Name/Title
Letter from Theodore Irving to William IrvingEntry/Object ID
HHV 003.605Description
Letter from Theodore Irving to William IrvingSubject
Written from Washington, D.C., Will in Richmond, VA, borrowing money, social gossip, employment and romantic aspirationsSubject Person/Organization
Theodore Irving (1809-1880), William Irving (1811-1854), Sarah DePeyster, Washington Irving (1783-1859)Subject Place
* Untyped Subject Place
Washington, DC, Virginia, Richmond, VACollection
Irving Manuscript CollectionTranscription
Transcription
Washington _ January 24th 1833 _ Thursday
I write you this early, my dear Will _ to remind you of the money I want you / to send me, if you can, and charge it as borrowed by me from father _ do not in / writing home mention that I have borrowed of you as before you return I may / make arrangements for repaying it _ I want it now as the old woman has / drawn me down to the last shilling and I shall not be able to supply her / next demand until I hear from you _ if Jenkins is coming on in a day or / so you might send it by him _
Between you and myself my dear boy I shrewdly suspect I was a little tight / the night of your departure, for some young ladies who say they were there say / I never once spoke to them _ and I do not recollect being particularly attentive / to Sarah Depeyster that evening so that when we meet she will doubtlefs play / the dignified game, but with her penchant for me I will seen bring her in / [trim] again _ you know it will not do to encourage these uncertain fortunes / I expected to go to the Gen’s last evening and hear an account of the ball and / how they were pleased, but I was prevented by Bob [M’Lanes?] calling on me with / on invite to a small tea [fight] at their house _ so that I have not seen them / since the evening _ I wish you could have been he's with me with us last evening you would / have enjoyed it. I was quite the belle _ several devilish pretty girls were / there _ I played quite a diplomatic game _ my friend Woodbury and his / lady were there and I [breezed?} the latter very strongly _ the girls from the palace /
[END OF PAGE 1]
Also were present and I had a regular flirtation with them _ and promised / to make them a visit one evening this week _ I have really determined to / push desperately for the [pursership], for I have been a little indifferent about / it lately from the plan I have fixed upon of marrying some southern fortune / but I have reflected that should I not succeed in that I shall be thrown / upon the world absolutely pennyless and on the other hand the [pursership] / will by no means interfere with my splicing myself to a fortune, on the con= / =trary it will rather aid me as having the means of support will prove / my disinterestednefs in marrying a rich wife –
And if I become wearied of the pursership and your business should / flourish and Edgar retire on his wife and fortune, I can throw up my com- / -mifsion and hitch horses with you - for I should like amazingly that / we could scramble along in the world together for I do think our tastes / accord better than most peoples - especially our mutual capability / of getting genteely drunk when others are laying under the table -
Don’t forget our Virginia plantations and if you meet any in the shape / of a pretty girl, fail not to write me and whether it would be worth / while to go on after it _ I shall [sound?] Virginia perhaps tomorrow night / and in my next tell you what I thin of her and her dowry _
You must try and arrange it, to return by the way of Washington, proba= / -bly then there may be some parties underway and we will have a nice / time _ but don’t forget businefs _
I received a letter from [Trio?] which I answered last evening, by which /
[END OF PAGE 2]
He says he is quite ill _ of course you will find him out and take / good care of him _ be careful how you mention any thing I have said / to you about him and Matilda M _ it is a delicate subject for him and / he might think I treated his confidence lightly in telling you _ tho’ I would / not on any account mention it to any one else _
After to night _ now don’t laugh at me _ for you know I must go / this evening to talk about the party and conciliate Sarah who I have / reason to suppose is a little miffed at me _ I will keep aloof from / the Gen’l _ and convince Uncle that there is nothing in the report of my / attention to Matilda _ I know that is easier said than done, and it is / hard care to absent myself from those by whom I am esteemed and / who I so highly esteem _ from Matilda I learnt they think you a d__d fin-[wax blot] / fellow and if you remained here a week longer you would have been / as bad as myself _ for I know that you like myself act more from / impulse than interest _ but I will afsuredly conquer my feeling in / this case at least till Uncle has gone _
Nothing from him since you left _ I shall send Pierre a document / to day to ask about Sarah _ write me immediately and let me / know all that pafses and who you see worth mentioning -
Tekk [Trio] that Seldon has taken [Johnsons?] [sword] - I forgot to mention / it when writing him
[commue?] toujours Theo —-
[END OF PAGE 3]
[ADDRESS]
William Irving Esquire
Richmond
Va
[POSTAGE STAMP - red ink, circle]
WASHINGTON CITY
??
[POSTAGE MARK]
(single]
12 [/]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
EnglishOther Names and Numbers
Other Numbers
Number Type
Former NumberOther Number
W 3264Condition
Notes
Remarks: Two strips of cellophane tape on middle of left side of third page of writing; horizontal tear at lower right center edge below seal on third page of writing; staining.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
William Irving (1811-1854)Notes
RecipientGeneral Notes
Note Type
StorageNoteNote
Home Location: Historic Hudson Valley, Union Church, Storage, Shelf 31CNote Type
DepartmentNote
Library
