Transcription
[LETTER]
West Newton. Mass.
October 24’th 1881.
To the Relatives of
Washington Irving
Sunnyside
It must now / be some eighteen or twenty / years, since a visitor at Sunny / side, (Mrs George W. Wales of Boston.) / was permitted to bear away with / her, as a souvenir of her visit, a / little slip of the ivy which so / beautified Mr Irving’s delightful / abode.
The slip was successfully / reared into quite a flourishing / vine, when upon an occasion / of dining with Mrs Wales, a few / years after, my dear wife (lately / deceased) became so interested
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In the story of its pleasant afsociations / with Melrose Burns, the “Blue / Eyed Lassie,” Mr Irving, and / Sunnyside, that she begged / a tiny scion, which was Kindly / granted.
With zealous care the / latter watched over it, succeeded / in rearing quite / a handsome vine, and never / tired of recounting its pleasing / story. I had often thought / that an interesting Sketch might / be written of is peculiar history, / and some four or five years ago, / began to look up some memos / for that purpose; but many / other matters interfered with / my intention.
On looking over some papers / not long since, I came acrofs / the draft of the article which I / herewith Enclose. Not having / the inclination to pursue the
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Subject farther, I simply arranged / and corrected it, and sent it / along to the prefs.
My attention has often been / called to descriptions of visits / to Sunnyside and its illustrious / occupant, but I do not remember of having seen any reference to the / origin of the ivy, Except in Mr / Pierre Irving’s charming biography.
I therefore venture to send you / this little sketch, thinking it / might interest the relatives of / Mr Irving, to read a new version / of an interesting incident con - / nected with Sunnyside and / its eminent owner.
I have still possession of “My Melrose / Ivy” in good condition, - a sweet / reminder of days in the past, / and of my loved and lost one.
Very respectfully
Gardiner P. Gates
[ENVELOPE]
[ADDRESS]
To The Relatives of
Washington Irving
SunnysideTranscriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
