Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3021
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE October 11, 1799??
AUTHOR Mary Gillon Hoffman Seton (aunt, sister of JOH)
RECIPIENT Alice Ann Hoffman (Mrs. Anne H Nicholas) at New Brunswick
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE Aunt Laight, Mammy, matilda,
Ogden, Mary, Josiah Ogden Hoffman, little Cousin Mary
PLACE
EVENTS death of Aunt Laight, grandfather very sick,
KEY WORDS School, fever
*Original spelling retained throughout work; content appears exactly as written.
[PAGE 1]
Cottage _ October 11th
[Page torn in corner] I am fearful my dear Ann will think her / Aunt unkind in so long delaying to answer her letter- the truth / is that a large family to attend to- care of your sweet little / Cousin Mary, who grows a lovely child and devoting a / part of each day to your poor Grandfather so entirely / takes up my time. that every moment of it is employed / I was pleased with your letter _ it was a proof of your / attention & affection that I long had sigh’d to receive / from you, + from those we love, attentions are always / grateful, + I should be happy to hear frequently from you / which my dear Ann will answer two purposes improv/-ing yourself and affording me a pleasure- tell my / dear Matilda I hope the time is not far distant when I shall receive a letter from her trust she is making / as great a progress in her learning as you are in yours / though not advanced quite so far, make no doubt / no exertion on either part are wanting to repay / your Papa for the great pains he takes with you both / indeed my dear Ann you cannot be too sensible of / his goodness. I have made him a pot of sliced peaches / but not as many [inserted: as] I could wish- you know we have not / any peaches on this place- the fever has prevented my
[END OF PAGE 1]
[PAGE 2]
sending to market all the Peaches + [page torn] /
hours has sent us- half of which your [page torn] /
tell your Papa the [black] she animal he w [page torn] /
an amusement to Ogden he shall have in welcome- and / ten times welcome if he will put me in a way to send / her. Your grandmother continues very well- but your / Grandfather is very weak and his spirits so bad that / he is generally in tears which is but a melancholy / sight to us all- the death of your Aunt Laight I / sincerely mourned. her life was amiable and good and / as such trust she is happily rewarded- her loss was / great to you all my dear Ann _ but God who giveth / Life has a right to take it Away _ it is our duty to / be resigned to his Will- I saw your Cousins / Alfred and Colden Cooper the other day. They are both well and at the same school expect them home for a / visit any moment I pray [inserted: continues] as much of a Pet as ever / she and Emma send their love to their cousins- kiss / lovely little Mary for me and tell Ogden his Aunt longs / to see him, remember me most affectionately to your Mammy. Tell her I move as soon as the weather will / permit. And if she will make New York a visit / every thing my House affords to make her comfor- / table she shall have. God Bless you my dear Ann / continue to remember your ever affectionate Aunt
Mary Seton
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[END OF LETTER]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
