Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER S 1027
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE January 31, 1835
AUTHOR [William Minot?]
RECIPIENT Mary Anna Sawyer Schuyler
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE Elizabeth Thorndike, Israel Augustus Thorndike (her father), Sally
Ann Otis Thorndike (her mother, who was not a “New York lady”),
Mr. [James William] Paige, Mr. Webster, Mr. [Stephen] White, his daughter Harriet Story White (married Mason), Dr. [William Ellery?] Channing, Hannah More, ?? [possibly Edmund?] Burke,
PLACES Boston, New York, Beacon Street, Otis Mansion,
KEYWORDS marriage of Elizabeth Thorndike to James Jeremiah Mason,
“Nabobism”, Solomon’s riches, ball at Mr. Paige’s, door built between houses of James William Paige and Stephen White, Dr. Channing’s sermon on war January 25, 1835, the works of Hannah More, ??? the poet (Burke),
NOTE:
Channing’s sermon on war, https://books.google.com/books?id=U6FEAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Hannah More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_More
William Minot on Smith Schoolhouse for “colored” children: https://reader.library.cornell.edu/docviewer/digital?id=may842906#page/2/mode/1up
Boston Jan 31. 1835
"What Should possess [Mr. Minot? (the author of letter)] to be writing / “letters to me. Have I not plagues & troubles enough / “in the world, without being pestered by him? Well / “luckily, I am not obliged to answer him; & shall / “not think of doing it" I do not expect it, but I / cannot bear to be forgotten by a lady, whom I respect / and admire more than almost any other, I ever / knew. I talk of you till I get so impatient that / I want to fly to New York, to see you. That being / impossible, I have no relief but to tell you how / much I desire it. I hear you are living in retire- / -ment, devoted to duty & making every body happy / about you, and receiving in return, I have no doubt, / a great deal of happinefs. I trust to the [br?- / lace?] of yr character, for thinking sometimes of yr / most devoted friend in Boston . I am as [humdrum?] / & indifferent as usual; pretty well Satisfied with / others, very little with myself. However I do not mean / to write about myself_ Our town is very gay this / winter, and one who loves fashion and folly may / enjoy them to satiety. There is more luxury in our society /
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than I have ever witnefsed before. Among the prin- / -cipal occasions of it, is the marriage of a Miss [Thorndike?] whose father married a N York lady, & built a palace in Beacon St. which in sumptuousness & gorgeous ele- / -gance, eclipses all Boston examples of Nabobism . / Poor devils like me, are very apt to moralize on these / displays of pomp and grandeur, & declaim against / the vanity of riches, and envy it, not a little.. It is / a little Singular, that this moral truth Should be / discovered only by the poor, with the Single exception / of Solomon, and it is not written, that he gave / away his money or parted from his 1500 wives /
Night before last, I was at a Ball at Mr Paiges / a relation & [next] neighbour of Mr Webster. He & Mr / White whose daughter he married, have built two / very Spacious houses, which communicate by doors / larger than yr brothers folding doors. Both houses / were thrown open to the ‘company , so as to give / magnificent room for dancing & promenading. In / the back part of each house, is a large vaulted / dining hall, like that in Col’o Thorndikes house / lighted by a [dome?], between these also, was a commu - / nication which afforded room for an immense supper / table, which was covered with oriental luxury. This /
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fairy scene was not reserved for the general rush, / but was all the evening exposed to the eye & afforded / much amusement to those who did not dance. Mrs / Thorndike opens her house next [^week], and I dare say will / compel Mrs Paige to do homage to her superior style / & luxury__ Dr. Channing preached a Sermon on war / last Sunday, which was full of strong & exciting thoughts / and seemed to prove that we are not altogether / devoted to the cultivation of the lower part of / our nature. I think I never knew a greater sen- / -sation to be produced by a sermon of his. We have / all read Hannah More with great pleasure & I hope / not without some [perfidy?] Her character addresses / itself very strongly to the conscience of / thinking gentell people, like you & I. / I have resolved to live a better life. You need / no [anndrment?]. I recommend the life of [Ciable?] / the Poet, as a most agreeable Book. It proves that / Burke was as good as he was great. I meet Mrs [Begelar] / frequently in gay crowd & we find great refreshment in / talking about you. Mrs Minot was to go to Mrs Lees very / early this afternoon for a cozey conversation which I am not / to interrupt till 9 oClk. How I wish I could [revenge?] self by visiting you?
Yours most truly
WMinot
MrsSchuyler
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[ADDRESS - red ink, circle]
NEW YORK
FEB
6Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
