Metadata
Title
Sarah Josepha Hale to David E. Hale
Creator
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Date
1838-11-28
November 28, 1838
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-152
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
Boston, Nov. 28, 1838
My dear Son - Tomorrow is Thanksgiving
- How I wish you were here,
to keep it with us! Willey came in today,
and will remain till Saturday.
Fanny is reading a novel - and I
have "taken my pen in hand" to write
you a long letter. -
I had a letter from Horatio about a
fortnight since. He was at Madison,
where they arrived after [?]0 day's
passage. He had been quite sea-sick,
but was then pretty well. He was rather
home-sick, too, and said that the
three years' voyage would fully
satisfy his curiosity. - Probably he
will grow more contented as he becomes
more accustomed to a sea-life.
We have heard from Josepha at
Philadelphia, - but not since -
I am expecting a letter every day.
- Lieut. Donaldson calls [DE: ?] occasionally
- he seems quite happy. I
do wish you were in his station
here. - By the way, I saw Lieut.
Hooker a week or two since when
he was in Boston. He told me that
you were ordered to Plattsburg -
and till I rec'd your letter I expected
you were going. But it
seems he was mistaken. -
You wish for books - I will prepare a
box, (a small one) in a few days -
I hope you will finish arranging
your accounts (and find all matters
correct), so as to be at home before
Christmas. Do you think you shall
go to Washington? I have almost
determined on accompanying
you - provided you will be gone
but one month. I want to visit
Philadelphia; and I think I can
obtain money for the journey of
M Godey - What do you think of the
plan?
Oh, news - Mrs Yates - the late
Mrs [Willard?] of [Troy?] - was here last
week with her husband Dr. Yates -
They have taken a house in Boston,
and will be settled here in the
course of a fortnight. So we shall
have quite an addition to our
circle of friends. -
The Miss Sumners' called today -
[?] enquired particularly about
you - said that Donaldson praised
you to the skies - she expressed a
warm wish to have you return
to this city. - Donaldson has spoken
well of you I know - he gives you
credit for great talents - but says
you might accomplish much
more than you do, if you would
exert yourself. - I think that if you
can so arrange as to go to
Washington during this session, it
may be for your advantage.
I do hope some opportunity of
change or promotion will occur. -
I have just rec'd a letter from
Miss Mitford of London, accompanied
with a little volume of her works -
on opera. - She writes very kindly.
- Your Aunt Hale is rather out of
health, and Sarah has gone home -
she intends to return in a few
weeks. Sarah P. and Isabelle are
good and quiet as ever. - I believe
I told you in my last of the death
of Charles Haywood - Horatio's College
friend. He died after a few days
[sickness], which was brought on by
[severe?] study and over-exertion.
It is an irreparable loss to his
family and friends. -
Misses Buckingham & Combe have
finished their lectures and gone; but
we are not yet released - for a new
orator has arrived, an Arminian,
from Constantinople, who has just
commenced a course of lectures
on the character, manners, [etc.] of
The Turks. I attended the [Introductory?]
last evening, but do not [intend?] to
go through the course. Pray write soon,
and a long letter too. Tell me how you pass
your time and who are your most
intimate associates and friends - not
The "Major" - I hope. I wish you were
fairly out of the army, and in some
pleasant and profitable business. - But
we must be patient. You can have little
conception of the anxiety I feel on your
account - I often regret that I did not place
you in the mercantile profession - but I
thought you would be happier with an education,
May Good angels guard
you - Yr Mother.
David E. Hale
Lt. U.S. Artillery
[Haritton?]
single Maine
[ED: the following text appears upside down at the bottom of the page]
P.S. It has been very cold [ED: page torn] down
to zero - how is the weather with you?
My dear Son - Tomorrow is Thanksgiving
- How I wish you were here,
to keep it with us! Willey came in today,
and will remain till Saturday.
Fanny is reading a novel - and I
have "taken my pen in hand" to write
you a long letter. -
I had a letter from Horatio about a
fortnight since. He was at Madison,
where they arrived after [?]0 day's
passage. He had been quite sea-sick,
but was then pretty well. He was rather
home-sick, too, and said that the
three years' voyage would fully
satisfy his curiosity. - Probably he
will grow more contented as he becomes
more accustomed to a sea-life.
We have heard from Josepha at
Philadelphia, - but not since -
I am expecting a letter every day.
- Lieut. Donaldson calls [DE: ?] occasionally
- he seems quite happy. I
do wish you were in his station
here. - By the way, I saw Lieut.
Hooker a week or two since when
he was in Boston. He told me that
you were ordered to Plattsburg -
and till I rec'd your letter I expected
you were going. But it
seems he was mistaken. -
You wish for books - I will prepare a
box, (a small one) in a few days -
I hope you will finish arranging
your accounts (and find all matters
correct), so as to be at home before
Christmas. Do you think you shall
go to Washington? I have almost
determined on accompanying
you - provided you will be gone
but one month. I want to visit
Philadelphia; and I think I can
obtain money for the journey of
M Godey - What do you think of the
plan?
Oh, news - Mrs Yates - the late
Mrs [Willard?] of [Troy?] - was here last
week with her husband Dr. Yates -
They have taken a house in Boston,
and will be settled here in the
course of a fortnight. So we shall
have quite an addition to our
circle of friends. -
The Miss Sumners' called today -
[?] enquired particularly about
you - said that Donaldson praised
you to the skies - she expressed a
warm wish to have you return
to this city. - Donaldson has spoken
well of you I know - he gives you
credit for great talents - but says
you might accomplish much
more than you do, if you would
exert yourself. - I think that if you
can so arrange as to go to
Washington during this session, it
may be for your advantage.
I do hope some opportunity of
change or promotion will occur. -
I have just rec'd a letter from
Miss Mitford of London, accompanied
with a little volume of her works -
on opera. - She writes very kindly.
- Your Aunt Hale is rather out of
health, and Sarah has gone home -
she intends to return in a few
weeks. Sarah P. and Isabelle are
good and quiet as ever. - I believe
I told you in my last of the death
of Charles Haywood - Horatio's College
friend. He died after a few days
[sickness], which was brought on by
[severe?] study and over-exertion.
It is an irreparable loss to his
family and friends. -
Misses Buckingham & Combe have
finished their lectures and gone; but
we are not yet released - for a new
orator has arrived, an Arminian,
from Constantinople, who has just
commenced a course of lectures
on the character, manners, [etc.] of
The Turks. I attended the [Introductory?]
last evening, but do not [intend?] to
go through the course. Pray write soon,
and a long letter too. Tell me how you pass
your time and who are your most
intimate associates and friends - not
The "Major" - I hope. I wish you were
fairly out of the army, and in some
pleasant and profitable business. - But
we must be patient. You can have little
conception of the anxiety I feel on your
account - I often regret that I did not place
you in the mercantile profession - but I
thought you would be happier with an education,
May Good angels guard
you - Yr Mother.
David E. Hale
Lt. U.S. Artillery
[Haritton?]
single Maine
[ED: the following text appears upside down at the bottom of the page]
P.S. It has been very cold [ED: page torn] down
to zero - how is the weather with you?