Metadata
Title
Sarah Josepha Hale to David E. Hale
Creator
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Date
1831-11-06
November 6, 1831
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-138
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
Boston Nov. 6 1831.
My dear Son I have made my visit at Keene
Newport [etc.] and am now at leisure to enquire
after your welfare. I had a pleasant journey, &
accomplished what I designed - that is, sold the
estate, paid your Uncle, and arranged my business
nearly to my own satisfaction. Such are the [?];
now for the coloring. I went to Keene in [season?] to
attend the examination at Miss Fiske's school: your sisters
appeared very well, Martha is called on of the
best scholars - & Josepha one of the happiest. I have
permitted them to stay at Keene till next May. They
are contented, & Miss Fiske very solicitous they should
stay. I saw Elizabeth Wilson - she is a fair girl, but
she needs a mother, or some lady to form her to habits
of personal attention - had her dress been neat I should
have called her lovely. I visited at Governor Dinsmoor's -
and in the whole spent my time - 5 days, very pleasantly,
except that it was a little over-burdened with calls [&?]
compliments. Your Aunt was charming as ever,
and seems to think highly of you. I hope her
correspondence, (she said she intended corresponding
with you regularly) will be continued, as you
must derive both entertainment & instruction
from her spirited & happy manner of sketching the world
and its fashions. Mrs. Hale certainly [wears?] to me every
semblance of sincere friendship - I have always
distrusted her tho' - perhaps unjustly - but still I have
seen that management (she is by nature formed for
the brilliant theatre of a court, & has that fascination which
would attract, and consequently be fond of attracting; [DE: what] this
has a tendency to create a selfish spirit) which [DE: ?] made
[DE: ?] me fear she could not be relied upon. Still she is a
lovely and delightful woman, and I hope we shall
always live on sisterly terms. I [DE: ?] feel much obliged for the favors
she confers on my children - and [with?] hope it will be in
my power to return the kindnesses to hers; and I hope
you my son will pursue such a course as shall
make your friendship of advantage to your cousins,
& your character a source of pride to your Aunt.
She will then be a most devoted friend to you, for her
heart is formed for society, and she delights in displaying
her taste and talent on those who can appreciate them.
- I took Martha Ann with me to Newport to pass
a week of the holidays - Josepha was to spend the time
with her cousin Sarah. We found all our acquaintance
at Newport as usual - engaged in cares for
the body - scheming how to be rich & thinking themselves
of much importance & their village one of the
wonders of the world. It is wonderful what [?]
people indulge who know but one way
of living in the world, and one set of opinions &
one form of ceremonies & customs. Well. we were
welcomed very cordially I believe at Newport - Mrs.
[ED: the next name appears upside down at bottom of page]
Mrs Sara
Baldwin in particular seemed very happy to see me.
She is not very well, & I fear that she is seriously indisposed.
[Hallet?] Cheney & Betsey Farnsworth have become [?]
I did not see either of them - they were at school - but
was told Betsey is a very interesting & intelligent
young lady. Mrs. Edes was kind & good as ever,
and Mr Edes as self-important & thrifty. He will
be rich, if he lives a few years - but I do not envy
their happiness. I had many enquiries to answer
respecting you, and many good wishes for your
success & regrets that you did not visit Newport
last summer were expressed. I am glad you did
not go. You have not yet attained sufficient self-control
to stand the inquistive [inquisitive?] ordeal your manners &
morals would there undergo, I saw, and it was with
extreme regret, that you had thrown off as [?]less incumbrances,
many of your early impressions of
the necessity for that strict attention to morals &
delicacy of feelings in which you were educated, & for
which your example when a boy, was noted [&?] quoted.
But tho' I regret this, I do not consider it as evidence
[DE: that] of evil committed - or that you will become
the slave of those follies you have heard described as pleasures.
A few years, indeed the next two years, will, I
feel confident, strengthen your character, and
enable you to discriminate more justly than
at present the value of virtue & knowledge &
then your own good sense will teach you the right
course, & your affection for your mother, &
anxiety to promote her happiness & that of your
brothers & sisters will induce you to pursue it, even
tho' frequent occasions for self-denial may arise. When
your [?] becomes firm in purpose, I shall be glad to
have you visit your early acquaintances - the news
& recollections will not be l[?]st in your heart; and I think
the pleasures of seeing old familiar faces is hardly equaled
by any fashionable gayeties. - I returned home by the
way of Concord, found Mr Barton & lady well, saw Metcalf, as
fat & merry as ever. Mr B. is doing well, & he appears
much happier for being a [married?] man.
[?] are in Boston again, and here at
my table with all the unfinished labors of the month
staring me in the face, you may well conclude, I have
not leisure to say much of Boston & my literary
plans - In my next I will give you these.
Horatio is still in his labyrinth of languages, &
Willey is happy as a bird - he sends 400 bushels
of love to you. - Yours affectionately
Sarah J. Hale.
Cadet David E. Hale
West-Point
New York.
My dear Son I have made my visit at Keene
Newport [etc.] and am now at leisure to enquire
after your welfare. I had a pleasant journey, &
accomplished what I designed - that is, sold the
estate, paid your Uncle, and arranged my business
nearly to my own satisfaction. Such are the [?];
now for the coloring. I went to Keene in [season?] to
attend the examination at Miss Fiske's school: your sisters
appeared very well, Martha is called on of the
best scholars - & Josepha one of the happiest. I have
permitted them to stay at Keene till next May. They
are contented, & Miss Fiske very solicitous they should
stay. I saw Elizabeth Wilson - she is a fair girl, but
she needs a mother, or some lady to form her to habits
of personal attention - had her dress been neat I should
have called her lovely. I visited at Governor Dinsmoor's -
and in the whole spent my time - 5 days, very pleasantly,
except that it was a little over-burdened with calls [&?]
compliments. Your Aunt was charming as ever,
and seems to think highly of you. I hope her
correspondence, (she said she intended corresponding
with you regularly) will be continued, as you
must derive both entertainment & instruction
from her spirited & happy manner of sketching the world
and its fashions. Mrs. Hale certainly [wears?] to me every
semblance of sincere friendship - I have always
distrusted her tho' - perhaps unjustly - but still I have
seen that management (she is by nature formed for
the brilliant theatre of a court, & has that fascination which
would attract, and consequently be fond of attracting; [DE: what] this
has a tendency to create a selfish spirit) which [DE: ?] made
[DE: ?] me fear she could not be relied upon. Still she is a
lovely and delightful woman, and I hope we shall
always live on sisterly terms. I [DE: ?] feel much obliged for the favors
she confers on my children - and [with?] hope it will be in
my power to return the kindnesses to hers; and I hope
you my son will pursue such a course as shall
make your friendship of advantage to your cousins,
& your character a source of pride to your Aunt.
She will then be a most devoted friend to you, for her
heart is formed for society, and she delights in displaying
her taste and talent on those who can appreciate them.
- I took Martha Ann with me to Newport to pass
a week of the holidays - Josepha was to spend the time
with her cousin Sarah. We found all our acquaintance
at Newport as usual - engaged in cares for
the body - scheming how to be rich & thinking themselves
of much importance & their village one of the
wonders of the world. It is wonderful what [?]
people indulge who know but one way
of living in the world, and one set of opinions &
one form of ceremonies & customs. Well. we were
welcomed very cordially I believe at Newport - Mrs.
[ED: the next name appears upside down at bottom of page]
Mrs Sara
Baldwin in particular seemed very happy to see me.
She is not very well, & I fear that she is seriously indisposed.
[Hallet?] Cheney & Betsey Farnsworth have become [?]
I did not see either of them - they were at school - but
was told Betsey is a very interesting & intelligent
young lady. Mrs. Edes was kind & good as ever,
and Mr Edes as self-important & thrifty. He will
be rich, if he lives a few years - but I do not envy
their happiness. I had many enquiries to answer
respecting you, and many good wishes for your
success & regrets that you did not visit Newport
last summer were expressed. I am glad you did
not go. You have not yet attained sufficient self-control
to stand the inquistive [inquisitive?] ordeal your manners &
morals would there undergo, I saw, and it was with
extreme regret, that you had thrown off as [?]less incumbrances,
many of your early impressions of
the necessity for that strict attention to morals &
delicacy of feelings in which you were educated, & for
which your example when a boy, was noted [&?] quoted.
But tho' I regret this, I do not consider it as evidence
[DE: that] of evil committed - or that you will become
the slave of those follies you have heard described as pleasures.
A few years, indeed the next two years, will, I
feel confident, strengthen your character, and
enable you to discriminate more justly than
at present the value of virtue & knowledge &
then your own good sense will teach you the right
course, & your affection for your mother, &
anxiety to promote her happiness & that of your
brothers & sisters will induce you to pursue it, even
tho' frequent occasions for self-denial may arise. When
your [?] becomes firm in purpose, I shall be glad to
have you visit your early acquaintances - the news
& recollections will not be l[?]st in your heart; and I think
the pleasures of seeing old familiar faces is hardly equaled
by any fashionable gayeties. - I returned home by the
way of Concord, found Mr Barton & lady well, saw Metcalf, as
fat & merry as ever. Mr B. is doing well, & he appears
much happier for being a [married?] man.
[?] are in Boston again, and here at
my table with all the unfinished labors of the month
staring me in the face, you may well conclude, I have
not leisure to say much of Boston & my literary
plans - In my next I will give you these.
Horatio is still in his labyrinth of languages, &
Willey is happy as a bird - he sends 400 bushels
of love to you. - Yours affectionately
Sarah J. Hale.
Cadet David E. Hale
West-Point
New York.