Letter
Dublin Core
Title
1829.09.21 – Catherine Huntington to Mary Huntington, Sept. 21, 1829
Description
Catherine Huntington writes to her sister Mary that she has been lonely since Mary left home. She then tells Mary about the things she did in the meantime : reading the news to their sister Bethia and ‘mending’, which we know to mean ‘sewing’. She then relays news about their mother Elizabeth getting home safely that night; she was coming from Northampton and arrived home shortly after sunset. She then says how she went to bed still feeling lonely but woke up feeling better. In the next part of the letter, Catherine recounts what she did the day before. Their mother Elizabeth and sister Bethia went to hear Mr. Woodbridge give a sermon; Mr. Woodridge would become pastor of one of two major churches in Hadley. She tells Mary how all the boys in the family went to Hatfield except for their nephew Frederic, herself, and Elvira. She adds how their mother Elizabeth and sister Bethia went to a meeting that afternoon but the boys stayed at home. We can infer that the meeting which Elizabeth and Bethia attended was also church related, as the church was a central organizing feature of New England society at the time. Catherine then shares how Theophilus, their brother, went to pick up Mitty, who could not herself come to visit because Paul, likely a social colleague and Mitty’s husband, was sick. She tells Mary about how Theophilus is so busy with his studies that he doesn’t have time for much else, and how she hasn’t heard from Elizabeth or William but that when she does she’ll relay information to Mary. She relays advice from their mother, Elizabeth Phelps Huntington, about Mary’s bonnet and how she should bring it to Miss Osborn to get it fixed. Miss Osborn was either Sophia or Cecilia Osborn, who both ran a millinery in Northampton at the time. She then says if she goes to Northampton within that week she’ll also bring her bonnet in to get fixed. She relays more information from their brother, Theodore, about how he forgot to say goodbye to her when she left for Northampton because he forgot she was going. She then informs Mary that she and their sister Bethia plan to go to Northampton that week and that she’ll bring their mother’s journal, which she had found the day prior to writing the letter. At the end of the letter, she sends love from Bethia and sends her own love to Harriette, one of her friends. In the postscript, she lets Mary know that her and their family are doing well and sends her well wishes, saying that she’s doing better every day.
Creator
Catherine Huntington
Source
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Family Papers (Box 20 Folder 19)
University of Massachusetts Special Collections and University Archives
Date
1829-09-21
Rights
public domain
Type
Correspondence
Transcription
Dear Sister Mary,
I have been very lonesome since you went away. After you had gone Saturday, I read the news to Bethia and mended a little. Ma got home from Northampton just after dark. I ate my supper, and went to bed lonesome enough and got up the next morning better.
Ma and Bethia went to hear Mr. Woodbridge yesterday in the morning and the boys all went to Hatfield expecting Frederic who staid at home with (Elvira) and me. Ma and Bethia went to meeting in the afternoon but the boys all staid at home.
Theophilus went after Mitty last night; she could not come because Paul was sick, but Frederic brought her down this morning as Paul was better.
Theophilus had a letter from Whiting last Saturday; he writes he is so hurried with his studies that he hardly has time to exercise. We have not heard from Elizabeth or William yet, if we do hear I will try to remember and carry you the letter when I go to Northampton.
Ma thinks you had better carry your bonnet to Miss Osborn so that she can be fixing it; if I go to Northampton this week I should carry mine then. I suppose you remember Theodore did not bid you “Good-bye” Saturday morning when he went away: he said he had forgotten you was going.
Bethia and I are expecting to go to Northampton this week and I will carry you “Mother’s Journal”. I found it yesterday. Bethia sends her love and says she wants to see you very much. Give my love to Harriette.
From your affectionate sister
Catherine.
P.S We are all well, hope you are.
I am gaining every day.
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