Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3013 D
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE December 20, [1805?]
AUTHOR Judge Josiah Ogden Hoffman (New York)
RECIPIENT Alice Ann Hoffman (Mrs. Anne H Nicholas) Philadelphia
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE Rebecca Gratz )”My Becky”, Mr. Ashton, Miss Livingston,
Matilda, Mr. [?Quesnet?], Mrs. Grelaud, Mamma, Uncle Cad,
Mrs. Rodman
PLACES Philadelphia
KEYWORDS education, sewing, dance, social life, reticule, piano, school schedule, music lessons,
EVENTS dance at the Gratz house, Ball, party
*Original spelling retained throughout work; content appears exactly as written.
[PAGE 1]
Philadelphia
My dear Papa -
You acknowledge the receipt of a very short / letter from me, which I am sorry to say was the case _ / I hope however this one will please you better, as I / have set myself down with a determination to write / to you, to give [inserted: you] an account of how I spend my time / we rise between six and seven every morning, at eight / o’clock (on Mondays) the french master comes and / stays till [crossed out and inserted: twelve]. [crossed out words] At / twelve Mr. Ashton the english master comes & stays / till 2- as I do not learn of him I practice my / piano till he goes away, when we eat dinner; / after dinner I [take] my music lesson, & sow, do / study my notes, I am going to work Becky Gratz / a reticule; in the evening I study my lessons / & Matilda & Miss Livingston [inserted: & I] have for one or /
[END OF PAGE 1]
[PAGE 2]
Two nights read little French plays- On Tuesday / Mr. [Quesnet] comes from nine till twelve- Thus / you see how I pass my time- You will tell me / I ought to read some books- History etc- I think / so too, & I mean to do it- Mr. Ewing has offered / to lend me any book I choose- He has Rollins / Ancient History which you know you wanted / me to read last winter, and I will ask him to / lend it to me- The Gratz’ gave a dance last / night & I went to it as you may suppose- In- / deed I was certain you would not be displeased / you have spoken of me going out several times / in your letters, your fear is that I will be [inserted: out] as / I was last winter, but if I wished it you know / being at school I could not, you said in the last / letter but one you wrote me, you had no objection / to my going out twice a week, if Mrs. Grelaud / permitted it, and I assure you I never will /
[END OF PAGE 2]
[PAGE 3]
exceed that- & I will not neglect my lessons on that / account- Do not then my dear father be uneasy / on that account as to that, for you know there / is nothing I take more pleasure in than / obeying you & doing what I think will please / you, I know you are too good & too indulgent / to wish to restrict me too much, & believe / me I will always act as if you were present / to observe what I do-
I was delighted with Mamma [inserted: letter] I did not m[ean: wax blot] / to neglect her by my silence [inserted: letter] but I was not / certain if a letter would please her, the assurance / that it did gave me no small pleasure- for / I love her very much, & hope my absence from / home this winter will not tend to lessen her / affection for me- My Becky as I call her was delighted with the message Mamma sent her, / what a dear amiable girl she is, I love her / better & better every day- Her character is /
[END OF PAGE3]
[PAGE 4]
One of the best I ever heard or read of- So much / dignity & sweetness combined, together with a / pleasing affability to every one- I love her dearly, / & I prize her friendship very much- / Tell Bessy her sister Ann sends her love to her / & hopes she has not forgot how I carried her/
about in the little chair./ I wish you would ask Uncle [Cad] & Mrs. Rodman / to write to me I have written to both of them / & they take no notice- Remember me to all the / family - & Ever rest assured my beloved father of the sincere /
Affection of your child
Alice A. Hoffman
[END OF PAGE 4]
[Address; written on letter]
Josiah Ogden Hoffman Esq.
No. 66 Greenwich St
New York
[Postmark]
PHIL, De 20
[END OF LETTER]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
