Abbot Letters to Hannah Rantoul

Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch to Hannah Rantoul, 26 October 1846

[From Elizabeth in Tarboro, North Carolina, to Hannah in Beverly. She talks more about her new son Nathaniel, and notes that they intend that he be educated in New England; says that she plans to spend the following summer, from March to October, in Beverly; and mentions and asks about mutual friends.

Addressed to "Miss Hannah L Rantoul, Beverly, Mass." A separate notation by Hannah says "Mrs. Joseph H. Bowditch, Tarborough, N. C., Oct 26, 1846." Postmarked "TARBOH N. C. Nov 8." BHS ID# 948.001.1285.]

Tarboro, October 26th, 1846

My dear Sister,

It is nearly two months since you received my last letter, and one since I rec'd its answer, and I feel ashamed to put you off so long, but – a baby!¹ is all I have to answer. A great big boy who will not let his mother do much else but attend to him. My dear sister I can't realize that I am a mother. I think so many times of the many wild pranks and girlish doings not long past, and then a prattle or a smile will assure me that such days should be only thought of, but never acted over again. But my past life is all pleasant to recall. I have been blessed indeed! and continue to be so. I have had my health and friends preserved to me, and though I am far separated from those most near and dear to me, I feel that it is wisely ordered for some purpose. And though it would be much more pleasant to be near them, I feel happy and contented where I am. I consider myself still a Yankee, a Beverlyean, and when I go there feel that I am returning home. So will it ever be. I trust that my little Thanny will live and do well. If so the same seat in which his Mother used to sit in with Aunt Hannah may be occupied many times by him. I mean in the Beverly Academy. It is our intention that he shall be educated in N. England, and I trust grow up a good & conscientious man. I look at his little innocent face, and bright eye, and wonder if it will ever look otherwise. What innocent beings little children are! He is full of life and fun, and possessed of fine health, the greatest blessing in the world. He can crawl and pick up every thread or chip or whatever happens to be upon the carpet, and if he is not closely watched it goes into his mouth. He is pulling off the table cloths, and catching at every thing. As mischievous as a little monkey!

In your last you spoke of the absence of your Father.² You must have missed him much. I have not had the pleasure of seeing him in Tarboro however. I should have jumped and been almost as wild as a crazy person had I seen him coming. I should have been delighted. Why can't he take you and make a trip out this way. Your mother³ too would enjoy the journey, but for her I suppose it would be almost too much of an undertaking!

I wrote to E. B. W.⁴ some weeks since, directed to Beverly. Have not rec'd an answer as yet. I suppose she is very busy. She wrote me some time since that she should be married in Nov., but asked me not to say so. I have not heard from her since and don't know any of her arrangements. I trust E. will have a good home and good husband when she does get settled, for the last years of her life she has had enough to almost destroy her mind. I hope Isaac⁵ is possessed of energy of character. I seem to feel that he lacks ambition, and without that E. will not have bettered herself, for she needs some active person to urge her forward. We can hardly tell a person until they have been in trying situations. Those seeming to be the least energetic are sometimes the most so.

Sunday Nov. 8th. My dear Hannah, shall I ever get this letter to you. But I know you will excuse me when I tell you Thanny has been sick since I last wrote you. I have sometimes during that period felt that he was going to be taken from us, and such feelings my dear sister you cannot realize until you have been a mother. He is well again but I have not felt till now that I could take a pen in hand. The Dr. says it is his teeth, and that there was no cause for alarm, but to see one that was ever active and bright, pale and languid, with his little head leaning upon my shoulder, no disposition to play or smile, makes a mother feel anxious. I am most happy to say that he is well, and I hope I shall soon see a tooth. They are troublesome things are they not dear sister, but what should we do without them.

Thanny can say Pa and Ma. It is not baby saying, but if he is asked in this way – "Thanny say Pa" – he will say so as knowingly as if he was a year old. We are trying to teach him other words, is inclined to talk much.

I did not tell you my dear sister, that I shall be in Beverly in March, did I? And to stay until October. We think it will be more for our health to do so, and the Dr. says that the second summer will be the most trying to Thanny in this climate, as he will be cutting his worst teeth. So it is our plan thus. Jo. Henry⁶ will go on with us in March, stay a few days, return and come on again the first of August, and remain till October. A nice plan, if we all remain alive and well till that time. Please say nothing about it, as it is some months before that time, and something may take place to prevent us.

You were the first to tell me of Chas. Peabody's⁷ marriage. Poor lady.⁸ I am glad it is none of my dear friends, for I should feel as if they had entered upon a miserable life.

Mr. Patch⁹ too has been unfortunate in your opinion. That I am heartily sorry for. Although he is a peculiar man, and one I should not have fancied for you, or myself, still he is a good one I believe, and deserves a good wife. I think E. B. W. would have done well to have married him. He liked her, and would have written her songs and sonnets, and above all been an amiable and tender husband, and had the wherewithall to make her in easy circumstances. I should think she was a queer being (his wife¹⁰) to wish him to go to Ohio. She don't know what it is to leave a N. England home for one in the far West. She will wish herself back again, especially if she is not suited to her husband.

It is all my dear sister that makes me feel reconciled to the change in my home – my dear good husband. He is one of the best, and leaves nothing undone to make up to me the loss of my home friends. He said as he went out to church today "remember me to sister Hannah."

Mrs. Cheshire¹¹ the minister's lady lost a beautiful child¹² some two weeks ago, just fourteen months old, and as I looked at the corpse with its little hand clasping a bunch of flowers, I thought of the description you gave me of Helen's¹³ child¹⁴ at the funeral. What a pretty idea! I shall not feel that I cannot see Helen when I go back.

How many deaths have taken place in Beverly within the last year. Many familiar faces are lost to me forever. Mrs. Porter's¹⁵ death makes me feel sad. I always valued her, as I have seen much of her in our family. An old nurse is ever remembered.

I trust I shall find you and yours all in health, and though many months has got to pass ere you see us, they will go quickly. I still enjoy excellent health as does Jo. Henry. Have we not been favored?

I have received very gratefully several papers from your father since I last wrote. Hannah I appreciate his kindness and enjoy the reading of them much. I don't want to say good bye, but must write a little note home to enclose. Please remember me kindly to your parents and to Jane.¹⁶ And for your own dear self take all you can wish of love.

Yr aff. sister

E.

Write me as soon as you receive this.

 

Copyright Charles Towne. Usage of this work is licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0
Compiler: Charles Towne

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