Letter
Dublin Core
Title
1824.05.14 – Catherine Huntington to Mary Huntington, May 14, 1824
Description
Catherine Huntington, 11 at the time, is writing to her older sister Mary, who is living in Oswego, New York with several members of the Huntington Phelps family. Meanwhile, Catherine is at home at Forty Acres with her younger brother Frederic, and describes her work in the garden, sewing, and reading for pleasure and for examinations at the Academy. According to her sister Bethia’s accounts, Catherine died in 1830 of typhoid fever, only two years after writing this letter.
Creator
Catherine Huntington
Source
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Family Papers (Box 20 Folder 19)
University of Massachusetts Special Collections and University Archives
Date
1824.05.14
Rights
public domain
Type
Correspondence
Transcription
Hadley, May 14, 1824
Dear sister Mary,
We received Mr’s and William’s letters to-day with a great deal of pleasure and I am very glad you are enjoying your-self so well; I think you must be quite happy with Mr, Elizabeth, William, and the clever little children. We have a pretty good time at home. Frederic and I are altogether almost all the time when he is in the house.
I have just been out in the garden and seen that yours and my artemerll’s1
are two inches high your Lupins grows beautifully. The tulips and columbines are in blow.2
Your little trees at the south end of the square that you had last year are quite high one of them is about two feet high, the rest all grow very well. Your cherry tree for the arbour are higher than Frederic can reach. If you want I should plant any such in your garden I will with a great deal of pleasure.
May 16. Caroline came over here this afternoon to bring me a letter from Maria Fletcher and get some roots from the garden.
I have finished the life of Charles twelfth3 and like it very much. Next Tuesday is examination at the Academy.
Bethia and I have made all Theophilus’s shirts and begun Edwards. Aunt Phelps set out for Boston day before yesterday. Uncle carried her to Belchertown. We got along with the work as well as ever. Miss Beny went down to Mrs Hubbards to day to get her new gown cut out and has got it done. Frederic has been very busy this afternoon, working in the garden with Pa [illegible].
May 17. It is a beautiful day. Bethia Frederic and I expect to go downtown to-day.
May 19. I went to meeting all day yesterday although it was cloudy and rained some. Maria Julianne and Rachel were at meeting Caroline sends her love to you. You cannot think how much I want to see you all.
I have learned twenty-five verses.
We send a great deal of love to you all.
Write soon to ur affectionate sister, Catherine
Address:
D. Huntington PM
True
U Mills Hadley
May 20
Mrs Eliza. W. Huntington
Owsego
Oswego County
N York
Notes
1. We speculate that the flower she is referring to is an artemisia, but due to the spelling and handwriting we cannot be sure.
2. Used in the 18th and 19th centuries to mean ‘in bloom.’
3. She is likely referring to Voltaire’s The History of Charles the Twelfth, King of Sweden, which was first published in 1731 and translated into English in 1808.
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