Abbot/Bowditch Family Letters

Sallie Darlington to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 22 April 1868

[From Sallie Darlington in Faribault, Minnesota, to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She says she did not take a year off from teaching as she had planned, although she did spend some time in St. Peter, but that she would not return next year, apparently planning on going back home to West Chester, Pennsylvania; describes the bitterly cold weather, and snow; asks about various old friends in Tarboro; and asks how she would be received there, as a northerner, after the Civil War.]

St. Mary's Hall, Faribault
April 22nd 1868

My dear Mrs. Bowditch,

It seems a very long time since I heard from you; I would have written to you but have not known where to direct, as in your last letter you were quite uncertain how much longer you would remain at your farm. I have been hoping I should get a letter this spring, telling me where you were, but as none has come, I have concluded to send you a few lines at a venture. I shall direct them to Mr. Bowditch¹ at Tarboro, and if you are not yet there, he can forward them to you.

When I last wrote to you I did not expect to be in the school another year, but the Bishop² persuaded me to try it one year longer, as he failed in finding a Principal to take my place. I have decided, however, that I am not well enough for the position, and when school closes in June, I shall leave and go east, and shall not return. I think my residence here has been of great benefit to my health, but I have now been here about six years, and I feel that a change would be desirable.

You can scarcely conceive of the cold weather we have here; last winter the mercury often stood at 42 and even 44 degrees below zero; that is quite too cold for comfort, I assure you. As I am writing today, I look from my window, and see quite a violent little snow storm, the snow blowing and whirling over the prairie. I have seen it snow here the 1st of May, and indeed we do not look for much pleasant weather until the last of May.

I received your last letter when I was up at St. Peter, and thought I should reply to it immediately, but I left there a few days after receiving it and was then moving about until school re-opened. After that you can readily conceive that I was kept busy; it is no trifling thing to have to discipline and look after some sixty girls. I have a strong corps of teachers to assist me, yet the discipline of the school rests entirely on me, and I feel the responsibility more from not being perfectly well.

I shall hope to hear from you soon, and that you are once more comfortably settled in Tarboro. I presume the place has improved very much since I was there. I shall want to hear all about the place and the people. You must remember me to all that I knew, if they have not forgotten me entirely. How much I should like to see Bella Parker³ again; I admired her more than anyone else that I saw there. There was always something so frank and cordial about her manners, even although they were at times a little blunt.

Does that Scotch gentleman⁴ (I have forgotten his name, the son-in-law of Mrs. Clark⁵) still live in Tarboro? And who was it that he married after his wife⁶ died?⁷ I very often see Mr. Cheshire's⁸ name in the Church papers; how much I should like to see him again. Is there any unpleasant feelings there towards us Northerners since the war? Would I be treated civilly, do you think, if I were ever to venture down on a visit? Of course I can rely on your love and hospitality, but how would it be with people generally?

Please write soon. Give love to Mr. B.¹ and G'a⁹ and Nat.¹⁰

Yrs as ever,

S. P. Darlington

After the middle of June direct to me at West Chester. I shall leave here June the 25th.

 

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

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