Name/Title
Letter to HAR from Elise [sister]Entry/Object ID
2009.016.1cScope and Content
Sender writes from Zahara.
Transcription:
Zahara. March 2nd 1866
Dear Etta,
I received your letter three days ago, and was so glad to hear from you once more, I had just told Claude, a day or two before that I was going to write to you to renew our correspondence. We are both delighted with the idea of paying you a visit in May, and will accept your invitation with much pleasure, if it is possible for us to do so, we are quite weary of solitude as you may imagine, and we felt particularly lonely, when we would get letters town telling us of all the fun going on there. It will be charming if Helen is there too, and we can certainly manage to have a gay time all together. It will afford me too dear Etta the opportunity which I have long wished for of knowing you better and seeing more of you, than I have hitherto been able to do. Indeed we have seen little or nothing of each other ever since you were married, and I have often wondered if we never would…So when you want us to come, just write for us. I have promised Nathalie to pay her a visit, to be with her when she is married, but hope this will not clash with my visit to you. Her wedding appears to be about as far off as it did four months ago, I think; I wonder how Col. Adams likes the postponement. Isn't it singular that Nathalie & Anna should both marry men whom I don't know atall, not even by sight, and we have always been so much together? As to my engagement, you can deny that too as safely as the other; I was much amused when I read that part of your letter, it was so funny, for the very last letter I received from you, you spoke of people saying I was engaged to Capt. Furry[?]; I only wish they would let me and my affairs alone. We saw a great deal of the Fuller's during this summer of course, they were the only people atall congenial up here, & they all liked us ; & Mr. Fuller, my friend, comes over from Augusta now & then to spend a day with us. Do you know him atall? I think you would like him.
Mr. Lewis & his son Frank went from here a week ago, to the low country, (Frank had only come up four days before to see us,) leaving Johnnie Lewis in charge of the family of children. Mamie promised Mr Lewis to look after them too, so she is there a great deal. Helen Lewis is so much better now, that she can [--i-e] out, and walk a little about the house; but I fear her lungs are permanently affected, her father thinks so, in which case it would have been better for her to have died in this illness, for to die of consumption must be very terrible.
Our only amusements here are driving(?), which I enjoy very much when Johnnie Lewis's horse is in the buggy, but not with Mamie's old nag! and music, I sing a little almost every evening and so does Mamie.
The little piano we have here is quite sweet toned , and pleasant for singing though it has gone down so far below concert pitch that I expect you will take my voice for a powerful bass the first time you hear me sing; I shall have to train it up, when I get to town. Col. [P---man] sent me quite a roll of music last month, but it is almost all little french songs, and I don't fancy any of them much. I hear that you don't sing much now, I am so sorry; we might learn some duets together in the spring; do you like duets? I did know some beautiful ones with Marina(?) Legare.
When you write to Helen give her my love & remember me to her mother.
Please tell me how Burnet's health is now! I fear nothing but sulphur springs will restore him to good health, it is very unfortunate; give him much love for me. Edmund's groom says he went to Jehossey [sic], what is he going to do there? Poor Jimmie writes me of his loneliness on his father's plantation, too. He does not complain atall, says he prefers it to any more loafing; he writes a comical account of Frank Heyward, says he has been since September on Combahee, perfectly alone and without a book, and is perfectly comfortable& his spirits as good as when he started.
Do remember me to Mrs. Aiken, and with much love to yourself. Dear Etta, believe me your affectionate sister Elise.
Envelope:
Mrs. H. Burnett Rhett
Charleston
So CaCollection
Aiken-Rhett HouseAcquisition
Accession
2009.016.Source or Donor
Maybank, ThomasAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Gift of Thomas MaybankLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Secondary Object Term
LetterNomenclature Primary Object Term
CorrespondenceNomenclature Sub-Class
Other DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsSearch Terms
Correspondence, Personal Papers, Rhett, Andrew Burnet, 1831-1879--Correspondence, Rhett, Henrietta Aiken--Correspondence, Aiken-Rhett family, Aiken-Rhett family--CorrespondenceArchive Details
Date(s) of Creation
1866Archive Size/Extent
2 pages and envelopeArchive Notes
Date(s) Created: Mar. 2, 1866
Level of Description: ItemLocation
Location
Room
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentDate
February 7, 2023Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Rhett, Andrew BurnetPerson or Organization
Rhett, Henrietta AikenGeneral Notes
Note
Notes: Transcription by Christine Mathieson, graduate student in the Clemson Historic Preservation program, Nov. 2009; revised by Karen Emmons, HCF Archivist.Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
July 31, 2009Updated By
sferguson@historiccharleston.orgUpdate Date
May 24, 2023