Letter from Catharine Irving to Katrina Irving

Name/Title

Letter from Catharine Irving to Katrina Irving

Entry/Object ID

HHV 003.667

Description

Letter from Catharine Irving to Katrina Van Tassel Irving Williams

Subject

Family news.

Subject Person/Organization

Catharine Ann Irving (1816-1911), Katrina Van Tassel Irving Williams (1845-1915), Minnie Williams (1874-1874), Frederic Coffin Williams (1846-1897), Elizabeth (Lily) Kip Irving McCulloh (1834-1908), Roland Duer Irving (1847-1888), Pierre Paris Irving (1806-1878), Anna Duer Irving (1807-1874), Elizabeth Kip Irving Reese (1842-1876), Irving Williams (1872-1930), Edith Huntington (1874-19??), Amanda Tenant Irving (1814-1885), George Holdrege, Nellie Holdrege, Morgan Holdrege, Sutherland Irving (1853?-1881), Helen Dodge Irving (1802-1885), Pierre Munro Irving (1802-1876), Eliza Dodge Romeyn Irving (1801-1887), Mary Tenant Irving Huntington (1849-1932), Fanny Irving Clark/Major(1839-?)

Subject Place

* Untyped Subject Place

New York, Boston, MA, Staten Island

Collection

Irving Manuscript Collection

Letter Details

Letter Date

Feb 26, 1874

Transcription

Transcription

140 Fifth Ave Thursday Feb. 26th. My dear Kate Your friend Mrs. / [Wortherspoon] came very kindly / to see us to announce the birth / of your little girl and I have / only been waiting for you to get / strong enough to read my letter / is the only reason why I have / delayed it so long. I am so / glad you have a little girl / this time you know my fancy is for little girls and I / trust she may be a great / comfort to you, as you may suppose / i was rather surprised as I had / heard nothing of it and this one / is all very well but I hope you / won’t be in such a hurry again [END OF PAGE 1] Or you will have a family / about you before you know it. / We were very glad to see Mrs. / [Wotherspoon] and should have / returned the visit but she told / us she was going South for the / remainder of the winter, she told / us all about you, how nicely you / were settled and what a good / husband you have and that you / were so happy, all of which it was / a real pleasure to hear, and each / one of the family came in to hear / what we had to tell of you, Now / I must try and think what family / news I have to tell you for it is / a long time since I have written / (though I really think you are in / my debt) and though I may tell you things that you know all about / still I may hit upon something that / is news to you. Lily Irving’s marriage [END OF PAGE 2] I dare say you muay have head / of through Mrs [Worthersppon], she / married a Mr. McColloch, brother / to the lady that Roland married / he is a very nice young man. / though a good deal younger than Lily but they are as happy as / pofsible so that is all that is / necessary, they are living at her / Father’s as it was impofsible for / them to do without her, her Father / and mother both new being invalids / Your Uncle Pierre is far from well / though he continues to preach, and / goes about though not as he used / to, he was always been in the / habit of coming over once a fortnight / to see us but this winter he has / been very seldom and your Aunt / Anna is a confirmed invalid, she / must have had a slight paralysis / and her mind is very much [END OF PAGE 3] Affected. Fanny Clark has been / living in town for the two last / winters and they have now bought / a house in 17th between 5th & / 6th Avenues and expect to move / in it the first of May. LIzzie / Reese has a little boy now very / nearly a year old, a fine little / fellow and she in better health / than she has been for years. / Minnie and Nellie are in town / visiting at different places. We / went yesterday to the Christening / of Mary Huntington’s third little / girl just seven weeks old and / the dearest little baby I ever saw / I hope yours will be just as sweet / your Aunt Amanda is living at / the Westminster Hotel, she likes it / there very much and has some / friends in the house with her. / George Holdrege who married a Mifs / [END OF PAGE 4] [upside down page - repeat?] Atkinson of Boston about two / years ago, lost his wife about / two months since, she left a / little boy a week old, though I / dare say you may have heard / this through Willie as I believe / they are hear each other at the / West. We have just heard within / a few days that Nellie Holdrege / is engaged to a Col. Morse who is / living out there also, very likely / Willie may know him too. I was / very glad to hear it for they have / been very unfortunate and are / very poor and Nellie has been / teaching this winter in Boston / she was determined to support / herself and the rest of the family / are all scattered. Morgan has / gone home for a visit, his father / has been in wretched health for / a long time and among other [END OF PAGE 5 - note repeated images] Other troubles injured his ankle / which has troubled him for two / years, since Christmas he has / had to have an operation. / performed on the ankle and he / has been very ill indeed but since / Morgan went home he has been / improving and the Dr. now gives / them more encouragement, they / were afraid at one time he might / have to lose his foot, but they / seem to think he is doing well / now. I came very near forgetting / to tell you of Sutherland Irving’s / engagement to Mifs Phinney, you may / remember something of her as a / little girl living at Irvington, they / built a fine house not far from / John Mann’s but it may have / been after you left, she has / grown up to be a very sweet / pretty girl and is just about [END OF PAGE 6] Sutherland’s age, and he is / just 21. She is a very lovely / girl but I think it is a great / pity for him to be engaged / so young. I don’t know when they / will be married but he will / probably have to wait until he / makes a little money. Perhaps / you don’t know that he and / Morgan and young Mr. De Bois / of Staten Island have gone in / partnership and are in business / for themselves, Insurance Brokers. / I hope they will succeed and soon / make a fortune. We are are all in / the same place this winter, with / cousins Eliza, Pierre & Helen, the / Storrow’s and the boys as I call / them and very comfortably settled. / Now I am sure I have written / you a long account of the family / as I thought that was what you [END OF PAGE 7] Would most care to hear, and / I hope you will not get tired / reading it, but when you get / strong enough do sit down and / tell me all about yourself, your / husband and little children, you / don’t know how much I like to / hear all about you and it was / very kind in Mrs [Wortherspoon] to / come and tell us about you, she / said your little boy was a lovely / little fellow and that you managed / him very well. All the family here / sent a fear deal of love to you / and with kindest regards to / Mr Williams I am ever Your attached Aunt Kate Irving

Transcriber

Kathryn Alexander

Language

English

Other Names and Numbers

Other Numbers

Number Type

Former Number

Other Number

W 3322 a-c

Condition

Notes

Remarks: a. Tiny chips at top and bottom of center fold; small horizontal tear at lower center fold; surface dirt. b. Tiny chips at top and bottom of center fold; small horizontal tear at lower center fold; small hole at lower fold mark of third page of writing; surface dirt. c. Excellent.

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Katrina Van Tassel Irving Williams (1845-1915)

Notes

Recipient

General Notes

Note Type

StorageNote

Note

Home Location: Historic Hudson Valley, Union Church, Storage, Shelf 31C

Note Type

Department

Note

Library