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Vassar Jan 7/66
Dear Nellie,
I was most extremely delighted to receive your letter, likewise the scarf. Seems to me you are growing rather frisky, going to so many parties and fixing up in such grand style. I think that your opera cloak must be beautiful. The pieces were very much admired. I am very glad you enjoyed yourself so much, both at Miss Beaumont's and the McGraws. Have you effected an introduction to Mr. Barnum? I hope you didn't say Mr. Clark Gardiner. Is Mr. Low as distressed looking as ever. I am delighted to hear that Thomas Huntingdon is growing so festive, remember us to him. I wish you had had daylight to tell me about Christmas. I am impatient to hear all about the home Holidays. We had most gorgeous time at Brooklyn. I entirely agree with you that it is the pleasantest family to visit in that I ever came across. Isn't it a shame that they are so feeble. Fannie didn't go out with us but once, to Central Park. that was Christmas, and as perfect a day as we could have had. We had a carriage and didn't walk a step, but Fannie came home with such a headache that she went right to bed and didn't sit up all the next day, and was miserable for three or four days. Mattie wasn't able to go out at all. Aunt Rebecca seems very well, she says you wouldn't know her for the same person she was at Warsaw. Uncle Edwin is magnificent, Uncle Frank was there the last week. The weather was wretched! I never saw such days. First it rained, and then it blew, and then it snew and than - it thew." I was much more tired from school than I had thought, and spent most of my time get rested as hard as I could. I beg of you to excuse this abominable? I shouldn't have used the sheet if I had seen it in time! I went to Central Park, Christmas Day, and enjoyed it extremely. What a grand place it is, and what an honor to New York. Tuesday eve, altho it was raining hard, Charlie, Emma, Hattie and I went to the Academy of Music to hear Dr. Stor's lecture on "American Manhood." The last part of the lecture was very fine he first was rather dull. I was very glad of an opportunity to see the Academy of M. which far surpassed my expectations. Friday we spent at the Duncklee's. We had a very pleasant day. Mrs. Duncklee sent a great deal of love to you and Mother she greatly desires to see that letter which you wrote her about Mrs. Howard. Their house is large and handsome, but I believe they have got to move. Nellie Gray is to be married tomorrow to a Mr. Dimoud of the Sandwich Islands. He is a nephew of Mrs. Dimoud's husband - I believe they are to sail immediately. George Gray is in India, he has made one large fortune and lost it, and is now I believe teaching school. Clara has another baby, a boy a few months old. he was born in the midst of the cholera, none of them had it. Clara was very sick but is well now. They have a beautiful photograph of Clara and her baby. I suppose it is the older one. Mrs. Merriam is pretty well now, but they expect her to be sick after the wedding. Mr. Dimoud is aged twenty six. a widower with three children. Mr. Crafts has married again and Nellie and Harry and Mrs. Douglass have gone on. George was in the army when the war ended, and the last they heard of him he was coming to. They didn't seem inclined to talk about him. Mary hasn't changed a particle. Sarah has improved exceedingly, in every respect. Libbie has altered very much. I should not of have recognized her. Capt. Schauffler, Clara's brother-in-law, called while we were at dinner. I didn't see him. Mrs. Duncklee seemed quite well. So much for them. Sunday we went to hear Beecher. I can't say I should care to make a practice of spending three quarters of an hour Sunday morning, standing in the aisle of Plymouth Church, altho' a great many distinguished persons have done it before me. we had the rare good fortune to sit behind our President, which have amply repaid us for all we had endured even if Beecher had not. I liked Mr. Beecher very much indeed, but I think I have heard Dr. Kitchel preach quite as well. His text was "Old things have passed away." It was a New Years' sermon, and very beautiful. I shouldn't think it would be good any one to go there regularly - it is too much like a lecture hall, or something of that kind. Mr. Lynda told me that he has been there for eighteen years. I should think he would have lost all idea of a church by this time. Monday being New Year's Day it rained violently, with occasional intervals, which inveighed several young men into getting their feet muddy and being thoroughly drenched - The girls had very few calls but we had a gorgeous day. By the way Ellen Baldwin's husband called on them, and I was induced to him. He is rather forlorn, but they say he is enough sight less so than Ellen. He is sort of foreman at Uncle Edwin's, Emma says he is very kind indeed to her in spite of her conduct. Emma and the Miller girls expressed no enthusiastic delight at their recollections of David Cooker, Jr. but they liked Bell better than they had expected - Tuesday eve Mr. and Mrs. Lynde called upon us. The latter expressed great pleasure at seeing us, and regretted not having been able to see us before. She was very anxious that we should come and see her Wednesday, but we couldn't possibly do it, as we had to start at one. It is a perfect disgrace to say that Mrs. Lynde looks forlorn or dowdy - She looks at least ten years younger than when she was married, and was very elegantly dressed. She wore a beautiful black rep silk, a large velvet cloak, the sleeves of which were trimmed with grinpeace lace at least half a finger wide, a point lace handkerchief round her neck, and a very becoming black velvet bonnet - Her husband looked very proud of her, as well he might. Wednesday at one o'clock we bid adieu to all our friends and relations, and sallied home in style. I was introduced to Henry Walker on the cars. I was not at all favorably impressed by the youth, he doesn't look as if he amounted to a hill of beans. He and Stephen were away from home all the time we were in New York, except a day or two, when we first came. The girls didn't fancy either of them. It was very pleasant having Charlie there, he was extremely kind to us, rather more so than I wanted him to be. As for the girls they are glorious! Mattie and I immediately discovered congenial spirits in one another, and became last friends forthwith, Fannie is a splendid girl and seems to be the moving power of the household. Cousin Emma is about as good company as I ever saw. She is brim full of fun and frolic of all kinds The reason Mother thought she was married, was I suppose owing to Bell's having seen Mr. Cartlidge at Aunt Hopkins last fall. She isn't married yet, but hopes to be in future. Fannie expressed strong yearnings to see you, and said that she wasn't half satisfied with your visit before, as she didn't see you at all, being in school. She gave vent to many expressions of admirations for you, which I will not repeat lest your vanity should become unbearable. I must remark in closing that for elegance of chirograph and diction this epistle has beea equalled by none of my previous productions. Tell Mother I want to see her dreadfully - and am going to write to her very soon. The girls who stayed here during vacation had a most uncommonly fine time. Christmas tree, charades, reading by the Pres. pop corn Society, bills of fare made out by themselves and all manner of line things. I forgot that they didn't have any Christmas at Brooklyn, at which we were profoundly delighted - I made Auntie a pin cushion the pattern that Sara worked George's slippers. It was very handsome. She loaded us down with good things when we came away - which have lasted until the present time. Hattie went around much more than I did, she went down town several times and to two or three fine gallerys - also saw Trinity Church trimmed for Christmas. Where is Willie? I never heard a word of him. Tell him to have some tintypes taken and send me one - I want some kind of a picture of the dear fellow. Give a great deal of love to all my fellow mortals in Detroit. Has Father been to Washington? Good-bye dear Write soon to Your respected sister Hattie's muff is beautiful she is delighted with it.
Your respected sister Mattie
Dear Nellie,
I was most extremely delighted to receive your letter, likewise the scarf. Seems to me you are growing rather frisky, going to so many parties and fixing up in such grand style. I think that your opera cloak must be beautiful. The pieces were very much admired. I am very glad you enjoyed yourself so much, both at Miss Beaumont's and the McGraws. Have you effected an introduction to Mr. Barnum? I hope you didn't say Mr. Clark Gardiner. Is Mr. Low as distressed looking as ever. I am delighted to hear that Thomas Huntingdon is growing so festive, remember us to him. I wish you had had daylight to tell me about Christmas. I am impatient to hear all about the home Holidays. We had most gorgeous time at Brooklyn. I entirely agree with you that it is the pleasantest family to visit in that I ever came across. Isn't it a shame that they are so feeble. Fannie didn't go out with us but once, to Central Park. that was Christmas, and as perfect a day as we could have had. We had a carriage and didn't walk a step, but Fannie came home with such a headache that she went right to bed and didn't sit up all the next day, and was miserable for three or four days. Mattie wasn't able to go out at all. Aunt Rebecca seems very well, she says you wouldn't know her for the same person she was at Warsaw. Uncle Edwin is magnificent, Uncle Frank was there the last week. The weather was wretched! I never saw such days. First it rained, and then it blew, and then it snew and than - it thew." I was much more tired from school than I had thought, and spent most of my time get rested as hard as I could. I beg of you to excuse this abominable? I shouldn't have used the sheet if I had seen it in time! I went to Central Park, Christmas Day, and enjoyed it extremely. What a grand place it is, and what an honor to New York. Tuesday eve, altho it was raining hard, Charlie, Emma, Hattie and I went to the Academy of Music to hear Dr. Stor's lecture on "American Manhood." The last part of the lecture was very fine he first was rather dull. I was very glad of an opportunity to see the Academy of M. which far surpassed my expectations. Friday we spent at the Duncklee's. We had a very pleasant day. Mrs. Duncklee sent a great deal of love to you and Mother she greatly desires to see that letter which you wrote her about Mrs. Howard. Their house is large and handsome, but I believe they have got to move. Nellie Gray is to be married tomorrow to a Mr. Dimoud of the Sandwich Islands. He is a nephew of Mrs. Dimoud's husband - I believe they are to sail immediately. George Gray is in India, he has made one large fortune and lost it, and is now I believe teaching school. Clara has another baby, a boy a few months old. he was born in the midst of the cholera, none of them had it. Clara was very sick but is well now. They have a beautiful photograph of Clara and her baby. I suppose it is the older one. Mrs. Merriam is pretty well now, but they expect her to be sick after the wedding. Mr. Dimoud is aged twenty six. a widower with three children. Mr. Crafts has married again and Nellie and Harry and Mrs. Douglass have gone on. George was in the army when the war ended, and the last they heard of him he was coming to. They didn't seem inclined to talk about him. Mary hasn't changed a particle. Sarah has improved exceedingly, in every respect. Libbie has altered very much. I should not of have recognized her. Capt. Schauffler, Clara's brother-in-law, called while we were at dinner. I didn't see him. Mrs. Duncklee seemed quite well. So much for them. Sunday we went to hear Beecher. I can't say I should care to make a practice of spending three quarters of an hour Sunday morning, standing in the aisle of Plymouth Church, altho' a great many distinguished persons have done it before me. we had the rare good fortune to sit behind our President, which have amply repaid us for all we had endured even if Beecher had not. I liked Mr. Beecher very much indeed, but I think I have heard Dr. Kitchel preach quite as well. His text was "Old things have passed away." It was a New Years' sermon, and very beautiful. I shouldn't think it would be good any one to go there regularly - it is too much like a lecture hall, or something of that kind. Mr. Lynda told me that he has been there for eighteen years. I should think he would have lost all idea of a church by this time. Monday being New Year's Day it rained violently, with occasional intervals, which inveighed several young men into getting their feet muddy and being thoroughly drenched - The girls had very few calls but we had a gorgeous day. By the way Ellen Baldwin's husband called on them, and I was induced to him. He is rather forlorn, but they say he is enough sight less so than Ellen. He is sort of foreman at Uncle Edwin's, Emma says he is very kind indeed to her in spite of her conduct. Emma and the Miller girls expressed no enthusiastic delight at their recollections of David Cooker, Jr. but they liked Bell better than they had expected - Tuesday eve Mr. and Mrs. Lynde called upon us. The latter expressed great pleasure at seeing us, and regretted not having been able to see us before. She was very anxious that we should come and see her Wednesday, but we couldn't possibly do it, as we had to start at one. It is a perfect disgrace to say that Mrs. Lynde looks forlorn or dowdy - She looks at least ten years younger than when she was married, and was very elegantly dressed. She wore a beautiful black rep silk, a large velvet cloak, the sleeves of which were trimmed with grinpeace lace at least half a finger wide, a point lace handkerchief round her neck, and a very becoming black velvet bonnet - Her husband looked very proud of her, as well he might. Wednesday at one o'clock we bid adieu to all our friends and relations, and sallied home in style. I was introduced to Henry Walker on the cars. I was not at all favorably impressed by the youth, he doesn't look as if he amounted to a hill of beans. He and Stephen were away from home all the time we were in New York, except a day or two, when we first came. The girls didn't fancy either of them. It was very pleasant having Charlie there, he was extremely kind to us, rather more so than I wanted him to be. As for the girls they are glorious! Mattie and I immediately discovered congenial spirits in one another, and became last friends forthwith, Fannie is a splendid girl and seems to be the moving power of the household. Cousin Emma is about as good company as I ever saw. She is brim full of fun and frolic of all kinds The reason Mother thought she was married, was I suppose owing to Bell's having seen Mr. Cartlidge at Aunt Hopkins last fall. She isn't married yet, but hopes to be in future. Fannie expressed strong yearnings to see you, and said that she wasn't half satisfied with your visit before, as she didn't see you at all, being in school. She gave vent to many expressions of admirations for you, which I will not repeat lest your vanity should become unbearable. I must remark in closing that for elegance of chirograph and diction this epistle has beea equalled by none of my previous productions. Tell Mother I want to see her dreadfully - and am going to write to her very soon. The girls who stayed here during vacation had a most uncommonly fine time. Christmas tree, charades, reading by the Pres. pop corn Society, bills of fare made out by themselves and all manner of line things. I forgot that they didn't have any Christmas at Brooklyn, at which we were profoundly delighted - I made Auntie a pin cushion the pattern that Sara worked George's slippers. It was very handsome. She loaded us down with good things when we came away - which have lasted until the present time. Hattie went around much more than I did, she went down town several times and to two or three fine gallerys - also saw Trinity Church trimmed for Christmas. Where is Willie? I never heard a word of him. Tell him to have some tintypes taken and send me one - I want some kind of a picture of the dear fellow. Give a great deal of love to all my fellow mortals in Detroit. Has Father been to Washington? Good-bye dear Write soon to Your respected sister Hattie's muff is beautiful she is delighted with it.
Your respected sister Mattie
