Metadata
Title
Sarah Josepha Hale to David E. Hale
Creator
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Date
1832-01-01
January 1, 1832
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-140
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
Boston, Jan. 1. 1832.
A happy New Year, - My dear Son; - how I
wish I could express that wish to your
ear instead of your eye.
- I have not had a letter from you
these several weeks. I hope you have
not forgot the little parlor - (but I am in
the larger one this winter) and mother, &
brothers.-
I had letters yesterday from your aunt
Sarah, & your sisters - all well - Mrs. [?]
says she has written you lately. -
Have you heard of the death of your
Uncle Enoch Hale? He is gone, poor man!
and left a feeble wife, and two little
children. How I pity her! I hear Enoch
was doing very well in his Academy,
and seemingly conquered the waywardness
of his fortune, and just began to live - when
he was summoned away. O, this
life is a dream - a shadow. - My
son, may God bless you with that
wisdom which prepares to die as well as live.
I have been quite in danger [DE: ?] from fire,
tho' not of the poetic kind. The room over
mine caught fire and burnt nearly thru
the wall before it was discovered; and then
we had a terrible inundation, I was
more annoyed by the water than the
fire to be sure. That was about 4 weeks
ago; and Saturday eve the 24th Marsh &
Capen's Bookstore was wholly destroyed.
The fire [commenced?] about 1/2 past eleven.
The papers were saved - but I lost some
books, and about half M[?] for
the Jan. number of the Magazine,
which was in type, was all burned.
I have to be very busy repairing
the loss, but fear the number will
be late after all. Marsh & Capen
were insured nearly to the amount
lost - and will commence business
soon again. I hope it will not permanently
injure the Magazine.
Horatio is studious as ever - collecting
all the old blank letter books he can lay
his hands on that is, if he has money
to purchase, which does not always
happen. Willy grows more studious,
& is a happy as a lark.
O, I have lots of news - Elizabeth Ingalls
is engaged to a merchant from N.Y.
- a tall, whiskered [?] - one who looks
very suitable for her tho - and is I
believe a very fine man.
Miss Board[?] is likewise engaged -
her betrothed is a Mr. Wittemore, I presume
Smith knows him. I cannot
learn much to his advantage.
He seems to be one of those common
characters whom no one thinks of
much importance, either for good or
evil. However, the young lady doubtless
thinks him a fine man. His father
is a comb manufacturer - a man of
some property, and lives genteelly.
Dr. [Gregg?] & lady are well & happy -
and my friend Mrs. [Sumer?], the
Swedish lady has return to Boston,
as lovely & good as ever.
Miss [Foles?] still boards here - and
the family is about the same.
Your brothers send a load of love -
Excuse this scribble, it is nearly 12 - and
I should be sleepy were I am not writing
to my dearest child.
Sarah J Hale
Cadet David E. Hale
West-Point
New York.
A happy New Year, - My dear Son; - how I
wish I could express that wish to your
ear instead of your eye.
- I have not had a letter from you
these several weeks. I hope you have
not forgot the little parlor - (but I am in
the larger one this winter) and mother, &
brothers.-
I had letters yesterday from your aunt
Sarah, & your sisters - all well - Mrs. [?]
says she has written you lately. -
Have you heard of the death of your
Uncle Enoch Hale? He is gone, poor man!
and left a feeble wife, and two little
children. How I pity her! I hear Enoch
was doing very well in his Academy,
and seemingly conquered the waywardness
of his fortune, and just began to live - when
he was summoned away. O, this
life is a dream - a shadow. - My
son, may God bless you with that
wisdom which prepares to die as well as live.
I have been quite in danger [DE: ?] from fire,
tho' not of the poetic kind. The room over
mine caught fire and burnt nearly thru
the wall before it was discovered; and then
we had a terrible inundation, I was
more annoyed by the water than the
fire to be sure. That was about 4 weeks
ago; and Saturday eve the 24th Marsh &
Capen's Bookstore was wholly destroyed.
The fire [commenced?] about 1/2 past eleven.
The papers were saved - but I lost some
books, and about half M[?] for
the Jan. number of the Magazine,
which was in type, was all burned.
I have to be very busy repairing
the loss, but fear the number will
be late after all. Marsh & Capen
were insured nearly to the amount
lost - and will commence business
soon again. I hope it will not permanently
injure the Magazine.
Horatio is studious as ever - collecting
all the old blank letter books he can lay
his hands on that is, if he has money
to purchase, which does not always
happen. Willy grows more studious,
& is a happy as a lark.
O, I have lots of news - Elizabeth Ingalls
is engaged to a merchant from N.Y.
- a tall, whiskered [?] - one who looks
very suitable for her tho - and is I
believe a very fine man.
Miss Board[?] is likewise engaged -
her betrothed is a Mr. Wittemore, I presume
Smith knows him. I cannot
learn much to his advantage.
He seems to be one of those common
characters whom no one thinks of
much importance, either for good or
evil. However, the young lady doubtless
thinks him a fine man. His father
is a comb manufacturer - a man of
some property, and lives genteelly.
Dr. [Gregg?] & lady are well & happy -
and my friend Mrs. [Sumer?], the
Swedish lady has return to Boston,
as lovely & good as ever.
Miss [Foles?] still boards here - and
the family is about the same.
Your brothers send a load of love -
Excuse this scribble, it is nearly 12 - and
I should be sleepy were I am not writing
to my dearest child.
Sarah J Hale
Cadet David E. Hale
West-Point
New York.