Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3030 J
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE February 1st 1838
AUTHOR Elizabeth Spencer
RECIPIENT Ann(e) Hoffman Nicholas
MEDIUM Paper, ink
DESCRIPTION Writing to Ann Hoffman about the purchase and freedom of Olive
and Rebecca to be reunited with Elizabeth Spencer (mother).
Chlorine who is now reunited with Elizabeth Spencer (mother).
PEOPLE Miss Masters, Chlorine, Miss Eliza Miller, Mrs Hoffman, Rebecca,
Mr Williams, Miss Emma, Miss Julia, Mrs Gratz, Mr Charles, Mr
George, Mr Murry, Spencer,
PLACES England, New York, Philadelphia
EVENTS Coordinating the purchase and return of Olive and Chlorine.
KEY WORDS Slavery, purchased
*Original spelling retained throughout work, content appears exactly as written.
[PAGE 1]
New York, Feb 10th, 1838
My dear Mrs Nicholas
I received a letter from you/ some time since for which I am much obliged/ to you. I have since received a message from/ you through Miss Masters & cannot tell you/ what pleasure it always gives me to hear/ from you & of you. I was very glad to learn/ you were in good health & living so much/ more comfortably than you did last win-/ter. It has pleased my heavenly father in/ his mercy & love to restore my little Chlorine [inserted: to me]. She is living with me at Mrs. [unrecovered] Hoffman’s & it is a very great comfort & happiness to have her with me. Miss Miller/ teaches her every day, & has been extremely, [inserted: kind] with & me. She has also [unrecovered]/ herself very much for my other children/ Olive is purchased & her papers taken out/
[END OF PAGE 1]
[PAGE 2]
but cannot leave C. under a year & a day about Rebecca I am not quite so certain/ the money has been raised to purchase/ her. but I have not yet heard that she is free- my heart overflows with gratitude, when/ I think of all Miss Eliza Miller’s kindness/ to me, do [inserted: not] fail to remember her in your/ prayers & thank God for all his goodness to/ me. The lady with whom my children/ lived has gone to England & left them/ under the care of no one & I sometimes/ feel afraid that what I was speaking/ to you before you left here has [crossed out] happened to them. It is however a great/ consultation to me to think that though / they have no one on earth to [unrecovered]/ & guide them, that there is one in Heaven/ who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth &/ who has promised to protect the [desolate]./ & I believe that if I pray to him from my/ heart for them, that he will hear & an/swer my prayer & cause all things to/ work together for their & my good. Mr/ Williams has been very unwell but/ thank God is now much better. There/
[END OF PAGE 2]
[PAGE 3]
has been a great [revival] in our [chapel]/ which I know it will gratify you very/ much to hear. Many of the congregation/ enquire very particularly & very frequently/ about you & Miss Emma. Mr & Mrs Hoffman/ are very well & looking very [well]. The children/ are also very well & very hart. & Miss/ Julia is getting on very well at school./ I expect that our family will be soon be [unrecovered]. I am Miss Julia [crossed out] in New York. I saw her several times, she looked/ very well & had grown quite fat. She/ is now in Philadelphia with Miss Gratz & Mr Charles has become so fat you would/ scarcely know him. I hear that Mr/ George is going to be married to a rich/ lady in Philadelphia. Spencer & myself/ are still at Mr [Murray] Hoffman’s & are/ very comfortable & contended. I know you/ will be glad to hear I am taken care of/ when I am sick & Spencer desires to be/ remembered to yourself & Miss Emma & hopes to see you soon. as for myself/ I only wish I was sitting at your feet & Hearing a bottle of water [inserted: for] you/
[END OF PAGE 3]
[PAGE 4]
Will you, my dear Mrs Nicholas remember/ he me in your prayers for I need much/ the prayers of my friends, as you may suppose, my mind must be very anxious/ about my children. Will you be so kind/
[BREAK IN PAGE]
as to write to me as soon as you receive/ this letter & when you write to Miss Miller/ will you mention to her that I spoke/ to you with gratitude of all her kindness/ to me. May God bless you & yours My dear/ Mrs Nicholas is the fervent prayer of your attached/
Elizabeth Spencer
[ADDRESS]
Mrs Nicholas/
Care of Rev S.S. Whitman/
P. Master/
Belvidere/
Illinois/
Via Chicago
[Post Mark: New York. Feb 5]
[END OF LETTER]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
