Richard Dana Morse to Georgiana Bowditch, 31 December 1912

[From Richard Dana Morse in Florham Park, New Jersey, to Georgiana Bowditch. He thanks Georgiana for the Christmas gift; talks about the new house he bought in Florham Park, and a horse he bought; and mentions various friends and relatives.

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

Pasted at the top of the first page of the letter is a photograph, about 3 by 2 inches, of a fairly large two-story house, with a front porch with four columns, and trees in the yard.]

Florham Park,
New Jersey

31 Decr 1912

My dear Cousin,

Before the old year is wholly gone I want to have you know that I appreciated your Christmas remembrance very much and in that I include your Christmas note which I consider quite sufficient in the way of a gift in itself. I like the pen and as I have none I shall find the fountain kind very useful indeed.

My brother1 and I passed the holiday at our new home here which I purchased last May. I thought you might be interested in a little photograph of the house which I am pasting in this letter. This little hamlet is about two and a half miles from Madison which is 26 miles from New York and is the point at which I have to take my train for business. When we lived out in Massachusetts my Brother bought a Ford runabout motor car and during the summer and autumn he drove me to the station in it. Later in the autumn I purchased a horse and am now using a carriage to get to and from the station. The day before Christmas we had a very heavy snow storm so that I passed part of my holiday making paths down to the barn which is some distance from the house, and elsewhere.

I am very much pleased with my investment which includes about six acres of good land, with some nice apple trees, so that we have quite a little farm. I cut hay enough for the mare and raised some corn besides.

My Aunt Mary Hutchins2 left two children, James3 who is living in Boston and whom we see down this way occasionally and Miriam Frost4 who lives with her husband5 at Brookline. James has one daughter6 who is married.

I am sorry to say that my brother's health does not seem to improve. He suffers more in cold weather and he is unable to get around this winter as well as he did last. He is a physical wreck.

I have not heard anything from Mrs. Berg7 for a long time. I have intended to ask Mr. Hutchins if he knew whether she were alive or not. His sister, I think, visits her whenever she comes to New York and keeps informed as to her condition.

I am very glad the Sunday Tribune is a source of pleasure for you. I shall renew the order for the next year presently.

With my best wishes for the new year, believe me

Sincerely yours,

Richd Morse8

  1. Francis Bowditch Morse (1862-aft 1933), Richard's brother, Georgiana's 2nd cousin
  2. Mary Elizabeth Dana Morse (1827-1910), Richard's aunt, Georgiana's 1st cousin once removed
  3. James Dana Hutchins (1856-1919), Richard's cousin, Georgiana's 1st cousin once removed
  4. Amelia Miriam Hutchins (1858-), Richard's cousin, Georgiana's 1st cousin once removed
  5. Henry Clinton Frost (1865-aft 1920)
  6. Josephine Dana Hutchins (1880-), Richard's 1st cousin once removed, Georgiana's 2nd cousin
  7. Helen MacGregor Morse (1830-1914), Richard and Georgiana's 1st cousin once removed
  8. Richard Dana Morse (1864-1933), Georgiana's 2nd cousin