Abbot/Bowditch Family Letters

Hannah Rantoul to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 20 February 1897

[From Hannah Rantoul in Beverly, Massachusetts, to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch in Micaville, North Carolina. She talks about "the wedding" (between Elizabeth's son Frederick Darlington Bowditch and Helen Louise Tryon), and tells Elizabeth news about various family members and friends. At the upper left of the first page of the letter, outlined to separate it from the body of the letter, is "H. L. Rantoul," at the upper right is "Beverly," and on the side is "42 Washington St." This letter was apparently written over about three weeks, dated 20 February but not postmarked in Beverly until 14 March.

Addressed to "Mrs. Elizabeth B. Bowditch, Micaville, Yancey County, North Carolina," and postmarked "Mar 14, 7:30 AM, 1897, Beverly Mass."]

February 20, 1897

My dear Lizzie,

I was delighted when I took your letter from the postman to recognize the so familiar handwriting. How can you write so beautifully! To be sure I never did & can't expect to begin in my old age.

It pleased me to hear all about the wedding.¹ I had an invitation & sent my card to it, as I could not go. Did you see that one of the notices was cut from the "Rantoul News." I suppose they are not far from the town of Rantoul, which was named for my brother Robert,² who was one of the directors of the Ill. Central R. R. & was instrumental in getting the charter of it.

My first impulse was to send back the notices with just a line to tell you I was interested in them and write you a letter afterward, but I was afraid I should put off writing longer if I did so. There seems to be something rise up always, when I think having a quiet time to talk to you. Today I was determined to do it. I took an envelope, put on a stamp & directed it, thinking the letter would get into it some time. A caller came in & stayed so long that I shall not finish it now. My will is good. I am glad to see my friends & they are kind to come. You will perhaps understand that I don't have many solitary hours.

You have no doubt seen by your Beverly paper mention of the death of John I. Baker.³ The funeral was yesterday & Alice Whitney⁴ wrote to ask if she might come to dine & go with me, which of course I was glad to have her do. As you perhaps know, since her father's⁵ death she & her mother⁶ have left Beverly & have taken an "apartment" in Boston, have their own furniture which they took with them, and they are quite near to Lizzie⁷ & Martha,⁸ who are both married, and all live on the same street. Anne⁶ is quite infirm, more so I think than we are, though she is younger.

(I have had another caller.)

You ask if I hear of Mr. Story.⁹ I had not seen or heard of him for a long time, till I had a letter from wh. I quote "I call to mind that 50 yrs. ago this evening Nov. 19th 1846 I was married to my angel wife Elizabeth"¹⁰ & "I could not forbear to address you at this time. You stood up with her, one of three, & the like number with me." Can you recall the whole six? I cannot, neither can I remember as I wish I could a great deal beside of 50 yrs. ago.

I should talk pretty fast if I could ask all the questions I should like to ask you. I put in a scrap cut from a paper lately, but I was not bright enough to look at the date of the paper or to remember it. I don't know what you know of people, & if telling what I know will interest you. I shall no doubt tell the very things wh. you know all about.

"The Boydens," Dr. Boyden's¹¹ grandson, Roland Boyden,¹² William B's¹³ son, married Kate Whitney,¹⁴ daughter of Elisha Whitney.¹⁵ Elisha's wife Charlotte (Foster) Whitney¹⁶ still lives in her father's¹⁷ house in this street.

John¹⁸ will tell you of the house between the water & Mrs. Smith's (Neighbor Smith's) house. It has not had a tenant lately. It is now being freshly painted & put in nice order for Charles Lamson's¹⁹ son Charles,²⁰ who will move into it as soon as it is ready. They have one child.²¹ All three of Charles L's children are married, this son & two daughters.²²

I wrote so far a week ago, and I would not post it till I had written more. I had not even told you how beautiful Mr. Endicott²³ is in his old age. He will be 98 yrs. old the 11th of March! He was born in 1799 so he had one year in the last century. He looks younger than he did some years ago & is nearly blind, can just distinguish light from darkness. He likes to have me read to him & I try to as often as I can. I go to the corner of Washington St. and take an electric car to his house. It is a real pleasure to read to him, he enjoys it so much.

Your nephew Paul Thorndike²⁴ as you probably know, though I did not till lately, has a third child, a boy and two girls, William Sherman,²⁵ Martha,²⁶ and now Anna.²⁷ I had a few lines from Paul's wife²⁸ to tell me they are not where they were last winter in Boston, & I shall try when I am in B. to call & see them. "She is a big strong baby, fair, and Martha being so dark they will be a nice contrast." "All my children are well." The two older ones are real Thorndike babies. I thought you would like to have me quote just what she said about them. Paul is a very good Dr. everyone says.

I dined one day lately in Cambridge with the Peabodys. The house where they were with their father²⁹ belonged to the College but they were allowed to remain in it till they could build, wh. they have done, & having the old furniture in it makes it seem quite homelike, with Mary,³⁰ Caroline,³¹ & Helen³² as hostesses.

I met in a car lately Charlotte (Whitredge) Hussey.³³ I told her I had a letter from you and she asked me to give her love to you & tell you she remembered you very pleasantly. Hannah F. (Conant) Kilham³⁴ also sent her love to you. The last time I heard from Mrs. Everett³⁵ & Anne Abbot,³⁶ Mrs. E. had just had her 98th birthday. She is a month older than Mr. Endicott.²³

(A caller.) Perhaps John¹⁸ will explain who Dr. Swan³⁷ is. He has just called with Anna Creelman³⁸ to whom he is lately engaged, a most satisfactory engagement.

I have not said anything yet about my nephews. R. S. Rantoul³⁹ has three daughters & 6 sons. 3 of the sons are married & he has two grandaughters. Charles W. R.⁴⁰ has two sons, one is married & has a son & a daughter.

The rest must wait till next time. I shall want another letter now, and I hope you will forgive the delays. You must have wondered at me but I did not forget you. Please remember me kindly to John¹⁸ & to Mr. Bowditch.⁴¹ With lots of love to you & Georgiana⁴²

 

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

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