Richard Dana Morse to Georgiana Bowditch, 2 January 1921

[From Richard Dana Morse in New York, New York, to Georgiana Bowditch. He thanks her for the Christmas gift; says he closed his Florham Park house yesterday for the winter, and had no problems with frozen water pipes; and comments about and approves the election of Harding as President.

Richard Dana Morse was Georgiana's second cousin; his father and Georgiana's father were first cousins.

This is one of three letters from Richard Dana Morse that were found in a single envelope addressed to "Miss Georgiana A. Bowditch, Morganton, North Carolina," and postmarked "Jan 16, 1922, New York, N. Y." They were dated "Sunday January fourth," "January second 1921," and "Sunday evening." Based on their content, the fact that 4 January was a Sunday in 1920, and 16 January was a Monday in 1922, it's likely that they were written on 4 January 1920, 2 January 1921, and 15 January 1922. All three were written on stationery with the printed letterhead "The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 42 West 44th Street."]

January second 1921

My dear Cousin,

Your letter and very acceptable Christmas gift found me still sojourning at my "near farm" in Florham Park, New Jersey. While I fully intended after my sinister experience in December of last year to close my house early this season, I have been lingering from week to week until yesterday when I moved to this town for the winter. The autumn has surely been most remarkable for its mildness. The thermometer it is true, has fallen once or twice to 14º above zero but the weather was still pleasant and free from snow until a slight fall early last week. I had no trouble this year about keeping the water pipes from freezing and got along with the wood fire in my dining room hearth. It was only last Sunday I started a fire in my heater. I kept this going until I closed the house.

I heard only a day or two ago from Minni Frost.1 She apparently is in good health and interested as much as ever in music. Her husband2 is employed as cashier in the Parker House at Boston.

As a Republican I presume you were pleased with the results of the November election and doubtless helped to elect Harding.3 The election was surely a grand victory and a stinging rebuke to Wilson4 and his administration. We have all been suffering from the awful extravagance and waste wh. has debauched our country. We are now suffering from the effects of reconstruction and defol[?]. I believe this year has better things in store for us, however.

Thank you very much for the handkerchiefs wh. I shall enjoy exceedingly. I should much prefer that you should not send me anything as I have said before. With best wishes for the new year, I am

Very sincerely,

Richard Morse5

  1. Amelia Miriam Hutchins (1858-), Richard's cousin, Georgiana's 1st cousin once removed
  2. Henry Clinton Frost (1865-aft 1920)
  3. Warren Gamaliel Harding (1865-1923), 29th President of the United States. See Warren G. Harding.
  4. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), 28th President of the United States. See Woodrow Wilson.
  5. Richard Dana Morse (1864-1933), Georgiana's 2nd cousin