Metadata
Title
Maria Turner to Sarah Josepha Hale
Date
1836-03-02
March 2, 1836
Subject
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-069
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
New-York March 2d 1836
My very dear friend.
I do not know how you will receive
this letter as I have deferred so long to answer
yours, and I feel that I owe you an ample apology.
But the only one I can give is that I would
not write you until I could give you some
encouragement relative your books. I have not,
however, succeeded to my wishes, I cannot
find any one who will purchase the one or subscribe
to the other. There are several who are willing to
take them on commission, but I have been
afraid of recommending them for fear of causing
you a loss. Men are so bad now, that conscience
has no part in their acts, so that it is extremely
difficult for females to transact business with them.
The fact is, false pride leads them to support a style
of living which neither belongs to their station in
life nor corresponds with their means, and to make
a show of gentility, they sacrifice every thing, even
the [DE: hopes and] peace of a dying bed and the hopes
of Eternity. I am, however, acquainted with
3 different houses here who I think you might
trust, and if you will send your "School Song
Book", what ever number you choose, I will
leave them at their stores and see that they
do you justice, as far as it is in my power.
I see by the N.A. Review that you have published
an other work, and I trust that you may
prosper and be well compensated for your distinguished
talents and indefatigable labours. There is some
pleasure in exerting ourselves if we can bring
our labours to good account - but it is not
for all to bask in sun-shine. Some reap a
golden harvest, others saw, but the enemy
mix tares with the grain, and among these
stands poor [?] So far, it has been my lot to aid in the
support of men. Ticknor is the fourth gentleman
who has taken advantage of my unbefriended
situation. I was very sure, when you wrote
me that he had not sold my books, that it was
incorrect, and I wrote him when I arrived to N.Y.
that I wished him to send me the remaining books
as here had never any of them been offered, and
I could sell them here, but he answered that they
were settling their business and would write me
as soon as they had gon [gone] through with it. They
has half of the edition, the publishers in Cincinnati
had four hundred for their charges, and the
proceeds of those I had (100) is all I have
received, and of this number a large part went
as presents among my friends. Mr Fullerton
requested me to send a bill on them to him
promising to try to get something, I send the
bill in letters by mail, but I have not since
then heard from Mr Fullerton. He also said
he would send me four books that were sent
from T. & [A.?] to his store but I have not received
them. I could have sold the copy-write here if
I could have [DE: sent a s] given a specimen, but
owing to my nor receiving those left at Mr F's
I have not been able to do so. Some mistake
must be the cause of the delay as I am sure
Mr F. would do all he could for me. I am
and have been very much occupied with my new
work. Owing to the imperfect knowledge we have here
of drawing on stone, I have not been able to get any
one to do my plates as they ought to be to be colored
in a superior style. I have therefore been obliged myself
to practise [practice] on several stones, and hope I have
now succeeded, but I cannot tell until next week
how they plates will look when they are colored, as I
have but just finished the stone I last began. It is of
great consequence that I should have them printed
from stone as copperplates are very expensive. Besides
if I can do it myself, I am paid well for it, and am
sure that it is not slighted. The coloring will also devolve
on me. Should I succeed in producing a work
superior to any we have at present, if the kind, I
shall have the merit at least of perseverance, for
every body, who pretend to know any thing about
coloring here say that it is impossible to produce
plates equal to my painting. I have told them
that all that is wanted in this country is moral
courage, and that whatever has been done before
can be done again, and I hope the lord will prosper
my efforts, that I may prove my confidence substantiated.
[DE: tially] Give my love, if you please, to any
of my friends that you may meet with, and do write
me soon how you prosper and all about your children,
and how you intend spending the summer. If it was
convinient [convenient] I wish you would call at Mr. Fullerton's
to see if he has sent my books, perhaps they
are lost, if so, I have lost the sale of the second
edition for I cannot sell the copy-write if I cannot
show them the work.
God bless you, my dear friend,
Maria Turner.
In great haste.
I wish that you would compose a few lines on the hundred-
leaved-rose for my work, it is the last of the plates, and I should like
one of a religious cast, I do not want you to say any thing about it, but I
intend to have poetry interspersed in the work.
Mrs S.J. Hale
Editress of the [?] Ladies' Magazine
Boston
Massa-.
My very dear friend.
I do not know how you will receive
this letter as I have deferred so long to answer
yours, and I feel that I owe you an ample apology.
But the only one I can give is that I would
not write you until I could give you some
encouragement relative your books. I have not,
however, succeeded to my wishes, I cannot
find any one who will purchase the one or subscribe
to the other. There are several who are willing to
take them on commission, but I have been
afraid of recommending them for fear of causing
you a loss. Men are so bad now, that conscience
has no part in their acts, so that it is extremely
difficult for females to transact business with them.
The fact is, false pride leads them to support a style
of living which neither belongs to their station in
life nor corresponds with their means, and to make
a show of gentility, they sacrifice every thing, even
the [DE: hopes and] peace of a dying bed and the hopes
of Eternity. I am, however, acquainted with
3 different houses here who I think you might
trust, and if you will send your "School Song
Book", what ever number you choose, I will
leave them at their stores and see that they
do you justice, as far as it is in my power.
I see by the N.A. Review that you have published
an other work, and I trust that you may
prosper and be well compensated for your distinguished
talents and indefatigable labours. There is some
pleasure in exerting ourselves if we can bring
our labours to good account - but it is not
for all to bask in sun-shine. Some reap a
golden harvest, others saw, but the enemy
mix tares with the grain, and among these
stands poor [?] So far, it has been my lot to aid in the
support of men. Ticknor is the fourth gentleman
who has taken advantage of my unbefriended
situation. I was very sure, when you wrote
me that he had not sold my books, that it was
incorrect, and I wrote him when I arrived to N.Y.
that I wished him to send me the remaining books
as here had never any of them been offered, and
I could sell them here, but he answered that they
were settling their business and would write me
as soon as they had gon [gone] through with it. They
has half of the edition, the publishers in Cincinnati
had four hundred for their charges, and the
proceeds of those I had (100) is all I have
received, and of this number a large part went
as presents among my friends. Mr Fullerton
requested me to send a bill on them to him
promising to try to get something, I send the
bill in letters by mail, but I have not since
then heard from Mr Fullerton. He also said
he would send me four books that were sent
from T. & [A.?] to his store but I have not received
them. I could have sold the copy-write here if
I could have [DE: sent a s] given a specimen, but
owing to my nor receiving those left at Mr F's
I have not been able to do so. Some mistake
must be the cause of the delay as I am sure
Mr F. would do all he could for me. I am
and have been very much occupied with my new
work. Owing to the imperfect knowledge we have here
of drawing on stone, I have not been able to get any
one to do my plates as they ought to be to be colored
in a superior style. I have therefore been obliged myself
to practise [practice] on several stones, and hope I have
now succeeded, but I cannot tell until next week
how they plates will look when they are colored, as I
have but just finished the stone I last began. It is of
great consequence that I should have them printed
from stone as copperplates are very expensive. Besides
if I can do it myself, I am paid well for it, and am
sure that it is not slighted. The coloring will also devolve
on me. Should I succeed in producing a work
superior to any we have at present, if the kind, I
shall have the merit at least of perseverance, for
every body, who pretend to know any thing about
coloring here say that it is impossible to produce
plates equal to my painting. I have told them
that all that is wanted in this country is moral
courage, and that whatever has been done before
can be done again, and I hope the lord will prosper
my efforts, that I may prove my confidence substantiated.
[DE: tially] Give my love, if you please, to any
of my friends that you may meet with, and do write
me soon how you prosper and all about your children,
and how you intend spending the summer. If it was
convinient [convenient] I wish you would call at Mr. Fullerton's
to see if he has sent my books, perhaps they
are lost, if so, I have lost the sale of the second
edition for I cannot sell the copy-write if I cannot
show them the work.
God bless you, my dear friend,
Maria Turner.
In great haste.
I wish that you would compose a few lines on the hundred-
leaved-rose for my work, it is the last of the plates, and I should like
one of a religious cast, I do not want you to say any thing about it, but I
intend to have poetry interspersed in the work.
Mrs S.J. Hale
Editress of the [?] Ladies' Magazine
Boston
Massa-.