Abbot/Bowditch Family Letters

Georgiana Abbot to her sister Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 16 September 1846

[From Georgiana Abbot in Beverly, Massachusetts, to her sister Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch in Tarboro, North Carolina. She talks about Elizabeth's son Nathaniel being sick, and how to treat him; says she and Charles (Lamson) plan to be married the following year, and she hopes to wear Elizabeth's dress; mentions several deaths, including Mrs. Porter and several children in Beverly; and talks about the activities of various family members and friends.

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

Beverly Septbr 16th, 1846

My dear Sister,

Hannah¹ was down last eve and said that she should mail a letter to you tomorrow, so I thought I would put a note inside. We were pleased to get a letter from you Sunday and sorry that Natty² was not as well as usual. Ma³ says that she never has given anything more than a little Castor Oil to her children when they have not been sick enough to have a Doctor. And if those green discharges don't affect his health she shouldn't mind it much. Only be very careful of him and keep his bowels open. Don't take his bands off. I wrote you in my last to begin to feed him. Ma says don't if he is not perfectly well. And if he is, you must pour boiling water on a little milk, making it quite weak, and sweeten it. Give him nothing at all solid.

We are all very much pleased with the idea of you coming on so early in the spring, but you will have to take particular care of Natty. Dress him very warm to guard him against our cold.

Ma wants you to write on immediately and tell her just what you want her to send on by Mr. Howell,⁴ what kind of cloth you want for his cloak. She can get it if Joe Henry⁵ has nothing suitable in his store. Pelisse cloth or Indiana is pretty lined with some color. And about your dress too. By the time you can get a letter on here, it will be time to be thinking about getting it. Ma says it will be a grand opportunity to send her shawl on as they are very fashionable here now, and she can sell it herself she thinks. And your satin dress if you will. I shall probably want it somewhere between now and May, and it may be too late to bring it when you come on. I believe you promised me that I should have it to be married in.

From that you will infer that some arrangements have been made, not definitely, but Charles⁶ has almost decided to go to Palermo again in the Griffen. If so he will be at home by the middle of March, then we shall be married as soon as possible. If we can't get the house, then we shall be married and I shall stay here if Ma will have me, till we can. Then I can fix the house while he is away. He won't be at home long, so it won't make much difference to him whether we go to housekeeping immediately or not. Of course it would be pleasanter to be settled immediately. Before you hear from me again all will be decided. I hope you will be here at the time.

By the Register you see how very sickly it is among children here. All have died with the same complaint, taken with the cholera, and then it goes to the head. Mr. Bennetts⁷ child⁸ was a beautiful one, seven months old. I have been to the twins⁹ funeral this afternoon. They died in spasms, both of them.

Mrs. Porter¹⁰ has failed very suddenly the last three weeks. She was perfectly sensible to the minute she died, and knew every one. Her death was very easy. Her sufferings have been nothing compared to Nancy Wyers.¹¹ Luther¹² has lost a little girl¹³ with this same disease. Grandma¹⁴ was up to Charlestown a week till that died, and ever since she came home the twins have needed her constant care. Ma would have written this note, but Freddy¹⁵ has been sick a day or two, and has not been dressed yet, not with cholera however. He is much better tonight.

Ann¹⁶ is quite plump and Abba¹⁷ is so sick all the time. She has to keep her bed, swollen face and tooth ache besides.

Meacom¹⁸ will go next week. John Endicott¹⁹ is going to sea with Capt. Driver to Manilla. John Edwin²⁰ will want to be off now. He goes out on the water every chance that he can get. Today he has been, went out with a small party seven o'clock this morning. Lost his cap overboard and came home with a red silk handkerchief put on turban fashion.

Betsey²¹ has gone to Boston to board till she gets her house ready. She is going to housekeeping there.

Ma is in a quandary about those flowers or evergreens, the Holly &c. She don't know whether they will stand our cold weather or not. They are growing so beautifully she can't bear the thoughts of their freezing. Enclosed are some seeds of a very pretty Lilly. Tis blue and will not bloom the first year. If you please you can give Mr. Cheshire²² some. Ma sympathises with Dr. Thomas & wife,²³ sends her love to them and to all her friends.

Miss Frink²⁴ has gone to Nahant now the weather has become cooler. She hasn't done entertaining people with an account of her mothers²⁵ sickness, and of her devoted care of her yet. You will get it all next spring, I'll be bound to say.

I can't realize that you will come. Make ever so many warm clothes for Natty. We have cold weather till the middle of June you know.

George²⁶ perhaps will be at home some time in the course of the summer. You read his letter I suppose, that I sent in a paper. One of the boys wrote home to his father that George was engaged to this girl. We shall begin to look the middle of next month.

You must write me immediately. I have had nothing but notes from you all summer. Those are acceptable if I can't have more.

Frank²⁷ is here and well, he talks about our nephew a good deal, says [_____] would like to hear him crying to Pa for a cent.

With much love to you all, from all. I remain your affectionate sister,

Georgiana

 

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

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