1846 BERNARDSTON MASS STAMPLESS - GREAT LETTER FROM TEACHER TO HIS COUSIN IN NH


1846 BERNARDSTON MASS STAMPLESS - GREAT LETTER FROM TEACHER TO HIS COUSIN IN NH

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1846 BERNARDSTON MASS STAMPLESS - GREAT LETTER FROM TEACHER TO HIS COUSIN IN NH:
$79.99


1846 stampless folded letter, with red \"BERNARDSTON/MASS\" cds and manuscript \"5\" rate, addressed to Miss Emily O. Richardson, at South Marlow, New Hampshire.

Lengthy, 3+ pgs. letter, approx. 8\" x 10-1/8\", dated at Greenfield, Mass., March 5, 1846, from \"Flavel\", to his cousin, Miss Emily O. Richardson, at South Marlow, New Hampshire. (Greenfield is approx. 9 miles from Bernardston, where the letter was posted).

The writer of this letter was John Flavel Griswold, (1825-1898), born in Greenfield, Mass., the son of Lyman Griswold (1793-1863) and Urania Barrett (1796-1880).

The letter is to his cousin,Emily O. Richardson, attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, at South Hadley, Mass., 1846-1847, and from 1847 to 1860,was a teacher at Alstead, Sullivan & Hinsdale, N.H.; Northfield, Rochester & Brattleboro, Vermont, and at Marietta, Ohio. In 1860, she married Rev. John Calvin Kimball. She died in 1902, at Hartford, Ct.

A well-written letter, with great content, from this 21 year old who has just finished teaching a school at nearby Gill, Massachusetts, which had a bad reputation for being ungovernable, and that he had to \"shake up\" on of the \"large boys\", which \"was done thoroughly\". He also refers to Emily\'s plans to go to Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, writes of the death of Grandmother Richards from Typhus Fever, and more interesting content.

Includes:

\"Ever dear and remembered cousin, It is evening, and I am once more liberated from the cares and perplexities of the school room and quietly seated at the fireside of home. I have just been sitting at the window watching the last faint rays of departing day, as they lingered along the western horizon, but have now passed away and given place to the gloom of night, with my thoughts the while wandering from this to the granite State, and picturing to the imaginations, scenes which are transpiring there. Would that I were this evening in your company, listening to the rehearsal of weeks and months which are past - but enough of this.

I received your letter dated Feb. 20th last Sabbath. The pleasure and satisfaction which I enjoyed perusing it, I need not describe, indeed I cannot. Have been teaching in the north part of Gill the winter past, but that is no news. Closed my school one week ago last Friday - had a very pleasant school, more so than I expected. The school has had rather a bad name a few years past, being ungovernable, &c, &c, &c. I did not have to shake up but one of the large boys, but that was done thoroughly now I tell you. Like the people of the district very well. Some rough ones.

I am sorry cousin, to have you think that I am guilty of telling an untruth, but so it is. It wasnot done intentionally, and I ask your pardon. When you left I told you that I thoughtI should visit you in the winter, and I did expect to, as much as I expected anything, but soon after, I engaged a school, so you see my time has all been employed. I should have written to you long before this time, but duties have crowded upon me in such quick succession as to leave me no time for it. And Emily, dare you tell me that it is the want of affection that has prevented me from writing to you, have you for one moment harboured the thought, banish it from your mind forever, and bury it in the depths of oblivion. Be assured, cousin, the frosts of winter have not harmed my affections, nor frozen the emotions of my soul. Not a day has passed but what something has occurred which has recalled the past with all its pleasing and reviving associations. How rapidly time passes, it seems but a day since you was here, yet it is months. Soon the bright and sunny days of our youth will be gone and the cares, duties and responsibilities of life corrode our enjoyment.

Glad to learn that your prospect for the future and for Holyoke are so bright. May the sun of prosperity shed her encouraging influence along your path, and may it never be dimmed by the dark clouds of adversity.

As it respects myself, I hardly know what to think. The want of funds seems to be almost an insurmountable barrier, and offers (I had almost said) defiance to any exertion I may make, but as hope is all that keeps the soul alive, I will hope and take courage. Shall go to school next fall, if I can consistently, but cannot tell so long before hand how it will be,but I will hope, and hope that my hopes may be indulged.

Oh! Emily, I have some painful news to tell you. Grandmother Richards is dead. She was taken suddenly ill last Sabbath morning, and after a fewdays of severe pain and suffering, her spirit took its flight to another, and we trust, a better world, where sorrow and sighing are known no more. Her complaint was the typhus fever. The funeral is to be attended on Monday, at one o\'clock.

I have thought some of going toAlstead this spring, but as the snow is deep and the travelling rather bad, I think it best to wait a while - but I am coming and no mistake - and I think on the whole it will be pleasanter to go in the summer than now. Oh! yes, then I can visit your school and we can take some fine botanical excursions. Mother says she does wish Emily would come down and teach our school next summer, and I wish so too, and so do all the rest. Father is committee, Rhotrude is coming up to go school next summer. What fine times we could have studying, &c.if youwould come. Emily, I do want to see you if ever I wanted to see anybody....

Guess I have written as much as you will have patience to read, but I have not said half what I want to, nor I couldn\'t if I should write a week....

Overlook all mistakes, for I have written it upon the run. My love to all, all send. Be careful and not study too hard...Now Emily, you keep this letter to yourself. Don\'t expose.\"

Very Fine.


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1846 BERNARDSTON MASS STAMPLESS - GREAT LETTER FROM TEACHER TO HIS COUSIN IN NH:
$79.99

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