Transcription
New York October 1st 1846
My dear Sister
I thank you for your very Kind / letter. ‘tho: I do not Know that I can sympathise / with either yourself or your good sister Elizabeth / in the result of Sarah’s premature confinement. / In the first place, I do not think that a family / to a married couple ought to prove burdensome / to them in the way you exprefs of it, of causing / the wife to be so much Kept at home. I should / think a wife’s chief pleasure would be derived / from domestic life + watching over her little / responsibilities, rather than in being a “gad / about”, and gossipping from door to door. / I do not mean to murmur that Providence has / deemed it best to take away the little boy / ere the breath of life had been given to him. Under / all the circumstances perhaps it is best as it is. / I should be extremely sorry, however, should / Sarah even come to view such accidents with / indifference.
Sarah has quite recovered, so much so as / to be out walking + shopping with me both / yesterday + the day before. She has not yet / sent for your coat, but I promise you / that she shall have but little peace
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‘Till she does. Mrs [McLane] has some new / [patterns] of dresses, coats, cloaks +c where Sarah / I believe, intends to take it and get her advice / upon it.
Broadway has resumed its gay appearance / and the delightful weather, which we have / had for Ten days past, brings the fair ones / out in crowds, not many fall hats or / dresses yet to be seen, ‘tho: I suppose a / day or two will bring them out _ from / the patterns which I have seen, they bid / fair to be more glaring than ever. [DeLaines?] / very large figures, bright colors. Plaids are / also to be much worn. Among the Silks / are some of the most magnificent patterns / that ever came to the country. I have / seen a few of them worn even for [^ in] the / street, ‘tho: they are evidently intended for / the Ball Room. price only $100 a drefs. / Steward palace of store has been open for Ten / days past, and crowded all the time. I fear / his establishment may injure some of his contemporaries / opposite of him. At present most of the other / stores are deserted. Sarah + myself were / there yesterday + made purchases to the extent / of a pair of gloves. I prefer giving, what / little I may have, to those who no doubt / want it more than Mr Stewart. Fashionable / people, however, seldom have hearts and
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Few I fear will act upon my principle. /
Little Kitty continues very well, and / progresses rapidly both in walking and / talking. Sarah has not yet got her flannels / She intends to, however, sometime between / this and next summer.
Remember me affectionately to all
Your aff
William Irving
P.S. You had better direct your letters to / the care of my brother “Rev Pierre P. Irving” / there is another person of my name in the / city and mistakes may occur if simply addressed / to either Mr + Mrs Wm I. In directing as / above we would get them earlier and with / more certainty. W.I.Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
