Letter 15
Invite to ellen
Sarah A. B. Look to Ellen M. Lincoln.
Shelter, April 1st, 1849
My dear Sister,
Doubtless you have been looking for a letter from me for some time, but I looked for one from P. for a long time before it came so we are even on that score. I have a great mind in retaliation to send this blank for an April fool letter. But as all the news I have to write will not be worth half of ten cents, I can not conscientiously make such a drain on your purse for nothing at all. It is a most beautiful day though rather cool for this climate. Vegetation is rather backward, though the abundant rain through the month of March has made the grass look very green and flourishing. From accounts received in the papers from time to time, I judge you have had a very cold severe winter - it has been unusually so here.
O, Ellen I wish you were here, and I have contrived a way for you to come in July, and if you don’t come some of you I will never contrive another, or ask you to come if I can help it. If Mother, brothers and sisters are not willing you should come at any rate, I will say no more about it. If they will let you come and stay with me for a year, I will promise if life and health are spared, to return with you the ensuing June or July, as I have concluded if we remain at the Shelter (and in all probability we shall) not to go North before that time. We did not get rich enough last year to make it consistent with our means to travel very extensively this. But I have not told you my plan - well then I think you might find some one to take care of you to New York, if you can’t take care of yourself, and then Mr. Capwell will be very happy to take charge of you here. If we can know exactly what day you will get ready and write very soon whether you think you will try and come, so we can write to Mr. Capwell about it and make all nesessary arrangements as to the time &c. I believe he intends coming about the middle or last of July. Sister Julia ceases her labors at Belmont about the last of June and will spend two or three months with her friends, before resuming them again in a new and different sphere of life. Now Mother, Dr., Olivia, Lucius, Charles, Janette, Aunt Prudy, Aunt Lucy, and all the aunts, cousins, friends, relatives and acquaintances, at home and in California, on land and on sea, mayn’t Ellen come and spend a year with me at the Shelter. Or Mother come, or Janette come, or Dr. and Olivia and that dear, precious little Luan would make a tour of the South this summer I should be delighted beyond expression. Dr. do come - you’ll never be any younger, or perhaps have a better opportunity, and I want to see you so much, and moreover after the elaborate description you gave us of the sweet Luan it is nothing more than right that you should bring her here. We won’t promise you all the comforts and conveniences and privileges you enjoy in your pleasant home in P. but the best we have is at your service.
I have been very busy braiding this spring - have braided since the second week in Jan. 60 men’s hats, 20 No.3’s and 40 No.4’s, and sold them all in Leesburg for fifty cents apiece, and this very day (although it is Sunday) received $30. in cash for them. (Loomis went up on Friday to bring down some of the cows which have been wintered there and on account of the bed going did not get home until this morning, and thereby prevented me from going to Little River to meeting, which considering the pleasantness of the weather and I can so seldom go, I regretted exceedingly.) Now ain’t I a good girl to braid so much, a pattern wife, a most industrious housekeeper? I am going to braid some No. 5 double-brimmed custom hats now. I have no doubt, if you come Ellen, we can sell all the hats we can braid between now and next spring for a good price, if not for fifty cents. It will not be worth while to bring leaf as we can get it in Aldie.
I must not forget to tell you, Mr. Loring has sold out his interest in the palm leaf concern and gone to California. He has been gone about four weeks. Mrs. Ayres has another little daughter, it is a little more than a week old. Lizzie Childs is going home in June. She thinks some of taking little Elvira Hawks with her, if she is willing to go, to stay a year and go to school.
April 3. Loomis is going to Leesburg tomorrow to bring down the rest of the cows and I hasten to finish this to send to the Post, although I scarcely feel able to sit up. I commenced making some ginger snaps this morning and while cutting them out with a very thin glass tumbler crushed the tumbler in my hand and cut a dreadful gash in the thumb of my left hand. It bled profusely and made me so sick and faint that I have sat up but little of the time since until now I feel much better. I came near fainting clear away twice.
We were much surprised by receiving a visit yesterday from Mr. and Mrs. Tyler. Their daughter, Mrs. Grayson, has recently moved into this neighborhood about half a mile from Father Look’s. The mother and daughter never were separated so long before (since the middle of Feb. only), and Mrs. Tyler was so anxious to see her and her children she could not wait until the roads got so she could come in the carriage, so she started yesterday morning bright and early on horseback and came as far as here, 18 miles, a feat which she has not performed in years. Mr. Tyler is down every two or three weeks. Last Saturday evening company came in after six o’clock, three gentlemen and two ladies, who stayed until after ten. Thanks to good luck and Va. customs, I had half a loaf of wheat bread in the house cooked, and the Virginians never have much for supper - so I set the darkie to work making “butter cakes”, and what with tea, sugar and cream, butter, cheese and preserves we made out quite a tolerable supper. Never despair if you do have company come in unexpectedly if you only have half a loaf of wheat bread.
But what are you all doing this spring? Do you stay at the Dr.’s yet? Has Lucius commenced farming yet? Dear little Luan will be nine months old tomorrow - how I do wish I could see her. I meant to have answered her letter in this sheet, but I feel so bad this evening must defer it till some other time. Tell her Aunty Sarah hasn’t forgotten it. Where is Cousin Emily Goddard? I want to know as I intend answering her letter some time. Write very soon. Olivia, write you naughty girl you don’t write to me half so much as you ought to. I wonder the shade of your old goose quill don’t haunt you for your negligence. If you have no sense to write, write nonsense, as I always do. I thank the Dr. very much for not forgetting his sister Sarah away off here in Va. and hope it will not be long before he will remember us again with another kind letter. I forgot to tell you that we commenced gardening today. Loomis has been planting potatoes, peas, beans, onions, cabbage &c. Ellen, when you write put half a dozen good pumpkin seeds in your letter. It is getting dark and I must bid all you dear ones good bye. Give love to all who inquire for your aff. sister, Sarah A. B.
Letter 16
arrangements for ellen
Sarah A. B. Look to Ellen M. Lincoln
Shelter, June 24, 1849
My Dear Sister,
Warm weather has come at last, and most oppressively warm too. The only way to be comfortable is to undress, put on your nightgown and lie abed. That is the way I have done for the past three or four days, not so much on account of the warm weather though, but because I have been very unwell. I feel much better today and seize the opportunity to write a few lines to send to the office by brother Josiah who is here, as it is not every day we have a chance to send. Loomis has been almost sick too. I very much feared he would have a fit of sickness, but I believe he feels quite well again.
Mrs. Tyler and Mrs. Grayson and her children have been spending the last three weeks at the Shelter, while Mrs. Grayson’s house was being plastered. She had a severe attack of the bilious fever while here and has not been able to sit up scarcely any for several days, but as the house was ready for her and her husband was very anxious for her to return, they took an early start for Bacon Hall this morning although she was scarcely strong enough to sit up in the carriage. Mrs. Tyler goes to Leesburg tomorrow, and then we shall be left alone again until August. I can scarcely tell whether I am most glad or sorry.
And now, Ellen, are you coming to Va.? We have had a letter from Mr. Capwell and he says he will take you from N.Y. with the greatest pleasure. He intends leaving there about the sixth of August. He will write to you and let you know all that will be necessary. Says he will try to meet at the steam boat landing, but lest anything should happen that you should not get his letter in season, thought I better give you a few directions. So here they are. If you know of no one going to New York you need not be afraid to go alone. You have been to Worcester - have the stage driver, Mr. Swan or Mr. Bemis whoever you go with, take you to the depot, get you a ticket and have your trunk marked for New York - you’ll not need to trouble yourself about it until you reach the city. When you get to Norwich, which will be about 9 or 10 o’clock at night, if you have no one with you to show you the way and you don’t choose to enquire of anyone, follow the rest of the passengers into the boat, go into the ladies cabin and go to bed and go to sleep, and set your heart at rest until morning. When you wake you will find yourself plowing through N.Y. harbor, and you must not fail to get up and look out and see how beautiful the prospect is. When the boat lands, if you do not find Mr. Capwell (you will know him if you see him, a great, tall fellow with red hair), speak to the Captain to get a hack for you to one yourself and direct him to get your trunk and drive you to No. 67 Fulton St. and at the boarding house of Mrs. Wilson - - you will see the name upon the doorplate. Ring the bell and the servant will open the door and show you upstairs into the parlor. If you have not seen or heard from Mr. Capwell before this he will enquire for you there. Now you will not be afraid to come I am sure. I want you should set my little pail into your trunk and pack your things into it, I want it very much. Furthermore I want you should buy me five yards of light or mouse colored morcen for a skirt, and an ounce of colored cotton thread mostly black the rest of different colors - I can’t get it here except on spools at tow cents apiece, and poor stuff at that. If there should a sewing silk peddler come along before you come get me 25 cents worth of black sewing silk - here I have to pay 6 1/4 cts. for the least bits of skeins. Tell Olivia if Luan has not worn out all her dresses to send along one or two. You need not bring leaf as we can get it al Aldie. I have got to braid a “heap” of hats before next summer, as I shall want a great many new things to go to Mass. with. I am wearing out my old ones as fast as I can - have bought but one new dress this spring. Sister Julia leaves Belmont next Saturday. There is a young lady, a second cousin of the family, coming to take her place. She will come from New Y. with you and Mr. C. if she don’t come before. I believe it is her intention to come directly and spend the whole vacation with Julia.
And now where are you all and what are you all doing? Mother, how is your health and how do you get along with your work this summer? Do write to me a long, long letter and tell me all about it. Janette, how are you? Do you go to school this summer? And Lucius and Charles, how are you getting along? And Olivia and Dr., how are you and that dear, dear little Luan? I suppose she can run alone “right smart” by this time, almost a year old. Did you ever know a shorter one? It seems to me I never did. But I shall hear before a great while - in a little more than a month Ellen will bring me a verbal account of you all. Ellen be ready so that if Mr.; Capwell should arrange his business to come before August you can. Directly you receive this write to us and let us know how you all are and that you are surely coming to Va. You will probably hear from us again before you leave Mass. Josiah does not go home today so I shall send this to Leesburg by Mrs. Tyler to be mailed. I hope and trust it will find you all well. I don’t think of anything more to write, and as my head aches right hard I will close. Loomis wishes to be remembered, with much love to you all. Give mine to all who inquire for me, and believe me ever your affec. daughter and sister,
Sarah.
