Abbot/Bowditch Family Letters

Georgiana Abbot to her sister Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 12 February 1846

[From Georgiana Abbot in Beverly, Massachusetts, to her sister Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch in Tarboro, North Carolina. She talks about getting a letter from their brother George, and that he's expected home soon; says they're anxious to hear news of the birth of Elizabeth's first child; describes a dance she went to, and a concert by the local singing school; mentions the upcoming wedding of Clarissa Webber, who apparently was pregnant; talks about the Charitable Society and how the meetings have been poorly attended; says there's been a case of smallpox in town; and talks about the activities of various family members and friends.

Addressed to "Mrs. Joseph H. Bowditch, Tarboro, N. C."]

Beverly February 12th 1846

My dear Sister,

Hannah¹ has just written me a little note saying that her letter to you was all ready to mail and waiting for a note from me to enclose in it. I am going to write to New York to George² too this forenoon. He is expected now daily and will be pleased to hear from you as soon as he does arrive. Better direct to Beverly as he will come home immediately. Last Friday we had letters from him dated Sept 2nd. He was very well and told me to tell you that he couldn't afford to write you again, you lived so far off. He had seen Hervey Roundy³ and dined with him the day before he wrote. Hervey still feels badly about Emmeline, and George seems to think that when he does come home squint eyed Tuck had better look out.

Do you realize tis the middle of February. Do your feelings tell you that it is, or do you feel as well as ever. Every letter now that we receive we expect to hear important news from you.⁴ Joe Henry⁵ must write the moment any thing takes place for we are anxious to hear, and ask him to give a complete description of the little rogue. Of course his name is determined upon before now.

I long to hear if you got the paper that I sent Wednesday safely. I suppose you will scold hard when you see what a risk I run to send such a thing in a paper, but if the Tarboro postmaster brings you up to explain what it is, you can just draw it up for a cap and tell him that the point is for a tassal. I expect your little Josey will be able to wear that when he is two years old. I'm calculating on a two pounder like Mrs. Cheshire's⁶ you know. No matter if he isn't he will be the easier to tend, and if you take good care of him he will grow fast enough, and be taller than his mother before she is aware of it. But I tell you what it is. I want to see him before he gets to be a great boy. Don't you think you shall give him a sight of Beverly in the fall?

Tomorrow I hope to get my letter that you wrote Sunday. The letters don't come so regularly as the did in the summer. We can hardly expect it. We had a grand snow storm yesterday and the way that the sleighs are flying about today is a caution. It stands them in hand to improve it for I hardly think it will last long.

There is to be a grand ball in Fitchburg this eve. Almost all the young gents here had a ticket given them to go. Alpheus⁷ and Joseph Nourse⁸ are going, Lucy, Martha Ann,⁹ Sarah Folger,¹⁰ the two Edwards and Charlotte Foster¹¹ have gone. Lucy is going to board in F. with Rebecca as long as she can content herself. They are very good friends again.

Since I wrote you last we have had our ball. It went off grandly and every one went home with a feeling of satisfaction. The hall was full and there were about twelve strangers (gentlemen) from Boston. Every one said it was as pleasant a party as they usually went too. With our last ball the great fault was in the scarcity of gentlemen. It was the reverse with this one. The ladies were engaged for three or four dances ahead and about ten gentlemen were seated at every dance. We kept it up till two when we were all glad enough to come home.

Boyden¹² brought a Mr. Gerard who is in the law school with him. He is a native of Virginia. His mother married Judge McLane. He, Mr. Philips, and Charles¹³ amused themselves criticizing the dances, neither of them being acquainted with dancing themselves. Sarah Ellen¹⁴ was the belle of the eve. Sarah Augusta was in Boston. Hannah Rantoul¹ was in a little while. Sarah Ellen and William Safford¹⁵ are excellent friends again and long may they continue so for all [?] George.² I don't want him to think too much of her, she is a real flirt.

The Beverly Union Singing School gave a concert in the Town Hall Tuesday. Mrs. Nourse and Lothrop sang a duett. She trembled so that it spoiled it. During the intermission John Frederic¹⁶ gave us an address half an hour long on music, the uses and kinds. He soared up the third heavens and came back again. He says that we begin to sing as soon as we leave this earth, and in the bright blue above us the song is going on &c.

Tis astonishing how those Nourses do bring themselves into notice. I'm sure Joe was more conspicuous than any one to the ball. He didn't actually fall down but I was looking out for it every moment. He is lost I should think. And John F.¹⁶ tried to kick up and appear as lively and frolicsome as anyone, but Anna¹⁷ would give him a look which I interpreted thus - John, remember we belong to the church so dance gently.

Charles¹³ and I spent the eve with Miss Frink¹⁸ Monday. She has been confined to the house for a week with a cough. Wants to know if you are going to answer her letter. I told her that family cares pressed so heavily, I hardly thought you would at present.

Porter Lovett¹⁹ has gone to housekeeping in Boston. It is calculated that he has made $15,000 by his failure. Abominable. And the laws are such that no one can lay a finger upon him.

Do you remember Clarissa Webber,²⁰ Porter Webber's²¹ daughter. I don't know but that I wrote you that she was in a consumption. She will be well again in the course of a few weeks. Tonight she is going to be married. She was never engaged, so her mother²² has been nursing her up for the dropsy for three or four months, little inspecting that she had been so unwise. The moment the family found out the true state of things, her father got Townes the one-eyed Andrew²³ and made him be published. He willingly consented, and tonight they have the extreme pleasure of standing up before Mr. Flanders.^24,25

The Charitable Society met here last Friday and I never was so glad as when I saw them putting up their work. There were but five here. The evening before they met at Miss Bridges.²⁶ It rained quite hard so there were but two there, and it was her intention to have them meet there again. But it was not exactly understood, and I mentioned to Mrs. Weld²⁷ that I would like to have them here. So she sent to as many as she could through her scholars. Poor Miss Bridges sat up with a real bright light all the eve wondering why no one came to the Society. No matter ‘tis over now and I hardly think I shall appear among them many more times. There don't seem to be much interest taken in meeting this year. Ellen Leach²⁸ has been but two or three times through the winter. The winter has been so mild that the poor have not needed so much as tho it had not.

We have had a case of smallpox in town. A Miss Sawyer,²⁹ niece to Mrs. Howe³⁰ who lives where Edward Thorndike³¹ did. There are two red flags, one on each corner of the house as a sign for no one to go into it. An old woman, not understanding why two flags should be put out, as she supposed for an auction, stood on the sidewalk looking all round the house, examining all the windows, &c. At last she broke out - well this is the queerest auction I ever seed. Here are two flags, but the house all shut up and nobody here to buy. A man standing watching for the result of her gazings said "Why my good woman there is no auction here. The inmates have the smallpox." The woman was off like a shot, and for all that he knows is running now.

I must be under the necessity of apologizing for bad writing again. I have hurried that I might send it to H this noon. Pa³² and Ma³³ send much love to both of you. Charles told me to give you much love from him. I expect he is waiting to congratulate you upon an addition. And accept a great deal from me.

Yours affec'ly,

Georgiana

 

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

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