Name/Title
Letter - Harriet Audubon to Helen Croes, 27 February 1864Entry/Object ID
JJA.1944.35.2Description
This is a handwritten letter from Harriet Audubon to Miss Helen Croes written in 1864. The transcription is as follows:
"Washington Heights
Feb. 27, 1864
Dear Helen,
I received your kind letter last Wednesday an hasten to answer it, I am afraid it will be a stupid answer though, for my various holiday enjoyments have made me very sleepy, and having fallen fast asleep on the sofa down stairs, I have roused myself to come up here and try to spend the evening more agreeably and profitably. I am glad you had such a pleasant visit to Philadelphia, I think it must be very fatiguing to go and return in one day. I can not imagine you taking tremendously fast under any circumstances, how funny it must sound. I am sorry to hear your brother has been sick, I hope it is nothing serious. Miss Adams I believe has not yet returned, I rode down there this morning to enquire, and she had not then arrived, Mrs. Adams told me her father had written for her to come home this evening as she had a good opportunity to do so, but she wrote back that the friends she is staying with pressed her very hard to remain with them a while longer which she probably will. You say it has been quiet in New Brunswich, it has been still more so here, for we have had only one party, I went to it and so did Mrs. John and Ben Church it was about the most stupid affair I ever had the pleasure of taking part it, there were but three or at most four young ladies there besides myself, and but two young gentlemen besides the Mesrs. Church. One a tall youth with yellow hair and whiskers, blue eyes and a pink complexion, he lisped a little and was very bewitching. The other was short, with black hair and whiskers an red face and danced worse than I do which is saying a good deal. To add to my troubles I had on a pair of new boots which narrowed my understanding to such a degree that I was forced to withdraw to the dressing room, take off my boots and rest awhile before I returned to the gay and festive scene, not very gay, either, when I give a party I will make sure of more than nine unmarried people before I give out my invitations. I am not much shocked at your leap-year party almost every young lady has one or two intimate friends whom she would be willing to invite to accompany her on such an occasion and the rest is easy. I think it would be fun. With regard to music, I like Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique better than any other except the one that has his funeral march in, that funeral march is lovely, the last time I played it was for Mr. Hughes, he was lying on the couch in his room not feeling very well, it was strange I should have chosen that to play to him, how little we thought then that there was anything more than a cold the matter with him. We were all going up to Yonkers to see Mrs. Hughes during the moonlight nights, but we put it off from night to night and now she has gone to Bedford to stay a little while with her mother-in-law. I have not had any photographs of myself taken since you were here, you shall have one if ever I do. I have found a new and delightful amusement, I have taken to riding on horse back, I ride on Jennie and of all the horses I have ridden on she is the very best, she is as swift as an arrow and as gentle as a dove, she needs no whip to make her go and stops at the work of command, you can imagine how I enjoy it. Grandmamma sends love, the Pretty Doeser sends kind regards to your mother and yourself. With much love to your mother and to your sister when you write to her I remain ever, Your affectionate friend, Harriet B. Audubon"Collection
Margaret Cautley CollectionMade/Created
Manufacturer
Audubon, HarrietDate made
1864 - 1864Notes
Date: February 27,1864Lexicon
Search Terms
* Communication Artifacts, Correspondence, LettersDimensions
Height
8 inWidth
4-15/16 in