Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3033 D
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE 1802-1805
AUTHOR Augusta
RECIPIENT Ann(e) Hoffman Nicholas
MEDIUM Paper, ink
DESCRIPTION Letter from school friend.
PEOPLE
PLACES
EVENTS
*Original spelling retained throughout work, content appears exactly as written.
[PAGE 1]
Tuesday Morning - 11/
Love you less my beloved Ann! / What suggested such an Idea? / Surely my words did not convey it, / or but [ill] did they express the feelings / of my heart; Indeed I believe I love you / better than you do me, Whilst of all / the Young Ladies her you [inserted: [hold]] the / first place in my Appealing I can lay / claim to only the second, third, or fourth / and am hardly certain of that -/
My Disappointment Dear Ann I / am sure was equal to yours and / yet so selfish am I, that I was more / gratified to hear you felt it , than / grieved to think I should occasion / any- the Day is very blustering / and [inserted: there is] no Inducement to go out yet- / I am proof against all temptation / for this week but perhaps the next / - when accompanied by a Dear friend I can stroll down towards / the river listen to the sweet accents / of [Julier], or view in Imagination the / field of blood, highlighted by the/
[END OF PAGE 1]
[PAGE 2]
Glimmering paper of the midnight wonder/
-When perhaps there will be an/ inducement I cannot resist-/
I feel quite an affection for the red/ brick wall, Though not a very prictu-/-resque object, it presents a thousand/ agreeable ideas it will become almost/ as dear as the head of Chamber [unrecovered]/ Yet it was the parting/ [spar]. That I may never behold/ Polly again, that there I received her/ Adieu, rendered it Dear beyond ex[ception]/ with an enthusiasm of affection/ and remembered every circumstance/ connected with it./
“Write you a long letter to dispel the / gloom”. How can I hope to do that?/ From [inserted: the] [crossed out] style of my/ letters I cannot [crossed out] expect to entertain,/ or to chase one unpleasant thought./ I have not prospect to describe, my/ view is bound by brick Houses (for I am in the back parlor), no [unrecovered] / [live] to give, and so barren of ideas what/ I trust much to your friendship and/
[END OF PAGE 2]
[PAGE 3]
Generosity to glance over all the defects/ and dwell only on my attachment/ to you. Do you adhere stricter to/ your promise, and does no once see/ my letters? Ann cannot deceive/ me and what she says I will believe/ Sincerity must be the basis of/ Friendship, to render that lasting/ which now afforded me so much/ pleasure is my earnest wish./ Pleasure is my earnest wish/ To enable it to stand the rest of/ time, of sickness, of Adversity, to survive the gay season of youth,/ and gild declining age. But/ whither do my thoughts carry me/ already in Imagination the winter/ of Life had arrived, the retrospect/ was delightful, friendship still/ glowed with youthful ardour./ Faith and Hope still pressing forward/ had almost attained the goal/ where fruition leaves us nothing/ to desire/ Dearest Ann will/ you not write me in the wish/ that this may be realized? Write me a long very long letter/ and never doubt the sincere the/ lively affection of your Augusta/
[END OF PAGE 3]
[PAGE 3]
[END OF PAGE 3]
[ADDRESS]
Miss Ann Hoffman/
Clifton Wilderness/
Best wishes to Dear Cecilia
[END OF LETTER]
I am not sure what this is to
[ADD ON]
There is no unfortunate Engage-/ment Dear Ann to postpone this/ long promised visit and I had almost said there could not be a pleasanter/ but I believe it is not politic to let one/ know how partial we are to them/ for methinks since I said I/ loved you best, you have been more indifferent to me, however that may/ be. I shall summon all my/ philosophy to sustain me/ through all the evils of this life/ and when I tell you that is but little do not Dear Ann add the stock. Ever yours- Augusta/ Ask Matilda to come.
