Transcription
Baltimore, Jany 18t 1853
My dear Mary,
My letter to Kate will have informed you all of my travels to this city where I am enjoying myself extremely. I came near being carried off to Washington yesterday by my charming little friend Mrs Stanard; who with her husband paid Baltimore a visit on the morning train; but I resisted the temptation being involved in engagements for two days, but consoled myself with the idea that I should see a great deal of Mrs S in Washington, where she is passing the winter.
I drove out in the morning with the Stanards and Miss Gray to see Mrs Tiffany (little Sally McLane in bygone days) whom I found living in a superb house in the centre of a little park at a short distance from the city. The house is finished and furnished in excellent taste, and in a truly noble style. I think I have seen nothing better in the country. It is situated on a rising ground and commands an extensive prospect. Mrs Tiffany told me she
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she had written to me, inviting me to pay her a visit; which letter must have reached Sunnyside after my departure. I had to make her a half promise to pay her a visit for a day or two on my way home.
Yesterday I dined at Mr Meredith’s; where I met two of Mr Gardiner Howlands daughters one of them a young and lovely widow, Mrs Brown, whose husband you may reccollect was unfortunately killed a year or two since on a fourth of July, by the discharge of a toy cannon. As the widow is young and lovely and rich, I doubt of her remaining a widow long; and hope she may meet with a husband worthy of her–which is not an easy matter considering her own merits, and the degeneracy of the “opposite Sex.”
Her unmarried sister I am told is engaged, and I dont wonder at it, for she is a perfect love–besides being an heiress. Their mother Mrs Howland did not appear at table. Tell Julia Sanders, if she is with you, that Miss Meredith made very kind
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enquiries after her, and spoke of her with great friendship–The Merediths live immediately opposite Mr Greys and the families are extremely intimate.
This day we have a family gathering at Mr Greys, at dinner, and music in the evening, the old gentleman being a great amateur. Tomorrow morning I take my departure in the nine oclock train for Washington; where the cars take me in less than two hours. I shall leave Baltimore with regret for they have made me completely at home here and I have passed my time very much to my taste; having a capital library to retire to when I wish to be alone or to [oc] exercise my pen, and my old friend Phil, to hover about me like a guardian spirit–though rather a black one.
Mr Grey is a capital specimen of the old Irish gentleman–warm hearted–benevolent–well informed and, like myself, very fond of music and pretty faces, so that our humors jump together completely. I believe it was our sympathies on these two last matters, which linked us together so cordially last summer and made him exact a promise from me to visit him this winter
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10 OClock at night–I have left this letter open and now must close it and go to bed.
We had a very pleasant dinner; a small party but a very lively and social one. In the evening we had some excellent music by two professional artists on the piano and the violin; who gave us some choice pieces from Mozarts operas. Mr Grey has them once a week, with occasionally amateurs to perform with them–In the evening came in a Miss Delaney a very beautiful girl, one of old Mr Greys pets, who I am pleased to find, goes to Washington the day after tomorrow on a visit to Mrs Kennedy–She is to be accompanied by a Miss Andrews, who I am told is an excellent musician; so we shall have a gay household.
I set off tomorrow morning in the nine OClock train; unless I should again be embargoed by a Snow storm, as it has begun to snow this evening.
I hope the cold weather of the last few days has enabled the men to get some ice into the ice house.
Good night my dear little good for nuffin–give my love to all the household, take care of yourself and follow all the household, take care of yourself and follow all the doctors directions that when I return home I may find you good for sutthing–
Your affectionate uncle
Washington Irving
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Marisa CalderioLanguage
EnglishNotes
Washington Irving. Letters. Volume IV, 1846-1859. Aderman, Ralph M., Kleinfield, Herbert L. and Jenifer S. Banks. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1982, pp. 354-356.
