Abbot/Bowditch Family Letters

Elizabeth (Woodberry) Story to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 9 March 1880

[From Elizabeth (Woodberry) Story in Somerville, Massachusetts, to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She says they are sending a barrel of goods, and describes the contents, mostly clothing; says her (step)-mother and Mrs. Burley (her sister) put together a bundle of goods to send, and also contributed to a fund for them being raised by Hannah Rantoul; and tells Elizabeth news of various family members and friends. This letter was begun on 9 March and finished on 12 March.]

Somerville March 9, 1880

My Dear Sister,

I recd your letters of Feb 21st & 27th and I have so much to say I hardly know where to begin.

One barrel was already packed when we got the first of these letters & Mr. Story¹ enquired about the whiskey barrel & they all said it would make the meat taste. So he sent to the factory and got a new pork barrel which of course is just the thing you want. It came today and we shall commence packing it this evening.

Now Lizzie some of these things are old, quite old. I am not going to apologize for them, for I know about boys, and I have been through hard times, and I feel that these old things are just what your boys will want building the house & working on the farm this summer. By cold weather next fall I hope you will be able to make up new & better ones. The worst looking ones are the undershirts & they are so yellow because they have laid by three or four years waiting to be used as scouring rags. Now I thought if you chose to cut them over and make something of them you might or you can use them for rags, which we all know are needed in every house. For the drawers I have put in a piece of cotton cloth & I think if you put new belts on them they will do you good service. My youngest boy² has just left home having a situation on the Philadelphia & Baltimore Rail Road & these old things are what he left behind him. There seem a good many hats & caps but I remember there are a good many heads to cover. The straw ones are not nice ones but I thought an old straw hat was just the thing to work out in the sun with.

I send you a calico skirt & basque³ and a black pannanah[?], some black cambric to line the skirt with. The silk on the lower ruffle is worn & I have put in a bias piece of silk to rebind it with. I send Ga.⁴ a calico dress trimmed with bleu. The buttons had been taken off so I send some molds in the bag you can cover with calico like the dress. Also for Ga. a bleu muslin. I could not find the sleeves, if I come across them I can send them by mail but the dress is full & I hope she can get it out. Also the bleu flannel plaid & trimmings for her. So you see she will be bleu to her hearts content. I don't forget that bleu is your colour too, but I thought you would rather she had the bright things.

I sent to Mrs. Burley⁵ & Mother⁶ and they sent me quite a nice bundle for you. I asked Mrs. B. to send a dress that you could wear to your friends this spring & she has sent a nice black one, the shirt trimmed with velvet, also a pair of shoes. I hope they are not too small. She sent a bundle of paper & envelopes & a needlework of her own work, she said. She would not have put a needle in it for the world but I shall see you have some. All the needles in Boston would not pick the love from my heart for you. Mrs. B. also sent some little fancy things, cologne bottles, watch case, cushions, &c, which she had round the house & which she thought you might like after your house is built to ornament with. Both she & Mother have given towards the money H. Rantoul⁷ has raised for you. Mother sends you a calico wrapper, the one with the pearl buttons on it & thought you might make it fit by altering it some. She sends you the woolen hoods & sleeves.

I got you a zepher cloud⁸ & thought you could cut it up into caps. Perhaps these Mother sends may answer & if so you can use the cloud to tie round your neck. I also send a piece of muslin to make a cap for warm weather, but I would not wear caps when it gets real warm. Your hair will grow much better without. I hope the slippers will suit you and the rubbers. If they do not, send me word.

Mrs. B. & Mother send much love to you & say they are very sorry for your loss & wish you would come on this way & live nearer us.

The large bleu great coat lined with flannel I cut & made myself five or six years ago, when my hands were better than they are now, although they were then lame. The two pairs of waterproof pants were an invention of my own to put over the boys pants when they went to school in the rain to keep their pants dry. If your boys can't wear them you can rip the buttons off & give the pants to some of your poor neighbors that have little boys. I send a black straw hat. I don't know what shape it will be when it reaches you but I thought you might have it pressed in Marion & fixed up so as to be decent for you.

Friday March 12

The barrels are both packed & nailed up, but not marked. Hope they will be tonight so that they can go in the steamer tomorrow. If they do shall write you again Monday or Tuesday. Mr. Story¹ has been in Boston today to see about the steamer sailing &c. He says they do not take the pay this end of the route so you will have to pay for it & send us word how much it is so that we can refund it.

I guess you will laugh when you take the things out. Such a hetrogenious mass seldom went into a barrel before. There seems to be a little of everything and yet perhaps you may find something missing that you want very much. Tell me if it is so after you have received all you expect from Beverly &c. Perhaps when the house is ready to go into we may be able to send a barrel of housekeeping things. I want you to write me about the house, what kind of one you expect to build. I hope you will be able to have regular chambers in it.

Since I wrote the first sheet Thorndike⁹ has been here to see me. He spoke of you, was sorry to hear of your troubles. You ask about his wife.¹⁰ He married 18 years ago a daughter of Judge Porter¹¹ of New Rochelle, New York. Judge Porter was one of the Cousel for Beecher¹² in that famous trial.¹³ They have one daughter¹⁴ 17 years old. Thorndike's wife is a fine looking woman in both face & figure, dignified and lady like. They live in New York City.

You ask of Aunt Mary Curtis¹⁵ & Mary.¹⁶ Mary has been dead fifteen years. She married Thomas W. Pierce,¹⁷ who is a millionaire, owns they say 2/3s of the Galveston rail road in Texas. Aunt Mary still lives with him in Topsfield where he has a beautiful place. She is now 82 years old & infirm in body & not very strong in mind, so that I should not like to write her on the subject of helping you as it would make her nervous. I doubt if she lives through another year, but you will remember she was always feeble. Mary seemed strong & healthy and she went first.

I have put some old shoes (boys shoes) in the barrel. If they don't fit anyone, you can find someone among your poor neighbors that may like them.

Frances (Rebecca)¹⁸ sends her love to you. She has sent in the barrel a light plaid skirt and a new undershirt. Perhaps the skirt might fix up to wear with one of the black basques for house wear.

I have put you up a bag as you will see, not large but comprehensive. The unwound black silk is just as I bought it. It come so sometimes & is much cheaper than spools. I send you a pair of bleu overalls that Isaac wore at the School of Technology in the chemical room to protect his pants. The holes were caused I suppose by acids. I have put some pecies in to mend them with. I thought you might wonder what had happened to them. If my hands were able to sew I should not send all these things for you to mend, but should at least repair some of them myself. But you must believe that I really am not able to do any sewing even for myself. There are a number of little bundles of calico. I thought some might do to make aprons and that perhaps you and Ga. would amuse yourselves next winter evenings in making patchwork!

I hope dear E. you will take as much pleasure in unpacking these things as I have in putting them up. It has brought me so near to you, thinking that your hands were so soon to handle and use these very things that I now held. And Mr. Story¹ has been as interested & earnest as I have in your getting them. He sends his love and you will find both his & my picture in one of the books. He put in the Arithmatic & Grammar. I told him I thought your boys had got beyond them, but he said they were good for reference. Mr. Story puts you in an inkstand and pens. He put some papers on top to protect & I thought you might like to read the Somerville papers & so put them in, & fashion plates that I happened to have. Such things as these I could send you anytime if you like them.

Love to Mr. Bowditch¹⁹ and your boys. Also to Ga. & yourself from your devoted Sister

Lizzie

I was surprized you had not heard of H. Kilham²⁰ marriage. She has been a widow many years with 4 or 5 children.

William Peabody²¹ was married this last January. Charles P.²² lost his wife²³ while I was in Baltimore & one of his sons²⁴ was married a short time since. He has four sons & a daughter.

I think I have told you of Dr. Boyden's²⁵ death last fall. If John²⁶ comes home, be sure & have him come & see me.

E.

 

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

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