Abbot/Bowditch Family Letters

Elizabeth (Woodberry) Story to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 25 December 1882

[From Elizabeth (Woodberry) Story in Somerville, Massachusetts, to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She says she's been sick after taking cold during a Christmas shopping trip to Boston; talks about her cousin Rebecca Frances's poor health; and describes in detail a trip she took in the fall to Watkins Glen and Niagara Falls.]

Somerville Dec 25, ‘82

My Dear Sister,

I did intend you should get this letter at Christmas but ten days ago I went into Boston to look for some Christmas presents and took cold in my lungs. I could not breathe without hurting me and coughing hurt still more and I persisted in doing that same. I was in bed about a week poulticing and mustarding until I was a very brilliant red in the parts affected. I have not yet got over it, but am much better. When I got down I had several letters to write and to see to doing up the several bundles and directing them, so I had quite as much to do, as could be expected of one half sick. So I had to put off your letter, but I hope you will get it by New Years, and now just here I will wish you a happy New Year, also Georgianna,¹ Mr. Bowditch² and your boys (like mine doubtless large enough to be called men).

Now I have a good deal to tell you and I hardly know where to begin. John³ hears from Beverly and perhaps you know that Rebecca Frances⁴ is very much out of health. She was with me when I got your last letter and I read most of it to her. She & her sister Sarah⁵ were with me nearly seven weeks in the fall. She thinks a great deal of Somerville air and always thinks she is much better here than in Beverly. She was very much reduced in flesh and strength when she came and I think she did gain in both while here. She has a tumor, a fibrous uterine tumor they call it, and she has consulted several doctors and all agree that she cannot live long unless its groth is stopped and an end put to it. She had an operation by electricity tried last Friday. I have heard twice since and she is doing well. She took either without any ill effects. We feared her lungs were not in a good state for that. Whether the operation is really successful cannot be decided for two or three weeks and then it may be repeated. If I understand rightly sometimes it has to be repeated several times, but if she gets comfortably through the first, I should think she would through the others. I am feeling very anxious about her, should have been down there if I had not had this ill turn. Of course each time there is some danger of inflamation and I suppose it is hardly time now for that danger to be passed on this first operation. So you see even now we must feel very anxious about her.

Her youngest sister Lucy⁶ has been quite sick, the Drs. call it Brights Desiese, but she is better now although they say an ill turn may return ay any time.

Well that is the way with pretty much all of us isn't it. We may be sick any time & we may die any day. I don't see as we need worry about it. We are mercifully ignorant of it. Our Heavenly Father knows and He will provide for that time. Let us trust all to Him, leave with Him the end and the way that leads to it. It must be in a good time for it is His time.

I had thought some of spending this winter in Baltimore, but I cannot bear to leave while Frances health is so uncertain. I shall see how she is in the course of another month and I may go as late even as February, to return the latter part of May.

Mr. Burley⁷ is not very well. His health seems to be somewhat failing. He has had several ill turns during the last year. He is now 80 years old, can you realize that? Don't it seem to you that people are as young as they were when you saw them last?

Now I take another sheet to tell you that I went a journey this fall, went to Niagara & Watkins Glen. I want to begin at the beginning and tell you all about it. I meant to have done so before but Frances has taken up so much of my time and my thoughts that I have put it off.

I left home Thursday morning Oct 19 with my husband.⁸ The day was dull but we did not want to put it off and we should not be exposed. We went into Boston in the horse cars to the depot of the Fitchburg cars. We took the train which went through the Housack tunnel. The scenery was beautiful. The foliage just turning added much to the different views. Just after we got through the tunnel up in the Berkshire hills I saw something I shall never forget.

We were in clouds and darkness. It was even raining quietly, but as I looked over to the left I saw the sunshine over on the high hills covered on top and sides by the crimson and gold foliage. I thought at once of the land of Beulah the celestial hills.⁹ Surely I shall never see anything so near like it again on earth. It seemed to bring this lesson to me. When clouds and darkness are round about our way, if we will only look away, over to the celestial hills we shall be cheered by sunshine and brightness.

We kept on to Troy & from there to Albany where we spent the night. The next morning we took the steamboat for a trip down the Hudson river which I enjoyed very much. There were some wonderful views near West Point, precipitous rocks hundreds of feet high. Have you ever been over this route?

We reached New York about dark & went across the ferry to take the cars for Elmira, the only night we traveled. We had a sleeping car, but I did not like it much. If one travels for pleasure what is the use of going in the night when nothing is to be seen? We reached Elmira at daylight & changed cars for Watkins, only a few hours ride.

On reaching Watkins we rode right to the Glen Mountain House¹⁰ where we had breakfast and then went out to see the falls & glen. Of course I, being lame could not walk all round but I saw a good deal, quite enough to pay me for going. It is a succession of gorges from three to five hundred feet high & a narrow fall of water between. There will be a high fall, then the water will run along in a kind of dell, then a succession of smaller falls. It is impossible to describe but I have it all stored away in my memory. We were there all day & I did more walking than I had thought possible. It is impossible to ride, there being no carriage path. After dark we left and went to Buffalo where we spent Sunday.

Monday morning bright and early we started for Niagara. Here we took a carriage, so that I was able to go round to all the places of interest. We put up all night at the Prospect house¹¹ just opposite the Horse Shoe falls & very near them. We saw the American falls lighted by Electric lights¹² and the moon being about full I had a fine view of the others & the rapids by moonlight.

I have seen Niagara & I am speechless! Of course you cannot expect me to describe what no one has yet been able to do. The rapids were beyond anything I had ever imagined, of such extent, farther than the eye could reach. It seemed to me that at the North pole where the waters rose wave over wave and then froze so, it might look something like it. The constant surging foaming boiling of the water gave it the look as if it was frozen, heaped up in irregular shapes.

The next day we went to Toronto on the Canada side of the lake where I had a friend living. We were there three days, very pleasant ones & then took the steamboat down the St. Lawrence for Montreal.

I don't think this letter is written well enough to cross so I will bring it to a close now.

[The following closing, like in many of the other letters, is written at the top of the first page, turned upside down.]

I will just say here that I got over my journey very well & was not near so tired as my friends expected I would be. I hope you will be able to read this but I find I cannot direct a pen as well as I used to do. What shall I do when I can't write? I hope you will write very soon to your loving Sister Lizzie.

 

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

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