Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3030 C
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE May 16th 1834
AUTHOR R. R. Kallock
RECIPIENT Ann(e) Hoffman Nicholas
MEDIUM Paper, ink
DESCRIPTION Letter outlining renovation to building for about 200 pupils.
PEOPLE Miss Wales, Miss Whiting, Badger, Mrs K, Sarah A Jackson, Mr
Jackson, Mrs J, Mrs [Binney?] formerly Mrs Pattison, Prof Kendric, Emma,
PLACES
EVENTS
KEY WORDS
*Original spelling retained throughout work, content appears exactly as written.
[PAGE 1]
Charlestown May 16, 1834/
My dear Mrs. Nicholas,/
You will probably be surprised to receive/ a letter from one, perhaps long since forgotten, and may perhaps/ inquire what new impulse has been given of late to my distant affection./ Well my stay is short. I commenced a few weeks since, or rather/ resume the study of Spanish, formerly commenced under/ your kind instruction, and I find every think there so strongly/ associated with my dear Mrs N that I felt irresistibly inclined/ to write, and if possible elicit some of her thoughts, to whose instruct-/tion I have formerly listened with so much pleasure. There have been/ very few friends in my life, in which kind providence has not favored/ me with some friend, in whose society I could take rational pleasures./ The memory of these friends has ever been, and I trust ever will be/ dear to me, and scarcely an event of my life stands unconnected with/ some time of them. The winter of 1831-2 stands strongly associated/ in its most minute events with my long loved Mrs N, nor can I/ persuade myself that you have wholly forgotten us./
Well then let me inquire if you ever think of that Infant,/ you was called here to nourish and cherish? Do you know/ how fast it has grown, and what a healthful child it/ has become? Or have you been expecting [unrecovered] this to hear/ that the [grass] had covered it? It is not dead I assure you,/ and if you will please lay aside your writing, and take your/ toothbrush I will tell you its story. Its size is much/ increased. The old building still stands, but it is connected/ with one much larger, and more convenient. This new/ building fronts upon Union Street, with a garden in front./ The back part of the lower floor is occupied by a chapel,/ while on either side of the front door, are two rooms fur-/
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[PAGE 2]
nished in the same manner one belonging to the trustees the/ other appropriated to visitors. The whole upper story forms a/ spacious and convenient hall, affording ample accommodations/ for 200 pupils. The former building which is connected with/ this by an upper and lower entry is wholly cut up into [recitation]/ rooms. So you will perceive we have room enough. The care/ of the school [devolves] upon Miss Wales who has been with us a/ year past, and whom we all love and esteem, Misses Whiting / Badger and myself. But we have a good supply of able assistants / and think we get along pretty well. We have present about / 170 pupils. Miss Whiting has been quite unwell this spring/ so as to be unable to be in school the first month of this term./ We felt much afraid of a decline, nor are our fears entirely reme-/red yet, though she is very much better./
And now me thinks I hear you say Mrs K has forgotten that the/ [C.F.] Seminary is not the Phoenix of the age, not the only subject/ worthy attention. Still I know you will pardon my weakness and/ pity my ignorance. Remember all minds are not capable of/ embracing that wide range of subjects, which a favored few/ can grasp. Certainly no one can be more sensible of my deficiency/ than myself. But by the way I use some effort to enlarge my men-/tal capacity, and have spent, still spend much time in study/ for his very purpose. However I think you allow there are sonsitu-/-tional differences, at any rate I do, particularly since I have paid/ some attention to the study of phrenology./
I dont know that I have any thing particularly new or interesting/ to communicate concerning your friends here. Mr Jackson and family are well, they have adopted a little girl about 10 years of/ age whom they call Sarah A Jackson. She is a very interesting/ lively little thing. I fear they will love her too much. Mrs. J/ is now on a visit to Providence. Mrs [Binney] formerly Mrs Pat/tison has been rather afflicted this winter; her husband has/ been quite sick and still unable to preach. I know you/ will sympathize with her. There are many here in whose/ memory you will long love, but I expect your present friends/ in N York have entirely eclipsed us all./
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[PAGE 3]
I should have written to my dear Emma long ago had I know/ to what place to direct. Dear girl how does she spend her time/ now. She thought of teaching, has she found a better way? Report/ says she is engaged to Prof Kendric, is it so? I want to know/ something about her situation, and that of her dear mother/ also. Do tell me how do you spend your time now? Does it/ pass agreeably Do you ever think of the little chamber on the corner/ of Union and Richmond streets, or of a poor widow whom you/ hospitably warmed by your fires, and cheered by your conversation/ from night to night? Do you ever think how poor we were,/ how I went out to beg [meat] for [Cora], and the neighbors sent/ us in now a plate of buckwheat cakes, and now a dish of/ soup to satisfy our craving appetites? Do you think often of/ our nightly conversations? [Ec. Ec] Shall I never have an opportunity/ of seeing you again face to face? If not allow me now/ to say that I never think of you but with gratitude, to/ our Heavenly Parent, that he permitted me to enjoy your/ society so long, and to you for your [unwearied] kind [seal]/ I speak not the long [ways] of flattery but from the [seal]/ flowings of a sincerely grateful heart. And now may I/ ask that you would add to your many forms that/ of writing me another letter. You cannot [will] to one/ when would make it now. Do tell me all about your/ own dear self, Emma and [Cora]. This is what I want./ You know it is nothing for you to write when you once/ sit down to it. If then you have any remaining affection/ for an old friend, just grant her this request./
The Church here of which I believe you are still a member/ has been favored with something of an awakening during/ the past winter about 20 have been baptized This spring/ and a number more will by [leave] of Providence follow/ them next Sabbath [morn]. Pray for us and our dear pastor/ that we may walk worthy of the [action] where with we have/ been called. Much love to Emma, and your own dear self/ from your obliged friend [R]. [R]. [Kalloch?]/
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[ADDRESS]
Charlestown May 17th 1834/
parting/
many many/
many are the are/
Mrs Anne Nicholas/
many Hamilton NY/
many freed for/
[END OF LETTER]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
