Kirby, Mary R. Letter to Sarah L Kirby Hallowell Willis.

Title

Kirby, Mary R. Letter to Sarah L Kirby Hallowell Willis.

Creator

Kirby, Mary R

Contributor

Sarah L Kirby Hallowell Willis

Date

1849-02-11

Description

Handwritten letter from Mary R Kirby to Sarah L Kirby Hallowell Willis, February 11, 1849.

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

727

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

[Text Normal]

read it to thyself for their[sic] is
some things perty[sic] qu^e^re [sic] in it                              Jericho 2 month 11 1849

My ^ever^ Dear Sarah   Thy welcom [sic] and very long [look?]
for letter came to hand 6 days after its date, now I forgive thee
as thy eyes are so weak & soar [sic], hoping the [sic] will fauvor [sic] them every way
the [sic] can, even in wrighting [sic] to us -- which I feel as our due. I had con=
cluded to lengthen my patience as long as possible I could ere I took up the
pen, only think not one line scens [sic] 10 month,      Indeed as you both say
it would ^be^ a feast daintly [sic] enjoyed to ^have^ our endeared daughters step in &
mingel [sic] in social chat with us. We have ^had^ some very cold wether- [sic]
     Shall I make you Smile could you see Father siting [sic] in his
arm’d [sic] Chair and perty smothe[sic] face and white hands, dark brod
=cloth [sic] suit on- always pleasent [sic]-- and myself in my rocking-
chair fixt [sic] up with my [Silkbine-d^r^ess?] clean cap & hankerchief [sic] and
often perty [sic] read [sic] cheeks, by our [own?] airtight Stove a perty [sic] one so
we are very comfortable, blesst [sic] with good appetites & good nights rest
what can we covet more, ______ and yet I very often think how
soon their [sic] will be a change to us, a seperation [sic] from all here--
our friends and asociates [sic] Richard ^Willis^ deceased in 12 mo hannahs
husband--she remains their Mary yet with her Alfred moved in
their [sic] Cornell Willis parted with ^his^ Elizabeth in 12 mo & Robert
[illegible] his Mary all united in the marriage [sic] covenant near to ourselves [sic]
Stephen Rushmore & Phebe yet here he has recverd [recovered?] his long and tedi
-ous disease b^e^ounds [beyond?] escpectation, [sic] Jane Vallintine ^the elder]^ has been quite
poorly most of the winter with [illegible] in her arm last account
better, in 12 mo Father and I visited at Joseph Post ^one night^, John Titus J Mott
(& calld [sic] at S Hicks) James Posts ^to [dine?]^ and J Hicks ^one night^ ton [sic] night from home it
was pleasant [sic] wether [sic] and we had a very satisfactory time with
our friends, we herd[sic] from Cousin [P Powel?] ] she is moveing [sic]
a bought much in her usual way   Elizabeth two little
girls at [Connech?] School Cousin Hennery [sic] Mott had a poor
winter severe pain in his head at times so that he lost his
senses

[Text left margin running bottom to top]

how is Mary Johnson she was poorly is she better

(Page 2)

last week Brother and Sister Robbins their [sic] he at first though^t^
he could not see them-- but then said Sister might come in a
while & not say much, he thinks he shall loose [sic] the sight of
the best eye, he looks very poorly. Cousin Samy & the rest of our
relatives well as usual      Henry Willis and all three of his
Children at meeting so you may think in usual health Cather
in very frequently their [sic] says she is perty [sic] smart. we have not
visited them nor John this year, nor no where else, esccept [sic]
I have stept into Willets & Williams we love our nice new
stove and warm rome [sic] that we stick perty [sic] close. I tell father
he forgets this [care?] very often, in going from to the other-- he
says his back used to be cold-- but not now at all. I generaly [sic]
am at meeting, Father mostly at home often it is sliperry [sic]
Sarah I think we should make the [sic] very comfortable if we had
the [sic] here but I dont know how to bear the thought of thy siting [sic]
off alone, (and if Edmund loves the [sic] as I presume he does he
will hurry up and git [sic] ready and bring the [sic] with him)
we had herd no report of your great ball, if we do I am happy
I can contradict it. for I should concider [sic] it reprochfull [sic]. and
disrecspectfull [sic] highly so to us          Sarah Amy said thy stomach
is disorderd [sic], Matilda sais [sic] the [sic] must have faith and percevere [sic], take a
dose or two of medicen [sic] -- then make a pitcher of boneset tea & take a
tea cup of it cold -- every morning before breakfast, it will soon
help the [sic] if the[sic] cant get boneset [sic]-- try dog wood bark or black alder
I desire the [sic] to persevere something bitter is strengthing [sic] to us
      Not a word said of William & Mary H. but suppose they are their [sic]
I love to here [sic] from every branch tell Joseph it seamd quite cheering
to here of keeping to his school -- by this time supose he must be quite
a good scholar,    Just a month a go [sic] Phebe Heveland came here with
David and Walter Esther’s two oldest, they are very handsom [sic] behaved
well tututered [sic] smart interesting said Father had sold more than a 100
barrels of appel [sic] sold for a dollar a barrel

(Page 3)


Phebe was desirus [sic] the Children ^should see^ their old Unkel [sic] and Aunt it
very cold wether [sic] but Phebe had had them their [sic] and fisct[sic] them up very
warm and comfortable, Esters children, names David Walter Mary Elen [sic]
& Franck-    I think Phebe meets the changes an [sic] visicitudes [sic] here
with the evenness of her Father disposition altho in a nice new
a house, she has a large share of nursing, I rather think Lydia
has not been able to go up or down stairs with^out^ being carried in
9 months, now she can go from one rome [sic] to the other, but very
much bending weekness [sic] in her back, she is carried down now to
breakfast & remains their [sic] thro [sic] the day, then sits in the parlour
the evening, sews a little        How Phebe feels abought [sic] Henery s [sic]
going to the South, she was silent in 12 ^mo^ he saild [sic] for Agusta [sic]
his father is concernd [sic] in a store their [sic] I persume [sic] they hoped it migh^t^
prove for the best-- He k was a fireman and report say not very
stady [sic] often out late nights in unsutable [sic] company, Annga is a
very nice girel [sic] lately visited us acceptaby [sic], Sister Phebe remains
their [sic], washing tea-cup && in perty [sic] good helth [sic] I recived [sic] a letter from her
a few day past, said she was quilting,    Edmund & Mary R said she
had lately visited them-- and said she did know but she must come and live
with them they lived so, nice & had such good milk of their own cow
Edmond was quite poorly wen [sic] up last   W L Robbins said yesterday
he was better-- Edmund is particular to enquier [sic] after you and when
I have had a letter,    the [sic] said the [sic] hope Sister Mary would write soon
I cant say as to that I have not herd her say, they are well Edwards [Eliza?]
has been poorly conciderably [sic] this winter pain in side & sholder [sic] look pale
Roberts sons both left him gone to [NY?] Elias driving cart Willet in a
dry good Store in Liberty St dont recolect [sic] the Name. so Jericho it semes [sic]
to be loosing [sic] its [native?] inhabitants, Valintines house all shut up and
at present it look hardly likely, he will ever occupy it again, however
this is the Dr opinion, his legs swell the heart they think is the seat of deseas [sic]
Abigail is busily active seams [sic] rich and full of many wants-- direct=
-opposite [sic] to last summer then it was poverty nothing to eat ore [sic] were [sic]. she
is now sensible, but Caroline has the care of her Fathers [sic] meals altogether
Daniel & [Caroline?] Underhill has a little boy 3 months old call him Samuel
Caroline a tedious time with a [gatherd?] brest [sic] hope it is now on the mend
she is very quiet patient women her mother or Sister constantly with her
I dont See but W & Matilda will take their visit with you out in talk
they would like to perform it think-- W has only a boy who is perty [sic] careful
but not sufficiently so to leave long at a time so esccept [sic] their love & good will

(Page 4)

[Text normal top third of page]

James Mott and Elizabeth & all their Children with J & M Wall took [dinner?]
with John Kecham at our table on a fine turkey & the last Day of the year
Rebekah declined scins [sic] that we have^nt^ seen Elizabeth W & Matilda has visited
them found them all well & comfortable had a present of a stove from
Ellison [Cornell?] & they have put another window in that the back room
looks imprved [sic] E has not wend [sic] Wallas yet but has left him home & went
to NY got her a dark velvet bonnet & [Cornel?] is runing [sic] up quite tall
they go to school -- I have been escpecting [sic] Elizabeth to com[sic] and stay some days
but now I here [sic] the boys has stood a chance for the mumps so I may
be disappointed yet longer. Amy I yesterday said to Rebekah what the [sic]
said. well she replied we will come up, and then said why I believe
I shall write up to them, they had company -- & to day it a cold [stormy?]
day-- they have letter from Phebe as often as once a month they think. The
last said little Jefferies had a[humor?] in his [face?] and that he was most
as large as Johne [sic]

[Continues below with line beginning “Well I see”]

[Text in mid page left margin, written upward]

12 of 2 moth dear Amy no slight to no
but one seems as much as I have
to comunicate[sic] no matter who I direc^t^
to our love is to both & all your moth [sic]
                                                                Mary Kirby
my arm does continue to graderly [sic] gain
I can sew and [knit?] comfortably
14 all well fai[obliterated] ing as I [illegible]

[Text in center of page, written upward]

                                                                                10
Feb
14^th

Sarah L Hallowell
Rochester Monroe Co__
                                NY

[Text normal bottom third of page, following “as large as Johne” above.]

well I see I have got nearly to the end of my paper and I have said nothing of the
[Archers?] Rachel nor Benjamin each one must stand on his own foundation
so I will let them alone, father says you carry on so up their [sic] he dont
no [sic] when we shall come, he frequently says overding [sic] is undoing he is
he is fearful of runing [sic] too fast -- the other day we were speaking of visiting
you he said he believed he should not unless his duty caled [sic] him to it
a sincear [sic] well wisher to all I think, we were also astonished also to here [sic] of
Benjmine [sic] resignation, tel [sic] us how it progreses [sic] in you [sic] next we doe [sic] all seam [sic] to
endevou [sic] to do right oureselvs [sic]. I have lately seen David Sands Journal its a
good one not large abought[sic] the size of small testament som [sic] very remarkble [sic]
accurecy [sic] where he felt his mind particular drawn entirely led by the secret
intimations

Tags

Family; Medicine

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Kirby, Mary R, “Kirby, Mary R. Letter to Sarah L Kirby Hallowell Willis.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3018.

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