Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3037 F
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE February 26, 1833
AUTHOR Julia Hoffman
RECIPIENT Emma (Malony) Nicholas
MEDIUM Paper, ink
New York Feb 26th 1833/
I am determined dear Emma that your third/ trial shall not be as unsuccessful as your others have been, and so I sit down/ to answer your letter at once instead of putting it off as usual till tomorrow/ which never comes. I cannot make any excuse for my neglect I have treated/ you as I have all my other correspondents worse even than I usually do, my/ bad habit, as all bad habits do increases with my years./
B [urrell - unrecovered]’s death was a great affliction to his father it was very sudden/ he had no idea if his being dangerously ill until it was too late to do any/ thing for him, on Thursday while playing with the boys at school he fell and/ struck the back of his head but got up and went on his way play, though/ little Ogden says he complained of his head hurting him, on Saturday he was/ taken with a fit, which the physician, not knowing of his fall, attributed to/ something he had eaten and told Ogden that there was no cause for alarm/ it was not an unusual thing, then he seemed to have a cold head in his/ head, but that was nothing alarming and on Sunday Ogden left him thinking/ that he would be in school the next day, but early Tuesday morning he/ was sent for, he had fallen into a stupor in the night, and so he continued/ until Tuesday evening when the breath left him. I do not think that he had/ been well since last summer when he had an attack of inflammatory/ rheumatism which left with a palpitation of the heart and flushing/ of the face whenever he took any exercise. Ogden is quite well he has brought/ little Ogden home to put him to school in town./
Euphemia had a paralytic stroke, the left side of her face was affected/ and for a short time they thought her very ill she has recovered from it now/
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entirely. The theme of conversation here for some time has been the shocking/ death of Elliot Taylor who committed suicide, it seems that his whole life has/ been one of dishonor, at eighteen he first stole money from his employer/ and since then he has forged, gambled, and supported the style in which he lived/ by other person’s money, and when it could no longer be concealed he completed/ his crimes by suicide, his poor wife is dreadfully distressed, she is left with three children, one only a week old, she knows that her husband took laudanum/ but thinks that his failure caused temporary derangement, and has no idea/ that his name is a disgrace to bear she continually repeats ‘it is all {?}/ for the best and he is happy now in heaven.’/
George has been quite sick with an attack upon the lungs he is well now/ and goes out on pleasant days but the Doctor orders great prudence until/ the warm weather comes, the rest of us have all been quite well Pa has not/ even has a sick head ache this winter, the advantage that the B [unrecovered]/ has been to him counterbalances the inconveniences of this miserable house/ all summer and fall he fished there before breakfast and in the afternoon/ and every pleasant day this winter he has taken a walk there before breakfast/ we are going to move through of course for we have got fairly started now/ and it is impossible to tell when we will stop./
Aunt Hoffman and all the girls have been spending the winter in town/ scattered among the family I expected to have had Mary a great part/ of the winter with me but as I am the youngest the others won’t allow/ my turn to come until the last. Martin’s little boy is a fine looking child/ his name is Lindley Murray, Martin is of course very much delighted/ with him and says he is a wonderful child./
Do your hear often from your friend Eliza? John Lawrence told me he met/ her some time ago at Mr Lord’s and found her so sensible and agreeable, he said/ when he spoke of her face lightened up and she was quite enthusiastic./
Tell Matilda her old lover William Duer has gone to live in New Orleans/ drawn there by his sweet cousin Lucy C[unrecovered] to whom he is going to be/ married whenever his law gives him money enough to do so, I suppose she/ would like to hear something of the lady who has taken her place in/ the proud heart of this gentleman, she is just sixteen not very pretty but/ with a very sweet impression, and delightful voice in speaking. I do not/
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know that she is remarkably intelligent, but perfectly amiable and with/ great naivete of manner. She would not strike at first, but I should/ think any one knowing her well might become very much attached to her,/ she was here at school for eighteen months but William Duer did not/ tell her of his love until after her education was finished, and after she/ left here in the fall he determined to settle in New Orleans and/ told his family of his engagement, and sailed from here the middle of/ last month. This is the only change that has taken place in out circle/ of aquaintances all the rest both ladies and gentleman are as little/ likely to be married as they were four years ago./
Matilda Roberts expects to present an heir to the noble family of Roberts/ in the course of a few months, she is as happy and her new relations/ as disagreeable as ever. My best love to your mother and Matilda kiss/ the dear baby for me and when he begins to understand tell him that/ he has an old maid aunt in New York whom he must learn to love/ very much. Remember me to Mr Whitman, George sends love to you/
Ever your attached aunt/
Julia Hoffman/
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[Unrecovered]/
Miss Nicholas/
Care of Professor Whitman/
Hamilton/
Madison County N.Y./
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