Name/Title
Letter - Lucy Audubon to Victor Gifford Audubon, 10 March 1841Entry/Object ID
JJA.1938.407Description
This is a handwritten letter from Lucy to Victor in which she refers briefly to the "small work" and expresses her feelings over the separation of Victor from the family by distance. Transcription is as follows:
"Lucy Audubon
New York
March 10th., 41
My Dear Children,
With much heartfelt satisfaction I read, this morning your joint letter of July 23 and I do hope from the general tenor of it that you are both better that when you left us, I will first reply particularly to dearest Victor as his part comes first on the paper, as to the "little work" Papa and Johnny can reply better than I can, but I am quite sure everything is done by them, to render it excellent, your hints however are all well received and will be noted, indeed My Dear Son anything and everything suggested by anyone of us, so long and well tried friends should be at least partially received, for unless we deceive ourselves it is all well meant & springs from affection, and it is grievous to have one sad moment even from our own faults, when we have so few to spend together, I have never before been so fully impressed with the folly and heartlessness of taking amiss words dropt in a hurry, and unconsciously of all their bearings as this winter when every hour I have felt how broken up we were, to what we anticipated and it is my constant mental prayer that we love and live for each other, and I look forward constantly to your return, perhaps I am selfish in my dislike to your touching at Charleston, which place appears to me fraught with Sorrow and disease, but I submit and wait the period you choose to come home and I pray in good health - We cannot write often for there are no opportunities of sending our letters as you will find out by mine written weeks ago and not gone yet. I cannot help thinking my Dear Eliza that you are much the better for your trip to that beautiful but seemingly unoccupied land, Cuba - but your dread of the New York winter is rather more than it need be for this has been a very mild season on the whole and our having nothing frozen within doors contrary to last year is a proof of it and yet we have had only the fires under our roof. I heard from your mother a few days ago, she strenuously objects to my plan of your coming home direct, but I still wish it, they do not to us say a word about Jane but hope you will bring her for a little recreation in this very noisy and bustling City. they say that Harriet is quite well and all the rest - As far as my judgment and opinion goes Dr.________ W________ or any of your Dr. were better than this or Van - Who I am convinced cannot know more than all the world beside - I have all the time regretted that I could not send you various things, but the (Jews?) always said it was impossible. I will take care to have your room and all things in readiness for you, as you write work of your progress toward home and if you wish me to have any articles ready for you do in your next say so - I have no chat to tell you but that the dear Children keep growing larger and better and I think you will hardly know them, they are now out with Margaret and Ellen a walking. The Charleston frocks were too small for either of them after the finish work. Give my affectionate regards to Aunt Maria who seems to us to be too busy with her plants to do anything else"Collection
L. S. Tyler CollectionMade/Created
Manufacturer
Audubon, Lucy BakewellDate made
1841 - 1841Notes
Date: March 10, 1841Lexicon
Search Terms
* Communication Artifacts, Correspondence, Letters, New YorkDimensions
Height
9-3/4 inWidth
7-13/16 in