Ellen Abbot to her sister Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 14 June 1855

[From Ellen Abbot in Beverly, Massachusetts, to her sister Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch in Tarboro, North Carolina. She expresses the family's sympathies on the death of Elizabeth's son Abbot.]

Beverly June 14th 1855

My dear sister,

We received a letter from Joe1 on Tuesday telling us of the sad death of dear little Abbot.2 Oh Elizabeth how you must feel to think that the dear boy is gone. It is a severe stroke to us all & we feel it sensibly, though try to think that all is for the best, & resign ourselves in humble submission to the will of Him, who "doeth all things well." I cannot realize that he is dead & that we shall never see him again, dear boy. But how consoling it must be to you to know that he has left this world only for a far better & happier one, where he will no more suffer nor know sorrow. Tis hard to give up a dear friend upon whom one has doated & hoped so much from, but how much severer for a parent to resign a dear son from the household flock. How much we feel for you both I cannot tell, & the dear children, how they will miss him, especially Tish3 as he called her. She knows though that Abbot is happier now than when here & will not murmur.

Grandma4 & pa5 feel dreadfully to think that he so young is dead & they still left. Grandma says well, ‘tis hard, but ‘twill be only a little while & I shall see them all again. I fear she won't live another winter, for she still has her cough & hasn't been out of her chambers. They both sent a great deal of love to you all.

Hannah Rantoul6 too sends a great deal of love & says she shall write you soon. She feels for you a great deal, indeed every one does.

Martha7 went to Springfield Tuesday. She was all ready to go when the letter came & didn't want to go at all. She thought everything of Abbot & knows how hard his death must have been to you. She said she should write you the next day.

Did you cut any of Abbot's hair after he died, & won't you send some to us, for we shall appreciate & think every thing of it. We loved him dearly, as we do all of you, & expected to see him soon, but man proposes & God disposes, & you must feel that all is well.

We had been talking of you all but a little while before & wondering why we had not heard from you, but little thought that the next letter would bring such mournful tidings. I wish I express what I feel for you but I never can in words.

I hope we shall hear from you again soon telling us all about his sickness & every thing, for we feel anxious to know how you all are getting along. Don't grieve too much over his death Elizabeth, but think of the other two children & make them to feel how happy Abbot is in Heaven. They will miss him as playmate & his little playthings will always remind you of him & open the wound of grief; all your thoughts of him will be that he was a child almost too good to live, for I have often heard Martha say what a sweet & noble boy he was. George8 sends his love to you & Joe.1 Give my love to him & a sweet kiss to each of the children from their Aunt Ellen & with much love to yourself from all & a from me. I am as ever your affectionate & sympathizing sister

Ellen

We shall not dress in mourning, but like you very plain for some time.

  1. Joseph Henry Bowditch (1818-1900), Elizabeth's husband
  2. George Abbot Bowditch (1850-1855), Elizabeth's son
  3. Georgiana Abbot Bowditch (1848-1927), Elizabeth's daughter
  4. Edith Wallis (1774-1855)
  5. Samuel Stickney (1771-1859)
  6. Hannah Lovett Rantoul (1821-1898)
  7. Martha Eliza Abbot (1835-1870), Ellen and Elizabeth's sister
  8. George William Abbot (1825-1861), Ellen and Elizabeth's brother