Name/Title
Letter to Elizabeth W. Braman from Julia G. GilletteEntry/Object ID
2024.02.46Scope and Content
2024.02.46A
Letter to Elizabeth W. Braman from Julia G. Gillette
The letter continues within the header and concludes along the margins of the first page.
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Canton Center, ?Town? Aug 26 1892
Dear Aunt Elizabeth
so many things have happened to us, as a family, during the past year and-a-half, that I have been wanting for some time to write to you, Taking it for granted that you would be interested to know all about us, and knowing that you would not hear from us in any other way. For mother has not written to any of her brothers or sisters for years, so fas as I know, + there are so many of us children that she can only write to us, each once in a long time. Her letters are so rare that we send them about from one to another when we get our she had her 3d stroke of appoplexy
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last spring, nearly 4 months ago, + has never recovered from it so fully as from her other attacks. she can keep about the house most of the time, and get about the door yard a little, but father seems greatly discouraged about her. He said in a letter last week that if she didn't get better when the cool weather comes, he should despair her ever getting better.
Father is failing very fast. I noticed it more in his last letter than ever before. Suffers a great deal from rheumatism + trouble with his head. He is first supplying the ?colonel? while they are without a Pastor, a procedding of which I do not at all approve. He is too old + broken down to do such work. He + mother live alone on the farm, only that since Mothers illness they have a girl all the time. Father says he will [continued on 46B]
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brought back old times and made me want to hear from you again. Will you not write me when I get back to Saugus? I wanted to tell you about the Literature Mission that I am interested inm but I can't this time
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will send you one of the leaflets with the photo, + I hope I will have a chance to Tell you all about it some Time. Will sends best regards to you both. Your affectionate Niece Julia G. Gillette.
2024.02.46B
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never leave her alone again. She was taken while he was gone to ch. + she was all alone. She says the last she remembers was seeing him drive out of the yard when he started for meeting. He found her unconscious when he got home nearly 5 hours afterward, + had to leave her to go to the neighbors 1/2 mile away to get some one to go for the Dr. She did not become conscious again until nearly morning, + was sick in bed quite a long time - 2 weeks or more, I think, before she was able to get up at all. I do hope the cool weather will help her.
Hiram still lives in Colon, or rather his family does. He is Dist. Sec. of the H.W. Society, + is away several weeks at a time working among the churches in his Dist. I am next in order I belive, as to age - well, we, my husband + I, met with a great misfortnue 1 year ago last May, in the loss of our first little one, (by misccarriage)
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A long illness followed, nearly 4 months before I could walk from one room to another, and it was not until Jan. that I begain to gain much. Then I got pretty well + strong, for me, + felt better in Apr. + May than I had done for many years. Meanwhile Will had become so worn out with Taking care of me so long + keeping up his school work at the same time, that I feared he would no be able to finish his years' work, _ I took the cataloguing of the new books in the library into my own hands, also helping him with his desk work - Commencement Essays. + c. + writing all his letters. Between us, we managed to get through the years work, but it was so much for me, + I suddenly found myself flat on my back, I couldn't seem to gain any, + the Dr. finally prescribed a long
2024.02.46C
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drive of several weeks, So Will got a horse +carraige as soon as possible after school closed. + we determined to spend the whole summer vacation in driving. We started a little more then a month ago. drove up the north east Through Salem. Beverly + Gloucester to Newsbury port, then. up the Marimac River to Lowell, cross country Deerfield on the Conn. River, + down the River to Northhampton, then Cross Country again to Canton, where we are spending a few days with Father Gillette. making short excursions into the surrounding Country.
I could not ride an hour at a time when we started, but we have both grown stronger every day, + now I can rid from 1 1/2 to 3 hours at a time. we have a portable canvas cot in the carriage, + when I get tired we set it up
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in the shade + I lie + rest until I feel ready to go on again. Will reads Dickens to me while I rest, so the time doesn't seem long. We have a Tiny oil stove along, a jar of beef extract + cake of oliveslate + we buy eggs + milk of the farmers along our route, + camp in the woods by side the road + get our own meals. we can boil eggs + make tea on ouur little stove nicely. I enjoy this Gypsy life greatly, + only wish we could keep it up for several weeks longer. But school begins a week from next Tuesday, (Sept, 8th) so we must start for Saugus next Monday. I am hoping Will is laying up enough of health + strength this vacation to carry him safely through his next years work. He had a photo taken for the graduating class, which we consider a very good one; I
2024.02.46D
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will send you one when I get home. I have had none for 9 years - Will wants me to get one this fall - has been teasing me to get one for 3 or 4 years - but I dread it so- It is very seldom that I get a decent one.
Eugene has a little boy, 7 months old, a beautiful child + the smartest baby, they say, that ever was. I haven't seen it, but you know the first one is always the nicest baby in the world. He is still in the clothing business in Wellington - doing first rate, I judge, from what I hear. Willie is also in Wellington, foreman in a large factory. He has a nice little family, 2 boys + 2 girls. Clair, the oldest, nearly ready for the High School.
Aaron is still surveying in Northern Minnesota, his family lives in Minneapolis, but like Hiram
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he has to be away from them a great deal. He is looking up R.R. lands now. He has 2 bright little girls 1 + 3 years old. Winnifred + Alberta.
Henry + Phil live on adjoining farms in Ludington, Mich. Henry lost his right arm last summer in a R.R. accident, which makes it extremely different for him to get along with his work. I am afraid he will los his farm in consequence. It is not paid for, into 6 or 800 dollars, + I just don't see how he is ever going to do farm work enough to finish paying for it. I do feel so sorry for him. His wife is nearly blind. + has been for several years. Yet she has worked nobly, with him, in spite of her weakness + ill health, + they have made a desperate effort to pay for their home. If they lose this place I dont believe they will ever
2024.02.46E
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have a home of their own. They have one daughter (adopted) nearly 15 years old, + she + Ella take right hold of plowing, or anything they can do on the farm, since he lost his arm. I never knew a braver or harder-working family in my life. He has sued the R.R. Co. in the loss of his arm but lawsuits are so uncertain I'm afraid he will have all the Expense of it + get nothing. His first lawyer proved dishonest + was "bought out" by the Co. + dropped the suit before it came to trial. He has retained another lawyer, but I don't know; I'm afraid of how it will turn out. I'm afraid of lawyers.
No doubt you have heard of Uncle Aaron's + Uncle Henry's death, mother told me in her last card but could give no particulars.
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I do wish I knew whether I have your P.O. address all right
I Think I will mark this to be returned if not called for, + wait before I send the photo until I see whether this comes back to me. I wish I could see you + talk with you. I have wanted very long to see you for a long time. Are you plannig to be at the World's Fair next year? We youngsters are all going to meet at Colon again next year, if all is well. Can not you + Uncle David meet with us there? We should all be so glad to hear you. I know that mother wants very much to see you she always talks of you to me when I go home.
I found among my old letters a few weeks ago on that I read from you nearly 15 years ago. One of the last you wrote to me. It [continued on 46A]Collection
Aldrich Family CollectionRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Gillete, Julia G.Person or Organization
Braman, Elizabeth W.Person or Organization
Braman, David R.Person or Organization
Aldrich, Henry WinsorPerson or Organization
Aldrich, Aaron W.
