Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3024 G
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE April 12th 1837
AUTHOR Julia H
RECIPIENT Mrs. Nicholas (Envelope), “dear sister”
MEDIUM Paper, ink
DESCRIPTION
PEOPLE Charles, Emma, John Herbert, Mrs. Jones, Mary, Ogden,
George, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Mrs Robinson,Murray, Aunt
Colden, David, Miss Grady, Ellen, Phil, Dad, Rev, Mrs Nicholas
Belvidere, Mr Herbert, Rhinelanders, Olive(?), Chlorine(?)
PLACES Dearborn, New England, Baltimore, Hellgate,
EVENTS Rebecca- “sell her ‘for her goodness”, slave trade
KEY WORDS The Mirror, magazine publisher or editor, Rebecca slave trade
*Original spelling retained throughout work; content appears exactly as written.
[PAGE 1]
New York April 12th 1837
I am wearied of waiting for letters from/ you dear Sister, what is the reason that none of you write night/ after night I have expected them by Charles and now I really fear some/ thing must be the matter at Belvidere Emma is so fond of writing/ that she surely might find time for a few lines even if you were too/ busy. I was very glad to hear a few weeks ago that John Herbert had/ determined to go out immediately I hope it will add to your comfort/ to have so good a workman there and the prospect hope it will add to your comfort/ to have so good a workman there and the prospect of Mrs jones and/ Mary next Spring will be delightful to you I went over to see them/ the other day and found both looking [wretchedly] they have been sick/ nearly all winter but hope to get quite well now that the warm/ weather is coming and that they are going to move up stairs, I send/ miniature and a book for Ogden and wish I had something more/ but perhaps by the time Mrs Jones foes we will be richer, your mothers/ portrait John could not conveniently carry, so it must wait for another/ opportunity. I am still with the Duer’s but shall leave here on Friday/ for Fishkill where I shall probably remain all summer after that there/ is nothing determined upon George has not yet decided where he will come on to see us as soon as the road he is now engaged in/ shall be finished and will then decide. he will have no difficulty- I [unrecovered]/ give in procuring a very good situation and if it were not for the debt/ we should nearly be quite rich but until those are paid off we must be/ very economical. Charles magazine was so much involved that he was very/ glad to accept a proposal of Dearborn’s to take it off his hands for the/
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[PAGE 2]
debts which had accumulated since I had been publisher and allow/ Charles a thousand a year for editing it, the debts including losses by/ fire, purchase of the New England &c. leaving Charles though the original/ purchase debt of the [unrecovered words] still to pay, all this is a secret don’t/ speak of it in your letters to any of the people here. Charles has become/ Editor of the Mirror at a salary of $1200 and with the two together he/ expects to get out of debt and live comfortably./
Our future is to be sold on Saturday I fear it will scarcely bring/ any thing for the town is in such a dreadful state with the great/ failures that even the most superb furniture that of the Josephs sold for/ a mere trifle, perhaps you have not yet heard in the wilderness that all/ the rich people here are failing the Josephs were the first about three weeks/ ago and since then it is said there have been an hundred, I hope it will/ not affect your western lands, though they say here it will be felt everywhere/ I was up at the house yesterday and left Elizabeth in very good spirits/ she received letters while I was there from Rebecca telling her that her/ master would sell her “for her goodness” and directing where the money/ should be paid here she has heard from Mrs Robinsion too who says/ she may have Olive and Clorine too though she would not rather not/ part with the latter. she is so much attached to her until she comes on/ herself which will be next year. I am delighted that she is so fair a/ prospect of getting her children she says she will remember her promise/ to you and should I live with George next winter in the country/ I shall probably have one of them. [Spenses] and Elizabeth will go to/ Murrays on Saturday night, Murray is to be married on the 18th but/ will not bring his wife home until the first of May he is going to/ Baltimore on a bridal tour his wedding is to be in the evening and/ quite a large one sixty invitations. I went to see Aunt Colden a week/ ago she really seems in wretched health, she is going to move into a three story house and says she feels so much the want of a companions, she/ wished me very much to come live with her (not in a patronizing/ way) she though she could make it very pleasant for me! Poor woman/ I do feel sorry for her it is certainly forlorn to be sick old and alone./
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but get I would rather wish for my living than pass my time with her/ I should not be surprised if she were to have some humble companion/ such as be read of the English books, [David] spends every evening with her and/ [Hunny] comes for her every day but she still says she wants some one/ living with her. I had a letter from Miss [Grady] yesterday- she always/ asks affectionately after you she tells me Ellen’s husband has failed and/ they are going to try Baltimore again, her health is no better./
Ogden I have seen at Murrays several times he is well but his [?] are/ still much depressed Murrays marriage will in a measure deprive him/ of another home for he will hardly like to go there so much where/ there is a new Mrs Hoffman he never talks of it and seems to dislike/ to hear mention. The Rhinelanders have gone out to Hellgate/ Phil has not given up his intention of traveling to the west this/ [?] so you may expect to see him./
Do I [torn] you write I have some thought you could [unrecovered]/ [torn] a letter though I directed them as you told me to beg [unrecovered]/ of Rev. [torn] Whitman Chicago. This one at any rate you well received our/ [it] goes by a private hand. I have longed to see you and [unrecovered]/ with all winter I am such a wretched letter writer that it is no/ satisfaction to me to write. Love to the girls and Mr W and kisses to/ the children/ Ever your attached/
Julia H-/
[END OF PAGE 3]
[Address; written on letter]
Mrs. Nicholas/
Belvidere/
Mr. Herbert Illinois/
[END OF LETTER]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
