolerable letter. Tootee dear as long as I live & have a husband - I will never again leave home without him I find it so difficult to decide myself what he is best to be done I feel that it is a most difficult matter for Lord - I can but hope we shall eventually all reach home in safety. I think if I can but do that it will be like taking a mountain off of me. Oh! that I could but awake tomorrow in my own house and find Maria by my side saying "you ain't guine [goin'] get up today?" But there must be many nights before I can sleep again on my own bed. God! grant it may be a happier sleep than the last one I had there. You must not think it unkind your sisters' not writing oftener. I am sure it is not from want of love, but they see me writing so often to you they think I tell you all they could & they are always busy doing nothing. I begin to be really sorry that I cannot let them go to Philadelphia - they are all anxious to see their old school friends One of them mentions that Adele Picot was to leave France last Wednesday for the U.S. Flora is making herself very merry about their visit to the Chapel this evening - She declares she will not be a third again in any party but dear me I will not pretend to repeat the nonsense - she certainly is very amusing, & is a most affectionate girl. I can only repeat - how anxious I am to be once more at rest in my own home. I do envy Amanda & Mr Woolley - They have had a far happier & pleasanter summer than I have had. Your sisters & brothers send thousands of love & as many kisses to you - William & the babies. In this of course I unite. Flora has just run up out of breath - she says I have a "gist" to tell you - A Mrs Hall told lady Dagrett that she "saw Father & Butty at a ball in San Francisco - & that Father looked as young as Lord does" I think this rather a stretch. The husband of this Mrs Hall keeps one of the Hotels in San Francisco - & is making a big lump. I must stop now Tell all the people howde [howdy] for me. I hope poor Denham is better

[written lengthwise, bottom to top, on left of page] Has Mrs Gale go[ne] [words missing from torn page] God! bless you darling Tootee. Your devoted Mother AMKing

Last edit over 1 year ago by Cursivefancier
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Needs Review

[upper right corner] New Haven 5th October 1852

My own dear Child

Thank you my own beloved Child for your affectionate letter of the 27 & 28 which reached me yesterday I hope your next letter will also be directed to this place & I will then probably receive it tomorrow. This constant interchange of letters is a great comfort to both of us. I never receive one from you but my heart trembles from an apprehension of bad news - the relief is great when I find you & your loved ones are yet safe from sickness - surely my child this has been an uncommonly trying year to you & to me. But God! has been most merciful - our numbers are the same. May this blessing be continued to us yet a while longer. We cannot expect it to last for -ever. No my child a change must come. We know not at what hour or who will first go - May we each one watch & pray & be found with our lamps filled & lighted! --------------

So far as I am aware - we are all as usual this morning - No California Mail yet. The Ohio is 5 days behind time - - I do write such unconnected letters - I was obliged to stop first to help Georgia & Appy fix up to go out to Stratford - Florence would not go. L. & G. Devereux invited your sisters to accompany them on a visit to their grandmother - they left at 4 - of course Lord had to go to take care of the whole. Flora & I then dressed up & went to make some calls - We met Mrs Matthews & her granddaughter - they had a basket of little cakes which little Lizzie was bringing for Tip & Floyd (I name Tip first because but for him Floyd would have got no cakes.) We had made two calls before meeting Mrs M. Our next call was to be on Mrs Russell - Mrs M went to the door with us - We found Mrs Russell was not in - so Mrs M. again joined us - As we came up chapel Street I purchased the carpet for G & F room - 36 yds [yards] - Georgia would not

Last edit over 1 year ago by Cursivefancier
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