Abbot/Bowditch Family Letters

Elizabeth (Woodberry) Story to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 10 March 1848

[From Elizabeth (Woodberry) Story in Beverly, Massachusetts, to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch in Tarboro, North Carolina. She tells Elizabeth about her sister Georgiana's death, and expresses her sympathy, and talks about a bonnet Elizabeth had ordered. This letter was begun on Friday 10 March and finished the next day.

Addressed to "Mrs. Joseph H. Bowditch, Tarborough, N. Carolina."]

Beverly March 10th 1848

My Dear Sister Lizzy,

As your Mother¹ does not yet feel as though she could write to you, it devolves upon me to finish the painful task I have commenced and to tell you that you have now one the less tie to bind you to earth, and the bright chain that draws you to Heaven has received another golden link. The pure spirit of your sister² broke from all that held it to earth and winged its flight to a brighter world just as the bell was ringing for 9 o'clock on Wednesday evening; and this afternoon the mortal remains were laid in the dust.

When I closed my last letter it was not thought she could live more than a very few hours, and I hope that letter prepared you to receive the sad tidings of this. She was then perfectly conscious, but about 4 in the afternoon her mind began to wander and the last hour of her life she was quite unconscious, appearing to suffer much from a difficulty of breathing, though the doctor thought her brain in such a state as to prevent her from being sensible of pain.

She knew Charles'³ voice I believe to almost the very last, long after her sight had failed. Though this is indeed a very sore bereavement to him, yet after time has softened the first crushing effects of it, he must feel that there is much to be grateful for, mingled with his heavy loss. He has been constantly with her since their marriage; and, near leaving as he was at one time, it seems almost a special interference of Providence that he remained. The state of mind she was in at the time and previous to her death was such, as must be to him, and to you all, a source of the greatest satisfaction.

Saturday morning

Mr. Thayer⁴ called in last evening and in speaking of the state in which he found Georgianna² the morning he was called to visit her, said she lay so perfectly at rest, so calm, collected, and natural, with, as it were, so radient an expression illumining her face, that he thought he had never seen her looking so interesting; and even then, though told she was so near death, he could not but feel a ray of hope that she might still recover. She expressed to him her perfect willingness, almost impatience, for death.

Dear Lizzy, though you must mourn for a sister so tenderly loved and so worthy of that love, yet it seems to me that you cannot repine at a decree which has removed one evidently so fitted for death, from the troubles, disappointments and sorrows of earth, to those realms where all tears are wiped from all eyes, and where in perfect bliss she awaits, but for a little time, the friends so loved on earth. Oh! as one by one they are called to leave these mortal scenes, may they rejoin her there, so that at last not one of all she loved shall be missing from her side. Let the thought of that happy meeting help you to bear the sad partings here, and oh! may you feel as did your sainted sister, that God, who gave the spirit is alike kind and wise when he resumest it again, and looking to Him as the only true source of comfort find his word and his promises as all sufficient in this trying hour. Would you could be here, with friends who love you so well and who sympathize with you so truly, but that cannot be, and we must feel grateful that a husband's love will do all that earthly love can to comfort and sustain you in the repeated trials you are called to bear.

Mr. Thayer wished me to give you his kindest and most heartfelt sympathy, and said he might send a note to enclose in this for you. He has sent this morning to say he would certainly write and no doubt he can tell you what he wished me to say much better himself.

Your Mother gave me a message about your bonnet, but George⁵ has been over to Salem this morning to see Mrs. Bigelow about it again. She has had some difficulty in getting the material and summer fashion for the bonnet, but has now promised that it shall be done by Tuesday night, and George says he will send it with the other things you want to New York on Wednesday. He hopes that will be in season. George also says he will write to you soon, and Charles wished me to say that as soon as he could he would write the particulars of Georgianna's sickness and death.

Your Mother is pretty well, and seems wonderfully supported under her heavy trials, too heavy, it seems, almost to bear, though of course she feels them as a wife and Mother only can. May that God who has supported her thus far be still with her in what she must feel, compared with the past, is a lonely home. We all feel anxious to hear from you, and I hope that if you cannot write yourself, Mr. Bowditch⁶ will let your Mother hear of you very soon, as soon after the receipt of this as possible. I shall try to write again soon but no doubt you will hear from some member of your own family next week.

And now dearest sister I must bid you good bye. May God have you in his holy keeping and be your support and refuge. With a sisters love I am truly your sympathizing friend,

Elizabeth

 

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

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