1845.10.25 – Elizabeth Huntington to Bethia Huntington, Oct 25th 1845

19th cen: Huntington family correspondence

Letter

1845.10.25-Elizabeth-Huntington-to-Bethia-Huntington-Oct-25th-1845Download

Dublin Core

Title

1845.10.25 – Elizabeth Huntington to Bethia Huntington, Oct 25th 1845

Creator

Elizabeth Whiting Phelps Huntington

Source

Porter-Phelps-Huntington Family Papers (Box 12 Folder 1)
University of Massachusetts Special Collections and University Archives

Date

1845-10-25

Rights

Public Domain

Type

Correspondence

Transcription

[Addressed to:]
Mrs. B. T. Huntington
Northampton

Oct. 25th 1845-

My Dear Bethia,

I have just heard by Jason1, that Mary is sick with a slow fever. – May we all have heart to say thy will [O?] god be done – I hope we shall all feel more deeply than ever, the great design of this life, with its various scenes of joy and sorrow, and make it as it ever should be a course of preparation for that coming state, where “the inhabitant shall no more say I am sick.”-
If after all this discipline, we should refuse to listen and return to god, and say I have sinned, O Lord and receive thy repenting child – we shall have reason to fear he will say as he did of Ephraim2 of old “he is joined to idols let him alone.” I think much of the children some of them are old enough to profit by the chastening of their heavenly Father’s hand. How happy would it make me to know that every morning and evening intensifies their devout supplications toward thanksgiving to that god who has carried them [through] sickness and [brought] them back from the confines of the eternal world, and that their most earnest efforts shall henceforth be directed to serve and please their almighty friend.-3
Before I heard of Mary’s sickness I was going to ask you, to bring with you some paper, for our room, and I will pay you for it. Your father absolutely, and somewhat vehemently protested against painting- but I think if there was a new paper, it would not look quite so gloomy nor quite so filthy.4
It is possible that I might get over next week- your father spoke of going over today, but the call is so urgent at the mountain, that he could not conclude to go5 – he wishes to go over and see to his silk.-
Mrs. Phelps lost her baggage when she left the [cars]6 – they have sent to Springfield- but it was not there. Theophilus is going to Abington7 tomorrow, and will come back Monday. Jason is not going- J.P. and J.Y.8 think of being in Connecticut at Thanksgiving.9 -Rejoice with me that our stove is put up10 – and especially that I have health and strength- As his blessing -I send this by J.Y. who is going to carry some wood to Mr. [Theeyer]11 for our church.12 -. Doubt not of the ever enduring [though] not always manifested love of your mother.

Elizabeth

Kindest remembrance to all. -We had a letter from Lizzie [Fisher]13 last night- giving an account of her visit – much delighted- as there is much that would be very pleasing to sister Lyon14 to know in the letter we think of letting J.P. take it with him to Abington – you shall have it after he comes back. – I hope little Mary is not dangerously sick and that you also may have the blessing of the Lord. –

  1. Jason is possibly a husband of another one of Elizabeth’s daughters, or a family friend. I could not find that name in any of my genealogical searching. I am actually inclined to believe that Jason is a family friend living in Hadley, Massachusetts. ↩︎
  2. Ephraim was a man who lived in Ancient Egypt before the Jews were brought from Canaan to Egypt, according to the Book of Genesis. Ephraim is most known for his descendants. Among them are Joshua, the leader of the Jews during the conquest of Canaan, and Jeroboam, the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Since his descendants are so well famous in biblical texts, it is possible that when Elizabeth mentions “Ephraim”, it is possible that she is referring to the whole family lineage of Ephraim. Good explication. I think she is referring directly to a biblical passage here, as well. ↩︎
  3. As well as quoting scripture, her style of writing/voice sounds different in this passage, more formal and like a sermon. ↩︎
  4. Presumably she is referring to wallpaper here. Perhaps her husband didn’t want to repaint the walls because of the cost, the mess, or the effort. Wallpaper in America started out as an expensive good imported for purchase by wealthy urban consumers. Improvements in manufacturing, increased competition, and domestic production all led to lower costs after the Revolution, making it an affordable option for prosperous middle-class households. Around the time this letter was written, roller printers (vs. block printing) allowed for the printing of inexpensive wallpaper with a few colors on cheap, machine-made wood pulp paper. This style of paper could be manufactured quickly to keep up with changing styles, and became an “inexpensive way to update the appearance of a room,” although I’m not sure if it was still cheaper than painting. ↩︎
  5. Presumably this is a work call for Dan Huntington- the mountain may be related to his farm work or the silks discussed below. Note, there is another reference in one of the letters to the men neglecting the fields to go to the mountain, perhaps Mt. Holyoke. ↩︎
  6. Mrs. Phelps is perhaps Elizabeth’s sister in law, or a more distant relative. If it does read “cars,” this must refer to railroad cars. She could have come into Springfield on any of a number of railroads, such as the Western Railroad leading from Boston, or the Hartford & Springfield Railroad from Connecticut, which might be more likely, seeing as Connecticut is mentioned in the next sentence as a place the family travelled to (perhaps to visit relatives). ↩︎
  7. It was initially unclear why he was visiting Abington- perhaps for business or to meet friends? Was this a common trip? It’s quite far. Based on the last line of the letter, it appears he may live there with his wife (see #18). Abington is actually quite far from Hadley, Massachusetts considering the technology of transportation in 1845. Abington is slightly north of the Cape Cod, and directly east of Plymouth, Massachusetts. ↩︎
  8. It’s not clear who these initials stand for- perhaps J.P. is Bethia’s brother John? ↩︎
  9. They probably had friends and relatives living in Connecticut, seeing as Dan was from there, and the family lived there for a number of years before moving to Hadley. ↩︎
  10. Possibly a fireplace stove or an oven since she uses it in context with Thanksgiving. ↩︎
  11. I could find no record of a Mr. “Theeyer,” perhaps it was spelled differently, or I didn’t read it correctly. Mr. Theeyer is not part of the family, but like Jason, he very could be a family friend from Hadley. ↩︎
  12. Presumably the Unitarian Church in Northampton Elizabeth (and maybe Dan) attended after she converted to Unitarianism (from Congregationalism) well before this letter was written. ↩︎
  13. Unclear who this is- perhaps related to Dan and Elizabeth’s first daughter Elizabeth’s husband George Fisher. ↩︎
  14. Presumably Eliza Fitch Lyon, wife of Theophilus Phelps, sister-in-law to Bethia or a relative of hers. ↩︎