Name/Title
Letter from Ebenezer Irving to William IrvingEntry/Object ID
HHV 003.139Description
Letter from Ebenezer Irving to William IrvingSubject
Winter clothes, school books, “Little Kate” at Sunnyside, Edgar in NYC, “Willie” in DC, visit to Crystal Palace when “fully lighted up”, sisters trading visits to Charlie upstate, Grinnell renovations to Spring St home, added a bowling alleySubject Person/Organization
Ebenezer Irving (1776-1868), William Irving (1811-1854), Edgar Irving (1808-1873), Katrina Van Tassel Irving Williams (1845-1915), Sarah Irving (1817-1900), Catharine Ann Irving (1816-1911), Washington Irving (1783-1859), Sarah Mann Irving (1824-1913), Mary Ester Mann Jenks, Col. Edwin B. Morgan, Julia Tunis Irving (1818-1861), Moses Grinnell, Charlotte Van Wart Irving Grinnell (1824-1911)Subject Place
* Untyped Subject Place
Sunnyside, Washington, DC, New York, Irvington, NYCollection
Irving Manuscript CollectionTranscription
Transcription
Sunny Side, Monday ev’ing Oct 24 / 53
My dear Willie
I wrote you a fortnight or / more since, saying that you might as well send on / “little Kate’s”. School books and winter dresses _ but / they have not yet reached us. Edgar will / send the parcel to us and will pay the Express / charges [^ from Wash’n] if the company take pay on delivery -
Your sisters would have seen that the little / girl resumed her studies before now, but / they say that there is not a school book in / the house. We have had very mild soft / weather for some time past, but to day is stormy / and will probably clear off cold in which / case winter clothes will be welcomed.
Your Uncle Washington is expected home / on Wednesday evening 26th inst. and soon after / I shall go to the city for a few days should / the weather be inviting - Edgar wishes me to / being little Kate with me, Sarah says that / she mentioned it to her, but she rather declines / the invitation. She is well contented with SunnySide, / feels completely at home, and has become fully / one of the family. Your sisters, little Kate / and I, were all in the City the week before last / on a visit to the “Crystal Palace”. We made our / call there at 3 PM. remaining until 8 PM. that / we might see the exhibition when fully lighted up.
[END OF PAGE 1]
Returning to Sunnyside the afternoon of / the next day. Sarah called with Kate / at her Aunt Jenks, who hat taken possession / of her new Establishment in 14th Street _ Sarah / says that the house was not yet completely in / order; being still in the hands of Painters +c.
Your Sister Catharine left us the beginning / of last week on a visit to your Sister Charlie; / she took the Express train from the City in the / morning reaching Auburn in the afternoon and / then took a conveyance to Ingleside getting there / before night. She had Col. Edwin B. Morgan / of Aurora the intimate friends of all at Ingleside / for an escort. Mr. Morgan is the member of / Congress from that district and will leave, with / his wife and one of his daughters, for Washington / about the 20th of next month: Catherine’s calculation / is to return with them to New York: after she gets / home, Julia will look out for a good opportunity / to take her place at Charlie’s for the winter _
I believe I mentioned in a former letter / that Mr Grinnell was making alterations in his grounds / in front of his house _ the road from Spring Street / has been planked, and carried several rods west / of the previous [line] which gives him a very handsome / [??] in front _ and his is increasing his accomodation / by adding a building on the South end of his house / a little back from the front. _ Uncle [Moses?] pays the /
[END OF PAGE 2]
Expenses. Uncle M . has a well filled pocket / and spends liberally _ Since you and Sarah were / [on?] his grounds, he has built a “Bowling Alley” / perhaps I ought to use the more genteel term / of “Bowling Saloon” _ it is nearly finished / and occupies a part of his garden, and our, and our walk / a [lane?] between his garden and ours at the Souther / end of both: it is quite a handsome affair, and / I think must cost him near if not fully a / thousand dollars
Theodore is attempting to raise a class / of young ladies for a course of Belles lettres / Studies and It trust he will succeed _ he / has long had an inclination for the church / and has now made up his mind to enter it / and I believe has taken the initiating steps.
He and Pierre mentioned it to me in Pierre’s / office when I was last in the City _ I [?observed?-ed] / that I had but one objection to such a course / and that was that our clergy are with few / exceptions but starvingly paid; As his profession / has already [prepared] him in part, a [twelve month] / [??] will find him ready to enter.
I had a letter a day or two since from / Sanders, and your Sisters one from Julia _ both were / well _ Sanders was getting on fairly and his
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[friends] the [Jefferey’s] are well satisfied with / him He was complaining if the want / of fire brick for his gas works, the lowness of / the river preventing the reception of a / quantity for which he had contracted.
Tell Sarah to send on such winter clothes / for Kate as she has _ she need not get anything / new. Your Sisters have added some for summer / and fall to her stock, and a note from Edgar says / that Amanda has a dress pattern ready for / her wich I shall bring up in a day or two.
With my best love to Sarah
I am thine affectionately
Eben. Irving
William Irving Esq’r
Census Office
Washington DC
[END OF PAGE 4]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
EnglishOther Names and Numbers
Other Numbers
Number Type
Former NumberOther Number
W 194
