Stampless folded letter sheet.
Circular black postmark:
CLARKSVILLE TENN. JAN 11
Manuscript rate:
25
Addressee:
Miss Hannah Smith
New Gloucester
Maine
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Letter:
Clarksville Jan 2nd 1839
Dear Sister
Three weeks ago today, I received a short letter from you, dated at Boston,
in which you make some bitter complaints against me for not writing
oftener, & express some fears lest sickness or misfortune may have been the
cause of my long silence. But a letter long & tedious was then on the way
for you, which you have doubtless since received. I promise not to tax you
so severely this time however, for if you succeeded in puzzling out all
that was crowded on that sheet, your patience & ingenuity both deserve
great credit. In the first place I must tell you of my good health, for I
know you will all join me in gratitude for this best of life’s blessings.
My face is so plump & fresh that I can hardly recognize my former self. Oh
how I wish I could just bounce in upon you & surprise you all with my ruddy
countenance & merry shout, for I suppose you are now at home seated with
our dear father & mother, by a snug warm fire, plying the busy needle &
counting over your well earned treasures, & now & then bestowing a thought
and perhaps a word upon the absent & distant. But no, I must not wish to
return, I am happy here, & discontent shall be a feeling unknown to my
heart, while I have, as I now have, every necessary of life, nay, more,
some of its luxuries, & these well earned & paid for, & above all, shared
by a friend of all others earthly the nearest.
Yes Sis, we have much here to contribute to our present happiness, though
our prospect for making a fortune is small. Yet I will recollect, that to
get along square with the world, is more than every body does in New
England. We must be willing to pay for the first stepping stone, & we hope
by our united industry, economy, & perseverance, to lay the foundations for
a competency, when age or sickness shall have deprived us of the power of
labouring for our daily bread. Our first session of five months closed
four weeks since. We had an examination of two days, which was met with a
general expression of approbation from the spectators, who were about one
hundred in number. We sent several Clarksville papers containing some
remarks upon our school since its close, one of which was directed to our
father. If he has received it, will he please to acknowledge it, as we
sent a number when we first came here, which we fear have never been
received, as their reception has never been acknowledged. And what do you
suppose I have been doing, during this long vacation? Why to go backwards
I will tell you - the last two days I have been using up some the paints
which you gave me, & previous to that, dined out two or three times, made a
few calls, did a little needle work for the fair, which the ladies are
getting up here, & the rest of the time have been as busy as I could be in
my chamber, doing a variety of work which you will readily understand by
the word “mending.” Next week our school commences again, & feeling as we
do that happiness is inseparable from active employment, we shall
cheerfully enter upon its duties. Owing to the badness of the streets
during this season of the year, the distance in which some our pupils
reside from the Academy, & the delicate health of others, we expect our
number will be small, consequently, our compensation will be so too. But
the summer session we have reason to think will be much better. We have no
fixed salary, but receive just the amount of tuition, be it much, or
little. We have not yet commenced housekeeping, but hope to do so in a few
weeks, then I would like to give a family dinner, that you may all partake
of my first roast turkey. Say, will you come? Please to invite Lynda &
Otis, not omitting brother John & Oliver, in the mean time I will fix on
the day & let you know. Please not to bring any work with you, for I can
employ you all in making quilts & comforters, for although I am in a more
southern latitude than you are, I have found a few days & nights when we
have had N.E. frosts, & have needed N.E. clothing. We have had but one
snowstorm, & that covered the ground with snow several inches in depth. It
was followed by a rain storm however, & the streets are now resuming their
dirty & blackened appearance. Oh how did you all spend Thanksgiving, & who
ate the “Plum Pudding” for me? A Thanksgiving really, I suppose, at least,
I hope it was, with you, for I presume you have one cause of Thanksgiving
which you have never had before, that is, you find yourself free from the
toils of business, & in possession of a snug little fortune. And now Sis,
what do you intend to do, & where do you intend to spend the remainder of
your days?
Is it possible that you are going to be married? If you are, be candid now
& tell me the truth, & the whole truth. I am anxious also to know how much
your property is, for I suppose that by this time you can tell to a
farthing. I hope you will feel yourself able to come & see us next spring,
your traveling expenses will be something less than one hundred & seventy
five dollars coming & going too & that, to a lady of fortune, will be but a
trifle, & then you can have the advantage of seeing something of this
western world. Will you come? You will not like the manners & customs of
the people here, so well as you do, in your native North, but variety you
know is the spice of life, & let this serve to spice yours. At any rate
let me know what you intend to do with yourself. My box has not yet
arrived, owing to the lowness of the river, which is now rising. We shall
probably receive it in five or six weeks. We have not received a letter
from any other individual but yourself, since we have been here, which is
six months, with the exception of one from father Whitman, for which we
very much thank him & if that box does not contain some, I shall conclude
that friendship with the [illegible] indeed but a name. Have I in truth
one sister who cares hear from me? If father and mother do no feel
disposed to write themselves, they must at least say something for you to
write. Our mirrors come regularly but they bear the sad news of the death
of some of my former acquaintances. I lately saw that of Jane Caruthers,
shall I say with regret? Ah no. I cannot regret. Had she lived, her
active piety would have enabled her to share largely in that happiness
designed for mortals here below, but now, I doubt not, she is a participant
of that happiness which is [illegible] glory. If you know the particulars
of her last sickness & death please to communicate them to me. I was going
to ask you to remember me to some of my friends, but I do not know where to
begin, I am certain I should now want to stop short of one hundred, so I
will particularize none, save our own family & that of father W’s, to all
of whom we desire to be remembered with much affection. If you have not
written do write as soon as you receive this, & as you have time enough
now, a short letter would be inexcusable.
From your Sister,
Angelia
Note:
Angelia Smith married Edwin Whitman in New Gloucester on 4 June 1838.
They moved south to Clarksville, Tennessee, where they operated a school.
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