James Gould to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 8 April 1867

[From James Gould in Baltimore, Maryland, to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. He reminisces about past times with Elizabeth; sympathizes over Elizabeth's son Fred being sick, and asks her sympathy for him being childless; and mentions some family members and friends.]

Baltimore April 8 1867

Dear Cousin Lizzie,

Does it not seem as if old Father Time had rolled back the years, when we find ourselves again corresponding. Then indeed we were looking forward, and the future was luminous with anticipated happiness. Imagination pictured every hour with roseate hues. And a cloudless sky was to be seldom obscured, except to give a zest to returning pleasure. And there was much of real enjoyment, and we can recal many hours of social greeting, giving and receiving pure and rational pleasure. Let us be thankful for blessings so real, and recur to them ever with grateful hearts as treasures of memory we cannot be deprived of.

The realities that we have since experienced have been varied and among them the saddest the heart can know on my part. But I know that a kind Father sees the end from the beginning, and is all Love, tho' veiled from our vision. The stern realities of life are trying to our self live[?] often. And could we order them how different they would often be. Yet we must feel that he knows best, and that whatever is, is right.

You say your little Fred1 has been sick. Am glad to learn of his convalescence. While I sympathize with you, may I not ask your sympathy that I have no little Fred to care for, no loving eyes to look into mine and call me Pa. Yet I believe tis right, and I will not envy your blessing, but rather hope they may prove indeed the highest you can wish.

I shall not give up the hope of yet seeing Ga.,2 and will love her for your sake and her own. Mr. B.3 will surely come on business and we shall then expect her.

You say Mr. B. has not been with you since Dec. What an age it must seem to you, and what a blessing to have the children with you while he is absent. Think how you would have felt without them.

I hope that you may soon be in Tarboro, and then communication would be more easy.

Some of my relatives have passed through here lately and called to see us, but not to stay. We are promised a visit now soon from two of my nieces, Sarah & Eliza,4 and some of Sarah's little folks. It will help to vary the monotony of our dull hours and we hope to make it pleasant to them. They took every possible pains to make my visit to them pleasant two years ago, and it would be a sincere pleasure to me to reciprocate their kindness.

My sister Lydia5 is very highly blessed in having her children well married, and settled around her, except the oldest6 who is a merchant in New York. The others are in Boston, and their homes in her neighborhood. All living and all in good circumstances, and seem very happy together.

I asked Hannah Lytle7 how many children R. Harlan8 left. She says 6 or 7, the oldest,9 a Physician, but knows very little about them. Think the Doctor lives somewhere in this city or neighborhood. Oh how plain I can see him in "Auld Lang Syne." We shall yet meet again and how soon we cannot tell.

March 30th made me 72, and Julia10 sent a little volume of Poems to me as a birthday reminiscence.

Tis pleasant to hold an interest in those we love, and for that reason I write to you. With love to all with you.

As ever

Your cousin James

  1. Frederick Darlington Bowditch (1859-1920), Elizabeth's son
  2. Georgiana Abbot Bowditch (1848-1927), Elizabeth's daughter
  3. Joseph Henry Bowditch (1818-1900), Elizabeth's husband
  4. Sarah Abby Weld (1829-1911) and Eliza G. Weld (1834-1871), daughters of James's sister Lydia
  5. Lydia Gould (1805-1888), James's sister
  6. James Gould Weld (1832-1904), son of James's sister Lydia. He was actually her oldest son, not oldest child.
  7. Hannah Lytle (1815-1899)
  8. Reuben Stump Harlan (1811-1858)
  9. George Schaeffer Harlan (1844-1903). He was Reuben Stump Harlan's oldest son, but an insurance agent, not a doctor. His father Reuben was a doctor.
  10. Julia Rebecca Weld (abt 1836-1880), daughter of James's sister Lydia