Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3039 D
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE September 3, 1838
AUTHOR
RECIPIENT
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE
PLACES
EVENTS
*Original spelling retained throughout work, content appears exactly as written.
[Page 1]
Hell Gate September/
3rd/
1838./
My dearest Emma/
I have this movement received/ your letter, from Aunt Eliza, and too glad was/ I , once more to receive a letter directed to me in/ your hand writing. Although I could have wish/ ed it to have been the bearer of better news!/ still as a letter from you was received with / joy. I heartily sympathize with you in all/ your trouble, and with there to aid you,/ you may perhaps recollect that I always/ had a penchant, for children, so that I have/ no donut but that I would make Mr/ Charles Hoffman Whitman, and extremely good/ nurse. I am very, very sorry for Matilda/ but I hope, by the time you receive this,/ that she will be much better. What a/ simmer you must have had, but I / hope that your troubles are over now/ and I trust that this letter will find/ you all in health and [unrecovered] in better/ spirits. Oh! If I could but be with/ you, I am sure I could do some/ thing towards improving the latter./ If there is anything in the world I,/ wish for, it is to see you again, be/ lieve my dear Em., for though I feel that/ others love me, yet still I know that there/ is in your heart, for me, a love, thich,/ “time cannot chance, nor circumstances in as”-/
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[PAGE 2]
you can imagine how provoked I was/ to find on my return form [unrecovered] / that day in town, that I had for/ gotten to leave the ring for her. She/ not Mary were at home, so that I / had to leave the things that I had with/ me with some one, I don't know who/ it was, although I am sure it is a/ face I ought to recollect. I had the/ ring in my bag, and it [instantly] escapes/ my mind. I intended returning again/ that morning to see [Mary], but I met/ the carriage coming for me soon af/ter I left the house, that I was/ obliged to go out without seeing her/ again. I was very sorry that it so hap/pended, but I could not help it. Give/ her and Mary my best love and tell them that I am very glad your next Miss/ Emma, please tell me something more/ about them, that you did in your/ last. The ring which will arrive in this,/ will make its own apologies. I have/ not yet decided upon anytime for being/ married. It will be entirely decided by/ Phil’s return. But trust me My dear Em/ that I will let you know in time, to/ come on for it. For come on you must./ I will arrange it all for you. For you do/ not know but what Phil may, after/ having seen all Europse take it into his/ head to see the Far West and what bet/ ter [unrecovered] could you have, than our/ own dear Phil? But more of that Anon!/ Phil assures me that he will be home the/ 21st day of September 1839-! It is a long/ time off, but some comfort is that the/
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[PAGE 3]
time is growing shorter, every day, you say, I / must tell you about “your Cousin John.” / What can I tell you? That he is every thing that/ is good and kind? That you know already and/ to find out all his good qualities you must/ know him. I am sure you will like him, but/ I wish to see enough of him to love him. He/ says he is sure he shall love you from all he/ has heard from other and from all I have told/ him, and will you not form the same feeling to / wards him? I mean of liking him before know/ing him. It would of course be ridiculous in/ me to [write] you a description of his [unrecovered] / or qualities, for of course you would only be/lieve only half, but I will make Aunt Mary/ write you a PS- to this and give you the neces/sary information. Although your mother does not/ send me love, message or anything: give my best/ best love to her and tell her although she may/ have forgotten me me, that I still think of her. Would you/ not like to have a little home news? - I have not yet/ seem Chalres but I have seen a great deal of John Stephens lately and he told me the other evening,/ that Charles was in town at Seton’s. They have/ taken Mr Chengaray’s old school house, in Houston/ and I should think a very expensive one, so they/ must be doing well in the world. Julia is still up at/ Fishkill, I believe, fir I have seen nothing of her. My/ Hoffman relations, have all give me up. Why, I can/ not tell, for I am sure I never [unrecovered] to give them/ up, but last winter all them my oft repeated visitis/ to them remained unreturned. And even Charles,/ who so often visited me has now forsaken me./ He may hunt a long time, before he will find a/ heart that is so much attached to him as mine,/ and he may one day feel the loss of the love, that/ he now despises. Uncle Ogden, had until last/ week continued to deny his engagement, but he/ acknowledged it then to Cousin David. had a / friend of Miss Southard’s told me that they were/ to be married next week! - I of course do not ex/pect to be invested, for as yet he has never told me/ of his engagement. I saw Cousin David on Sunday, / he said Cousin [unrecovered] was well but had suffered/ very much, from her close attendance on Harriet/ Wilkes- I can give you no more news about/ the Hoffman family, because I know no more./ But I suppose you are interested in the Rhinelanders,/ in some degree, so, I will let you know what they are/ all about-/
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[PAGE 4]
To begin with the eldest Uncle WIlliam and his family,/ are all well I have been “spending the summer at [unrecovered] / Mountains. Mary is going to “come out” this winter and/ Uncle Will is building a magnificent new house for/ the occasion! As those are the two things that are/ of the greatest importance to them just now, I have/ heard of nothing else for some time past: So much/ for them. Aunt Eliza is now in town. She has not/ been well for some time but is better now. Mary/ Gallatin is going to follow Matilda’s example in/ February - Just imagine what a time there will be/ Mr B[unrecovered] Thee! Perhaps you will be here in town/ for the Christening. Johnny has gone to Boarding School/ Believe it or not as you best can. Aunt Mary [unrecovered] / are all well. They have been at West Port but [Danny] is coming to spend a week with me, very soon. Neither she not Willy are engaged, but {?} has had many beaux this/ summer and I suppose before long will be in the “hap/py state” Have you seen any thing of Josh Jones? He has not been to see me this summer, and I do/ not what has become of him. I am afraid he is offen/ded with me; and out a foolish affair one evening between/ Sam {?}, himself, and me. He was extremely mis/taken that evening, and I have judged his character/ {?} , if he still has malice, for a little misunder/standing. As for Dail, he has been ceremoniously atten/ tive to me, and I like hims as well as ever. Do you/ recollect what a favorite {?} you used to be? I am/ as much in love with him as ever and know {?}/ {?} {?} men I think more highly of. I suppose you/ have heard of the death of Mrs Dr Stevens? She/ died about a month since and has left {?} in/ fact nine months old. She had been attending her/ sister Mrs {?} who was sick of a {?} fever,/ and no donut caught the fever. Mrs {?} was/ sick but three weeks, died and left her little/ baby only seven months old, Mrs S- was sick two/ weeks and died of the same disease, and the re/ maining sister Mrs Richard Morris is so ill that they hard/ ly think she will live until winter. Have you heard of/ the death of two of Washington Irving’s brothers? Judge Irving/ and Mr Peter Irving. They say that the death of the latter/ has affected him since, but I have heard from him,/ frequently. They all that is the inhabitants of the cot/tage all went to Geneva last week, to be present/ at theodore’s wedding- He has married Miss Jane/ Southard, daughter of Judge Southard of Genoa{?}./ SHe is most excellent match for him, and I can/
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[PAGE 5]
only say, that I think she is much too good for/ him it is a shame, that, after all his flirtations,/ he should get such a fine girl. He was married/ by Pirre, who you know is settled there as clergyman./ Theodore is the Professor of the College, and I can/ say, Mrs Professor Irving is very- happy-./ I must tell you of another marriage and although it may blast all your hopes, yot still I think it/ is my duty to tell you, so that you may not en/courage any more, a love which had evidently/ “took” you, when you were here. Be prepared Em,/ Frederick Prince! Is married! Do you recollect/ the day the carriage broke down on the {?}?/ He was married week before last to Miss Lydia/ Hase of Philadelphia, daughter of Professor Hase./ They arrived yesterday at the old peoples’, here at Hell/ Gate and I spent last evening with her, I was/ delighted with her, she is very pretty and what is/ more very agreeable. I have been very intimate/ with Fredrick ever science he has been home from/ Europe, and was just in hopes that I was ma/king some impression on him, when, lo and behold/ he offered himself to Lydia Hase, and - was’- / accepted-. I do not think he treated either/ of us (you and I, I mean) with common {?}./ To get engaged, without having first offered him/ self to us {?} Remick is staying with/ me and sends her best love to you. I went/ the other day to see Comelia McCrackan. She/ is very ill, expecting to be confined every day./ her last confinement almost killed her/ {?} will be attended with {?}/ consequences- the dinner bells has just rung,/ so farewell until after that important affair./
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[PAGE 6]
Dinner is over, My dear Em, but I have no more/ news to give you except perhaps you would/ like to hear a littel about Phil’s movements./ When I last heard he was in London. I have had/ seven letters from him and all of them as you/ may easily imagine very agreeable & delightful./ Of course they will all be faithfully preserved,/ so that when you come on you can read/ all that I will have received up to that time./ He was present at the Coronation, and from/ his letters I am certain that he is enjoying himself/ very much. He is traveling in company with a/ son of Mr Fanning Tucker’s of New York. He is a/ very agreeable young man and Phil is very much/ pleased with him. As I suppose you would like/ to have news contained in them, to be new to you/ when you read them I will only give you an/ outline of his incidents. He {?} from here on/ the first day of May and arrived after a delightful/ voyage in Liver pool on the 24th of May. He/ {?} two days after for Longon, stopping on/ the way at birmingham, Oxford, & c- At Birming/ ham visited the {?} and had/ the felicity of making a button, which, together/ with a boy of other {?} which he has/ collected on his course, I am to receive by the next/ Packet. He visited at Oxford among other places/ of Interest the celebrated Bodleian Library; in/ which he saw among the American works/ “Hoffman’s Winter in the West,” He visited that/ {?} on {?} and spent two delightful days at Shakespear’s own house. He is now a {?}/ {?} house and the landlord Phil says was so/ amusing and entertaining that instead of {?}/ paying of a visit of an hour or so, they {?}/ two whole days there. Do not you envy him his/ delightful tour? He {?} many other places/ between Liverpoo; & London delighted with all/ that he had seen and prepared to be pleased/ with every thing that he was going to see./
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[PAGE 7]
I cannot tell you all that he told me of Lon/don & the coronation. His time was delightfully/ spent. He went to two or three eveninging at parties/ but thinks that English parties are very stiff things/ He formed a pleasant acquaintance {?} {?} with/ an English Nobleman of which you can read when/ you see the letters; received unfounded attention/ from the {?} Minister; formed some noble/ acquaintances; fell in love with the Queen; saw/ the Coronation; went to the {?} and/ was put by the field Marshall, into the ‘booth’/ (as it is termed with the Nobility, and {?} to the Queen {?} having been announced as an arrival/ at a Hotel the day before, among the Peers and/ {?} to the younger son of some nobleman;/ gaped as Marshall Toulds {?} carriages/ covered with silver {?} work; was almost/ squeezed to death in Westminster Abbey. and/ almost suffocated with dust in Charing Cross/ when he {?} himself to see the return of/ the procession. and after spending a month/ there (in London, I mean, not Charing Cross) {crossed out}/ sat himself down to give me an account of all/ intending to leave the next day for Paris. Where/ I suppose he is now {?} French to his/ heart’s content. do write to him. I gave you/ his London direct i think. If you write/ before December direct to the London ban/kers, if after that direct until I {?} to you/ to change, to “Meprs Welles and Co: Paris”/ I believe I have now told you all the news I had a {?} this morning form/ Mrs Fredrick Prince (the bride) just as I was/ sitting down to dinner. I shall expect a nice long letter from you very soon and with best/ love to your Mother, Matilda, and my little cou/sins and {?} Mary and {?} {?}/ best love to you {?} to the kisses of the/ children. believe me ever your distant/ Cousin Maimey-/
the children were all occupied/ this morning picking up {?} {?}, for Emma next/ winter, when she comes here. So you must come to ear the {?}/
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[ADDRESS]
Miss Emma Nichols/
Care of the Rev S Whitman/
Belvidere/
Illions
[END OF LETTER]
