Abbot/Bowditch Family Letters

Elizabeth (Woodberry) Story to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 19 November 1856

[From Elizabeth (Woodberry) Story in Somerville, Massachusetts, to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She talks about her children and how busy she is, and says she's expecting another child in January; gives her sympathy on the death of her son (George Abbot Bowditch, who died 4 June 1855 at age 4); philosophizes about God and heaven; and talks about an invitation Elizabeth had sent her for Rebecca to spend the winter with them in Tarboro. This letter was begun 19 November, but not finished until 10 December.]

Somerville November 19 1856

My Dearest Lizzy,

It is, I must confess making but a poor return for the pleasure your letter gave me to delay answering it this long, but I hope you will excuse me, indeed I know you would could you see or know the constant demands that are made upon my time and attention.

Willy¹ my oldest boy was six years old last April. Freddy² the next will be five in January. Thorny (Thorndike)³ was three in August last and Isaac⁴ was one year last April; the day before Willy was six. If nothing happens I shall expect another⁵ in January. I keep but one girl at present though some time since I had two; and I have thirteen rooms in my house. So you may judge whether I have any time to be idle. I make & cut all my children clothes as well as my own and all my husband's⁶ shirts, bosoms, collars, drawers &c. I do not think my children have ever had any article of clothing but what I have cut for them & I cut and make all my own dresses - have not had one cut for me these four years.

None of my children go to school yet and the noise & confusion of our household is anything but favourable to letter writing. The fact is I do not write half a dozen letters in the course of a year, and those are run off in the most careless & inelegant manner.

With all these cares do not imagine that I am tied at home. Though married ten years today and nearly 40 years old I am not yet an old woman! Society has its claims upon me. I am Treasurer and Secretary of the Ladies Sewing Society⁷ in this place and have a pleasant visiting circle of about sixty families; an agreeable neighborhood where I am in the habit of "running in" in a social and informal manner as feelings may prompt. I have also acquaintances in Boston whom I visit occasionally. Mr. Story's⁶ family mostly reside there & I go in for the purpose of visiting or shopping about once a week. I knit all my children's winter stockings & mittens and knit shirts for three.

I have read over this letter so far and am tempted to burn it up. I would were it to be sent to any other than you. Yet though it sounds so egotistical I keep on for I want you to see just how I am getting on. It seems a long time since I saw you and I often think of you - look back upon the days that are past and see you as a girl so free and happy, and then look to your distant and to me unknown home and wonder how life passes with you now, if the free and careless temper of youth is yet subdued & saddened, if the cares of life press heavy, or if you have learnt to cast your care upon Him who hath promised to care for you. To take all that time brings to you, both of joy & of sorrow, as the gift of a loving Father, of one too wise not to know just what we need & too kind not not to give it just when & how it will most benefit us.

I was truly sorry to hear that you had lost your little boy.⁸ Believe me I sympathize in all your trials as sincerely as ever I did in our younger days, but I trust I look upon trials now as blessings in disguise & see that it is by these means that God would draw us to himself, would show us the small value of temporal things compared to those which belong to Eternity. Surely we can bear to be anxious and tried or even sorrow stricken for the short time of our life in this world if thereby we may be better fitted to enjoy that life which shall last through Eternity. Not that by anything we can suffer here we can merit Heaven but rather that we take all as a part of that disipline which God gives us in mercy to draw our hearts from this world to which they are so constantly clinging.

Why, it seems to me sometimes that if we had our own way & could direct all things as we pleased we should not ever desire that ourselves or our friends should ever quit a world which we all feel to be full of anxiety, sin & sorrow, to go to that Heaven which we all likewise acknowledge to be the place of perfect enjoyment. It appears to me that if we took right views of life and of the purpose for which life is given us, this would not be. We should look more constantly to Heaven as our home, and as our friends from time to time were called from this world to a brighter & better sphere we should not so much mourn that they were taken from us, as rejoice that their trials were over, and more & more long for the time to come when the duties and the trials of life over, we too shall go to be with them, & above all to be with Him, the greatest friend of all, who suffered & died that we might be saved the consequences of our sins.

Have you my dear Sister given Him your heart? And do you trust in Him alone to give you all that you hope to enjoy in another world? If so, if you feel that God forgives all your sins for the sake of Jesus who has paid the penalty of Death and now intercedes for you, then will you see the hand of a Father in all the disipline of life, then can you truly look forward to Heaven as your home.

Nearly a month has passed since I commenced this letter and now my paper is almost filled and half I wished to write is unsaid. So dear Lizzy excuse me for not answering yours sooner, and there is the more to excuse because I should have sent you Rebecca's⁹ answer to your kind invitation. You heard I suppose through Martha¹⁰ or Ellen¹¹ how it happened. Your letter was directed to me through the Somerville P. O., which we seldom visit as it is some distance, and our letters are usually sent to the Boston P. O. directed to Isaac's⁶ care. I heard while in Beverly that you had written and on my return went myself to the Office for the letter. I wrote Frances⁹ immediately but Mr. Bowditch¹² had already returned south. Of course it was too late. She is equally indebted to you however for the invitation and wished me to so express to you. How she would have decided if she had received the invitation in season it is hard to say. Her health is very delicate and her Mother¹³ I feel would hardly consent to her leaving home, though I think it would be a benefit for her to spend a winter at the south.

Since commencing this letter I have been very busy, and have had company. Ellen Peabody¹⁴ is still with me. She has gone to Boston today and I take the opportunity of finishing this. I hope you will write to me soon again, and I will then try to answer it & write about something besides myself. Remember me to your husband and kiss your children for me. How much I should like to see them & have you see mine also. Perhaps we may meet again one of these days. If not I trust we shall meet in that place where there are no more partings. Good bye. Remember me ever as your loving sister Lizzy.

December 10th 1856

 

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

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