Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER S 1018
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE November 16, 1801
AUTHOR S. Parsons
RECIPIENT Mary Anna Sawyer Schuyler
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE
PLACES Little Cami ??, William Sawyer, [Thomas?] Sawyer (“brothers”),
“Imdy”?, Betsey ??, Mary ??,
KEYWORDS friend has moved away, “in a] thousand in a thousand” [similar
language to Clarissa], “while you remain with none but Filial ties”,
Marriage, servants, “of acceptance”, housekeeping and
management, “Passive obedience and nonresistance” are general laws here / from the head downward, married vs. single life
Dear Mary Ann,
After many unsuccessful attempts to begin and finish / a Letter, I now make one more essay, and than you for / your last; _ a total want of incident here, renders it impof- / -sible to give now anything entertaining or amusing _ / our rooms have been painting and we have been confi - / ned very much to the Southeast room _ we have had no / company, and do not see even a traveller. We did expect / to have been settled in Town by this time _ but the days are / so short, and there has been so much work and so many plans / in hand, that are not yet accomplished, it remains yet uncert - / tain when we shall remove. The trees and shrubs are wholly / stripped of their “leafy horrors”, but the place has so many / endearing recollections + afsociations, it does not seem that / lonely spot it once did _ I think often of my dear Mary Anna / of of your [Sister? ??] [^ in a] thousand in a thousand instances / “remembrance waked with all her busy train, to soothe / and delight, or harrafs and distrefs one, in a residence / of two years. __ with the first sensation yours and your / Sisters image continually arises, and I cannot but / indulge the hope that while you remain with none but /
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Filial ties, they will by mutual consent be so far loosened / that I may have the same pleasure in every coming / Summer as the last has given. _ for to [^ with] an upright heart those / ties do not loose strength from relaxation. __
I have not seen either of your Brothers for a fortnight, and / in that time you have probably heard from themselves they / are both well _ Willm has disposed of [^ his] horse which is a reason / for his absence _ and Tom’s only [leisure?] you know Mr E__, / likes should be spent with him; when we are in the neighbour - / hood we shall see him every day I trust. _
[Imdy?] who is going to leave me to learn a trade of Betsey / will probably take this. _ she has lived with me 9 years / “to acceptance” and I know not what to do in parting / with her, it quite deranges the whole of my household plan / especially as I have no one engaged, or in prospect to take / the place which is vacant. _ and Mary is so unfaithful / mischievous and perverse. _ I do not think I can retain / her longer than I can find one to fill the place. _ if you or Mama + Sister know of one a Girl of good disposition / and habits I would thank them to take her for me, as I am / much in want. It grieves me to return Mary, [^ but] nothing / is such a family as mine will answer, I cannot [tie?] with /
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Her myself when her services are most wanted, and then / she is most obstinate and willful. _ a good girl will / do very well here, but a wilful one has no chance, for / she arms the whole house against her at once.
“Passive obedience and nonresistance” are general laws here / from the head downward, you know, but the laws are so gener- / -ally known I think nothing is found unreasonable in them.
Mr. Parsons joins me in every respectful and affectionate / remembrance to your Father Mother Aunt Hay + Hannah, / to the latter I mean to write soon. But I left myself / indebted for several letters from you, and she has not even given me line for line, when as a single Lady to a / married one who is immersed in family care, it ought to / be ten for one at least.
I have not time to comment on the information you gave / me . but am amused to find how soon the charm of single life / is dissolved with Miss J:G: and she has consented to become / subject to that “odious dear sweet creature man”, __
In haste yours affectionately, S Parsons
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[ADDRESS]
Mifs Maryanna Sawyer
At Doctor Micajah Sawyer’s
Newbury-portTranscriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
