Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3039 X
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE February 15, 1837?
AUTHOR Phil Rhinelander, Jr.
RECIPIENT Emma Nicholas Maloney
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE Whitman children, Ann Hoffman Nicholas, Alexander Watts, Mary
Rhinelander, Mary Stevens, Charles Fenno Hoffman, Misses Seton, Julia Hoffman, George Hoffman, John Herbert, Mary (Herbert?), Van Buren, Eliza Storrs, Father Storrs, Mother Storrs, Henry Storrs, Mary Gallaton, Chief Osceola
PLACES the Mississippi River, Seton home NYC, Philadelphia, Lancaster,
Chicago, Squaw Prairie, (Mansion House), Washington DC, New York, Utica, Cold Spring, Sullivan Island
EVENTS Charles Fenno Hoffman co-editor of The Mirror, Phil and Mary
attend a Ball, death of Eliza Storrs, Emma visited Chicago for “civilized society”, new “Mansion house” addition in Squaw Prairie, death of Osceola
Addressed to:
Miss Emma Nicholas
Care of Rev. S.S. Whitman
Belvidere, Ill.
Via Chicago, Ill.
Postmark (red) New York Feb 15
PAGE 1 MISSING?
PAGE 2
…for I can then sympathise more fully with your desire / to hear from home, for New York will then be home to / both of us _ but even if I -n-o- [crossed out] am negligent - I hope that / you will more follow my bad example _ For you indeed / there will be no excuse, but for me there may be some apology / for not writing very often _ You know that I am not a very / good correspondent, and as I have [crossed out] promised Mary to / write to her at least once a week, I fear that you must / be content to receive a letter once a month; In fact if / you will promise to write to me a short letter once every two / weeks, I will in return write you a very long one monthly and besides I will make Mary agree to take my place in any / absence and correspond regularly with you _ ‘Tis true that she / is not [crossed out] much more regular than I am, but then she is a woman and her letters will be more interesting ____ / So heartily ashamed am I of my long neglect that I have de - / termined, now, when I do write to make you all the amends / in my power by sending you a double letter, so long that / it will supply the place of th[^r]ee ordinary ones _
As for news _ I have nothing to tell, that you do not know / already; Charles is living with the Misses Seton, and has / been appointed part-editor of the Mirror; Julia is in Phil. / adelphia and George is still at Lancaster; in fact the only / matters at all interesting of the public nature are Canadian news, / and those you probably hear before we do; and all [crossed out -p-r-i-v-a-t-e-] / information about individuals I expect you have long ago / heard from some more attentive correspondent _
In your last letter you say that you are enjoying the / pleasures of social intercourse with civilized beings at / Chicago; whither you had gone to spend a few weeks while some / additions were being made to your Mansion House on / Squaw Prairie _ Those days of happiness must now have / past and I imagine you now sitting in comfort at / least in your new abode _
PAGE 3
Is John Herbert still with you? I see Mary often and she / always complains that she hears from him so seldom / I hope that he will prosper “out West” as all his predecessor have / done, for I feel an interest, in all person when I have known / from childhood; Does he not think of soon returning home? / he has been gone now nearly a year _
Thurs: 15 _ I was obliged to leave my letter unfinished last night, as / I had promised Mary to go with her to a party, and it was time to / dress, but I shall now complete it. This was the last Ball but / one that, in all probability; I shall attend in New York for a long time, for / we go to Washington on Monday, and when we return the season / of Lent will have commenced, during which period no good / Episcopalian either gives or goes to Balls _
I am glad that you have at length thought fit to tell me something / about Mr. Watts; How very unfortunate it was that you were / absent from home, when he visited Squaw Prairie, but although / you may have regretted it, I am confident that he was no less / afflicted; You thought that perhaps I might meet with him this winter / but I have not been so fortunate, I do not even know whether / he has been in New York, so that I can give you no intelligence / of his weal or woe.
You recollect that when you went out West it was your determination / to captivate the member of Congress; as I suppose you have not changed / your intentions I shall certainly seek for and if possible find him in / Washington, so that I can give you an unprejudiced opinion with / regard to his merits; I hope that he is a good Van Buren man if he be not, have nothing to say to him, or rather try to convince / him of his errors in politics -
You wish from information about the death of Miss Storrs, but I / have none to give; she followed her father to the grave in a few weeks; at the time of his death, her health had become in a / measure restored and hopes were entertained of her recovery, but / that event coming so [crossed out] unexpectedly, produced such an effect on / her already weakened frame, that she survived her parent but a / short time __ She died as she had lived a Christian, in the firm / hope of a blessed immortality, through the blood of a Redeemer __ / It is well said “blessed are they who die in the Lord”, for they exchange a life of trouble here [^ for] one of happiness hereafter _
PAGE 4
Poor Eliza’s mother has left the city, and is now living I believe / in Utica, Our Heavenly Father tempers the wind to the homeland - / and she has been enabled to bear her bereavement with submission / to His will _ Henry Storrs is still pastor of the church at Cold Spring / where he is a favorite and much beloved by his congregation _
Now my [^dear] Emma I must bring my letter to a close, for I am sure / that by the time that you have read this far (if indeed you do) / you will be indeed tired of me _ I wish you would send me / one of “Essay-Letters” as Aunt ann calls then, I have a great / curiosity to see one, that I may know if my style has at all / altered_ and if it has, whether it be for the better of the worse _
I never expect to write well, but where there is so much room / for it, I wish to improve if possible _
Mary sends her love to you, an Aunt Ann, and to all your house - / hold; and all the children, send their love_ Mary Gallatin joins / with them in wishing you health and happiness;
Give my love to Aunt Ann, Matilda and all my little cousins / and tell them (not Aunt Ann and Matilda) to be good children / and not to be frightened at the Indians _ The word now [page torn] / reminds me that possibly you have not heard of the death of Oceola [sic] / the Seminole Chief _ he died a prisoner at Sullivan Island, / a few weeks after his capture _ the doctors say his death was / caused by quinsey [sic], sore throat; and the poest say he died of / a broken-heart, and his great grief for his tribes misfortunes _ /
And now my dear Emma, farewell for the present; That pro - / pros - / perity may ever attend you will always be the wish of your / attached Cousin Phil =
