Through the protecting hand of a gracious Providence, I am rising from a bed of Sickness, where I have been confined for more than three weeks—Indeed, I did not keep about but a few days after my last letter to you—Lydia was evidently much better her Tongue cleared, & her fever had a proper turn & had got to eating Beef, & drinking wine, but still her Cough hung round, & kept her too weak to...
I thank you My Dear, & revered Brother & Sister, for your repeated attentions to me, & mine. The Cold, & the Snow yet remaining upon the Earth, renders it I fear, very painful & unpleasant Weather for my Son. I hoped to receive a Letter from him before this time, Silence in any one else I should construe as inability, or an increase of Disease. Few Children I believe are half attentive enough...
I this Day by the Mail received your kind letter, & am happy to hear you got Home, with your little Ones well, though I did not expect, or welcome you home in Idea till Monday afternoon—It was so very warm & dusty, that I thought neither you, nor your Horses would like to travel—I told Lydia, that you thought you felt better for your late excursion—“Do write, & ask her to come again” Said She,...
I was very much gratified to find that it was not the Presidents, your own, or your family’s Sickness which prevented your writing, & that the delay was owing only to much company, & that in the Circle was your excellent worthy Friend Mrs Cushing—I know both the President, & my Sister highly enjoy her society, & rank her among the faithful of the Earth, for she is one with whom you can realize...
Your long silence (My Dear Sister) made me fear that you, or some of your family were sick—I was at Haverhill, & enquired of Mrs Harrod, but she did not mention it, only told me, that another Grandson was announced, whose name was to be Isaac Hull—Perhaps, the deceased Lawrence, might be as able, & intrepid a Commander, as the victorious Hull—But Laurels seldom spring, from the ashes of the...
I hope my dear Sister, & family are well, though I have not heard from her for three last mails—Has Col. Smith, & Sister, arrived Safe?—How is good Dr Tufts, & poor aged Phebe? I hope, she has solacing & comfortable views of the Heavenly world, & humble trust in Him, who has made of one blood all the Nations of the Earth—& has said, he who feareth God, & worketh righteousness shall be...
I too my Dear Sister, have to address you from the Bed of Sickness— The wednesday night after I wrote to you last, I was waked with a shaking fit great distress at my vitals, which was succeeded by a regular Lung fever—I have had specimens of this fever twice before in the course of my Life, but nothing so severe as now—But through the goodness of an ever kind Providence, the Crisis formed the...
The peircing cold air of this Month has made me quiver so that I could not quit the fire side scarcely for a moment, & it has gone to the marrow of Mr Peabody’s bones, so that it has made him very lame again, & is obliged to walk with a cane—But otherways he is a well as could be expected, for which I desire to be grateful, to that gracious Being who has brought us to see the return of another...
How changed My Dear Sister, is the weather now, from the clam clear Sunshine I enjoyed with you in my late very pleasant visit at Quincy! Winter has indeed, trod in rapid succession upon the verdant fields, & striped the trees of their green foliage; but kindly covered the roots, & herbage in mantles of Snow—Still more to vary the Scene & as if to vie with yellow Autumn, & the “wheaten Sheaf,”...
When you were here, I lent a great Coat, a small one—to Mrs Harrod, to keep of the rain, which she says, she put the next morning into the Carriage—I suppose your Man, forgot to bring it into the house—I thought it was at Mr Harrods, & did not send for it, till the week before I was sick—It has a piece set in behind on the shoulder—If it should be found, please to let it be taken care of—you...
Yesterday as soon as the mail arrived I sent to the Office full of expectation of receiving a Letter from my dear Sister—Are you all so absorbed in matrimonial affairs, as that none of your family can find leisure to give me the least intelligence how you progress, & how you all do?—Our amicable Cousin Hannah, has had the indisoluable knot completed at last, I see by the news paper—& your...
I have but just received your very Sisterly Letter, by Mrs Adams, handed me this morning. I immediately sat down & wrote to my Son, urged him to adjust his affairs with his Landlady, pay if possible, & thank her for any extra—kindness he has received—& quit her House as soon as convenient—I certainly know he may obtain respectable Boarding, at good Houses, for a less price—A little unconcern,...
I am sorry you did not find time to write me a line—reports are so various, & calamitous that it keeps me in constant agitation of mind—I am distressed for my country, & for my dear Boston friends, who I hear are moving as fast as they can find an asylum—I wanted, & intended to have written to my dear Son, & Mrs Foster, but I have been obliged this week to go to N ewbury, & have been to...
I was much grieved to hear of Mrs Adams sickness, both upon her own account & yours —Such a weight, & distress upon the Lungs adds greatly to the Fever, & makes respiration difficult—The last smoke from the fire, seemed to suffocate me—I am sure I shall pity any one more than ever I have done—And I was rejoiced to hear Tuesday by Mrs James Foster, that you were better, & Mrs J. Adams too, was...
15From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 5 May 1812 (Adams Papers)
The Calender informs me it is the month of May, my Dear Sister—I should not suppose it, by the warmth of the weather, the budding of the trees, nor the Verdure of the grass—for Lo, the ground is covered with Snow, two, or three Inches thick, & I am almost froven—It is an extraordinary Storm for the Season of the Year—It is not without most fearful apprehensions that I perceive this whole globe...
will be so good as to send the enclosed to Dr Tufts, & she will oblige me—I have not time now only to request you to give our love to the dear Lads, who are going to the arms of the best of Parents—May they reach him in safty, & rejoice his heart—My dear Brother, & Sister, have long sacrificed private feelings, to the publick Interest—Though I regret the satisfaction you are deprived of, in...
My Dear Sisters, interesting Letters conveyed by the Mail, were gratefully received by their obliged & sympathizing Sister—As I had not written to you for many weeks, I considered your letters as adding Obligations upon me, not to be remiss for the future,—But you knew it was not from want of affection, & though you might not suspect the Truth, yet your Candor, always puts the best...
I had anticipated a visit from Mrs Adams, & both her Children, for a few days at least, when she came to Haverhill, & we regretted very much that it was not in our power to send for them, or to visit her while there—Abby, & I, both went down a monday, and had the mortification to find she went to Boston the Saturday before—Mr Peabody was absent the whole of your Thansgiving week, & I could not...
At the arrival of the last Mail, I thought I could hear my dear Sister say, “Is there no Letters from Atkinson? I fear some of her Family are sick.”— It has been really so—I have had one of my silent Colds —& my dear Abby, was confined a week after her return from Boston—But we are now both of us much better—I believe, I have what may be called the Rheumatism, or the Creek at the pit of my...
I have the pleasure to inform you, that your dear Grandchildren reached here Friday noon, safe, & are very well in health, & I do not know that a greater share was every enjoyed in this Town, & in the Towns near us, than has been for months past—The Spotted Fever has afflicted many families, north, & west of us, but as yet, we have been preserved—& I hope Heaven will continue its merciful...
Yesterdays Mail, My Dear Sister, conveyed your Letter safe to me, with the two Bills—I do not so much think of what I want, as what I can best do without ,—We all have duties, & calls, when it might not be proper for the right hand, to know what the left doth, & therefore, I like to have some property subject to no enquiry—you know I said, I wished to keep my property as equal for the two , as...
I feel much obliged my Dear Sister, to the Christian Desciple for the mild, & pacific Principles, which he so zealously endeavours to inculcate—I hope the Writers feel there powerful influence upon their own Hearts—"Wrath, & Evil Speaking," never made one Proselite , any more than the tortures of an Inquisition—If we must be stigmatized, reprobated as Harties, fools, & Knaves, because we...
By yesterday mail I received your kind letter. It is indeed a great while since we have heard from each other, I have thought I would write every day, but have not had a moments leisure & I hoped we should be in better health for I did not wish to send you a doleful ditty of our troubles—for every family seems to have as much as they know how to bear—But for this month past we have been very...
I received your kind Letters yesterday by mail, & though I ought soon to have expected such an Event, yet I find it has shocked my nerves more than I should have thought—For he had so lately written to me, & his strength of mind appeared so brilliant, & so composed respecting my Sister, that I could not but please myself with the hope that his, life & usefulness might been continued, but it...
Every Day, & Week since my return, I have thought I would devote some time to write to my Dear Sister, but some intervening circumstance has always prevented, & not having the urgent occasion for writing, so often, as when your Grandsons were here, I fear will coincide with that native Sloth, or reluctance, we feel to Exertion, & I shall grow too remiss in taking my Pen, & enquiring after...
A Day since I saw Mrs Harrod & she informed me that you had thoughts of making us a visit, & to take your Daughter Adams, Abigail, Elizabeth, & Thomas, in the Carriage with you—Will not the President do us the favour of a visit—Mr Peabody & I, both wish we had anything in this Town to render it more agreeable—When I lived in Haverhill, we could have company to amuse him more congenial to his...
It is a long time my Dear Sister, since I have written to you; but I consider it a priviledge that we can think of our Friends, animate our Souls by a view of their useful lives, & refresh ourselves by a retrospect of past scenes, when we cannot find one leisure moment to visit them, or impress our Ideas upon paper.— Ever since Thansgiving we have had one, or other of our Family sick in bed,...
I was in hopes of receiving a Letter by yesterdays Mail from you—I was glad to see by the News Papers that Col. Smith, who formerly girded on the Sword for his country’s defence, was now opening his mouth, I trust in wisdom, advocating the same noble cause—What will be the issue of the present agitation of your State, & ours, I cannot predict, but I fear, unless great pains is taken to...
I received your letter yesterday, which informed me of yours, & Mrs Smith’s intended visit, & am glad if you were able to go, & were disposed “to bury the Hatchet ,” it is certainly best, when we are all so far advanced in age, & hope to meet in those blest abodes where Peace, & Love reign forever—where raging Party Spirit, Injustice, ambition, & mavolence cease— you had a fine day for your...
It would be impossible for me to tell you how disappointed, grieved, vexed, & everything, I was, when Mr Peabody returned from Andover a Friday Eve, & told me Mrs Adams was to return the next day home—If I had been the least apt to shed tears, I am sure they would fallen in plenty—For to have conversed with her, would have been next to having seen you my dear Sister,—I had many questions to...
By last Friday mail, I received your very excellent Letter, wherein you observe, it was thought a journey might be of service to your health, I have not time now to make any remarks, only upon this part of your Letter, & warmly would second the motion, & would wish you to set off immediately, without stoping to adjust every preliminary —For if you do, you will see, I fear so many Lions, in the...
My dearly beloved, & only Sister, for the “threefold silken Cord is broken ” To what an unusual Striking, affecting Providence have you been called to witness,—such as my Eyes never beheld—Very pleasant, & lovely through a long series of years, & in Death we may say, they were not divided—Together freed, their Gentle Spirits flew, to Scenes of immortal Bliss, we humbly trust—Thought can pursue...
It is a sad misfortune to dear Connections when their Friends do not love to write—Some I know have not time, & some have not ability, & some foolishly averse—I have not heard from Mr Fosters family, since Abby’s return from Boston.—I wish I knew how my Son likes his new Boarding place—&c—I hope he has not been confined by Rhumatism this winter—& am very sorry Mrs Smith inherits the infirmity...
Your very interesting Letter of last week in which you mention the departure of your dear Caroline, with so much affectionate regret, is a pleasing evidence of her intrinsick worth.—I hope she has comfortably reached her Home, & is seated by her worthy Partner in their own Mansion, kindly welcomed to the arms of a fond Mother, where she may safely repose without fear of molestation, or dread...
To day I re ceived your Letter with its contents all safe, & thank you for your care & for your obliging me with the perusal of your Son’s excellent Letter—I consider every word as Truth —a just representation of the state of our affairs, of which we have little, I believe in our public papers—I have not time to say now what I wish—I shall inclose his letter, for dear you may want it, & the...
Though the Season has returned when the genial warmth of the Sun, invigorated our chilled Blood, yet we find the Cold still presides, & makes me exclaim in the language of a late Poet, Ah! Why, unfeeling Winter? Why still flags thy torpid wing? Fly, melancholy Season, fly And yield the year to Spring. With us the travelling has been very poor, high banks of Snow, & much bear ground—Till this...
Last Tuesday the Horn blew to announce the Departure of the Mail an Hour sooner than the usual Time, which obliged me to break of abrubtly, even without any Signature—Though I suppose you would know from whom it came, by the badness of the writing, & local Circumstances—I find since my last Fall sickness that my hands tremble more than they used— Not received a Letter from you, nor my Cousin,...
Mr Lion and his intended I suppose so , as the modern phrase is, called here last Wednesday—I was very glad to see any one from your house, that could give me any information of my Dear Sisters health & welfare—I told Mary, she I fancied, was going to add one more pair to the Nuptial Circle of your Dometicks—She with down cast smiling simpers, blushed the Affirmative— She talked as if she...
I feel very grateful to my dear Sister, that though surrounded by agreeable, & dear Friends, she did not forget an absent Sister ; but could kindly retire a few moments to enquire after her health, & the welfare of her family, & acquaint her with the state of her own, in which she knew an affectionate relative must ever feel interested— The enfeebling disorder I mentioned to my Sister, left me...
To see Abby Adams’ marriage announced in the public Paper, was at this time, to us a very unexpected Event, as I never heard the least intimation of such an establishment when at Quincy—We were weary of conjectures , till I received your kind letter of last Friday.—But concluded such an early, & sudden marriage must be from a well grounded assurance of the Gentlemans being possessed of a large...
41From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, March 1812 (Adams Papers)
I have been for several Days waiting, & hoping I should find leisure to write to my Dear Sister, but as each hour brings it indispensible Duties, I hope you will accept of a moment devoted to you, & wish you to excuse the many Imperfections you will necessarily observe, of everything done in a hurry—Last Wednesday Cousin Thomas arrived, walked from Haverhill, & got here about four PM—we were...
With pleasure I congratulate My Dear Brothers & Sister, upon the agreeable prospect they have of seeing an amiable & beloved Grand-duaghter, eligibly settled in a worthy family, & with a Partner who I hope will have sagacity & goodness sufficent to duly estimate her real Excellence. It was said of Miss Caroline, by a Lady, who I presume you will allow to have some skill in determining female...
The excellent Sermon you sent, me was indeed “a cordial to my Heart—” I thank Mr Whitney for the justice he has done to departed excellence, & for his sympathetick remembrace of me, & the absent Relatives—It was my ardent wish to have been present at the mournful Obsequies, but it was not to be—Mr Peabody’s Indisposition, & a number of contingencies prevented—I have been laying plans in my own...
I hope my Dear Sister, will excuse all my bad writing, & every inaccuracy which weekly presents itself to her view—My letters I know must appear in a very shabby ordinary Habit, for I have so little time to afford them even the Ornament of a real dress , that I am almost ashamed to send them.—And if I did not think, that as soon as they reached my beloved Sister, she would throw over them the...
Your kind Letters of Feb. 15th & March 31st lie before me, in which I find are several things unanswered, though I assure you, not unnoticed —Those Covers I have lately sent, you perceive were written in great haste—Though yours to me, however short, are gratifying— Your very flattering, & fanciful Allusion, my Dear Sister, to the two sweet Choristers, was an evidence (I will not say, of want...
I scarcely know when was the last time that I wrote to my Dear Sister, but this I can fully assure you that I have been every Day thinking of you, & yours, & wishing to communicate some of my thoughts to her, who is ever affectionately interested for her Friends; but so many things have intervened, to prevent my writing, that one day after another, has almost imperceptably passed away, “like a...
To tell you that I am exceedingly grieved , to hear that you have been very sick, would be to inform you, of what I am sure you already know. For, when three Sisters love each other, with such sincere affection, the One, does not experience Sorrow, Pain, or affliction of any kind, but the Others Heart wishes to relieve, & vibrates in tender Unison. Like a well organized musical Instrument, one...
your good grandchildren are just gone to repose in the arms of sweet Sleep, soothed by the consciousness of having endeavoured I trust to perform their duty to one of the best of Parents—I was so pleased with their coming to see us, that I could not bear to deprive myself of one moment of their company till they had retired to their bed—And now I embrace one moment, to assure you, of my...
You will now have no occasion to wish for more Snow, if at Quincy you are favoured with as much as we are in Atkinson—I find it adds much to the coldness of the Atmosphere, though it has made it better travelling—I hope I feel grateful to Heaven for preserving us as yet, in so much better health than we had in our family last winter— The spotted fever, I see by the papers, has again commenced...
I know that my Dear Sister, will rejoice to hear that the kind Healer of the sick, has again restored my Health, so far as to enable me to take charge of my domestic affairs, & I hope, render some essential service to the youthful family, which is ever alloted to my care— My attentive faithful Lydia, is fulfilling your Predictions, & has recovered beyond probability, has becomes as...