Searching for Susan

Edwin pens a Sabbath letter.

At home in Acton. Sunday Eve. Oct. 28, 1866

My dear Susie.

Another pleasant Sabbath is about closing but before it is entirely gone I will write a few lines in answer to a letter received last eve from my dearest friend. I have attended all the usual services of the day having just returned from the evening meeting. Mr. Noyes the agent of the society for home evangelization preached for us this A.M. He was quite interesting but has the fault of most agents of being too longwinded.

My brother and family took dinner with me as usual. I do not think they will have another opportunity of doing so at present for I do not expect our house will be in condition to receive them next week. I expect the carpenters tomorrow to commence work and next week I shall expect the painter.

I shall be glad when they are done and happy when I am nicely settled down with one that I love to take charge of my quiet home and share it with me. I am looking forward with pleasure to that time and trust that thoughts of it are not all sad ones to you and your friends.

I am not surprised that you should have such feelings toward your scholars and it shows a trait of character that I love, but dear Susie I hope you will not be disappointed in finding as much happiness in another situation as you have done in the schoolroom.

I thought the committee would have applications enough as soon as it was known there was to be a vacancy, but they may find some difficulty in selecting the right one for the place.

Our visit to Ipswich I shall always remember with pleasure and hope that we may have other opportunities of meeting the friends there especially my friend at your Cousin Lucretia's. I do not think we could select a better evening for a ride and you know that l enjoyed it.

I must ask your pardon for inviting you to meet me in Boston after such a jaunt and the labors of the day and if you will forgive my thoughtlessness I will try and do better in future. I had a very comfortable ride home. I got out of the village as I met my brother coming for me with a large shawl for a protection against taking cold in my teeth, which I did not find necessary to use.

I provided a very pretty bouquet for the church today with the aid of some of mother's flowers which I think was satisfactory considering the lateness of the season.

John goes to Boston tomorrow to see about an organ. We feel sure about having one. The only question I think will be its size which will depend upon the amount of money raised. We dedicate the "Music Hall" and our new books tomorrow evening.

Wednesday eve Gov. Boutwell speaks at South Acton.

George Boutwell was another Massachusetts Republican who was a strong abolitionist long before the Civil War. He had served as the state's governor fifteen years earlier and was the first Commissioner of the Internal Revenue under President Abraham Lincoln. At the time of these letters, Boutwell was a member of the United States Congress, representing Edwin Fletcher's district. Later, he would serve in both President Grant's and President Hayes' administrations.

I was glad to hear that Miss Brown was improving for your sake as well as her own. I enclose the tintype promised on exchange, but was a little tempted to keep it as a curiosity. I trust you will take good care of it.

I have not got up a very high trade for mine yet. I am enjoying my warm room "all alone" and you know dear Susie that it is for you to say how long it is to be so.

I am anxious to get my teeth and may go after them the last of the week and will you think me too neighborly to call on you again soon?

Don't you wish I would get paper that was ruled on all sides?

Perhaps I had better not trust the tintype in the mail for fear of its being lost. I will look for a letter Tuesday and expect one.

Wishing you goodnight and a pleasant ride in the morning I remain with much love yours aff.,

Edwin.

Their letters cross in the mail.

Danversport, Oct. 28th, 66. Sabbath afternoon

My Dear Edwin,

Home & a warm fire seem very pleasant tonight after coming in from the cold; & we would enjoy it more if you were here to take tea & spend the evening with us; but although miles measure the distance which separates us, thought has travelled the road to you more than once today.

Lynn. Monday Oct. 29th.

I had proceeded thus far in writing to you and was interrupted by company and so when I take my pen again I find myself in Lynn & Monday nearly gone. I left home as usual early this morning & passed the hours in the schoolroom much as usual, receiving little kindnesses from the scholars & expressions of regret that they should learn from the report of the school-committee that I would be their teacher no longer.

I then thought on leaving school at noon, I would call at the office, & was I not glad when "Emilio" said a letter had just come for me in that mail; & still more glad when I recognized the familiar & ever welcome hand-writing. And now I suppose you are just going home to tea & it is pleasant to think that perhaps sometime I may welcome you at such a time & we may together enjoy that social hour.

I thank you for all of your kind words of your letter. I know from experience that it is pleasant to have dear friends who love us and whom we may love; & to feel that even though absent from them we are remembered.

Not feeling quite well yesterday I remained at home from church in the morning & in the afternoon heard Mr. Holbrook at the Baptist. His sermon was very good & he introduced it by saying "Perfect happiness is found only in heaven, but if we live right we may enjoy much on earth.

We have had no evening so pleasant as when we rode from Ipswich & am glad if you enjoyed the ride as well as I. You certainly showed no thoughtlessness in inviting me to meet you in Boston. I wanted to go & accomplished my errand & if I did get tired, I rested afterwards.

You have not had a very nice day for beginning on the house; I hope you will not take cold from the exposure to wh. you may be subjected. I know you will be glad when the work is finished & trust your anticipations for the future will not be unrealized, & if I am well, with some assistance perhaps, sometime in January I may be ready to come to you; but dear Edwin I can but look upon it as one of the most important steps of my life. I have ever felt that my heavenly Father has guided my way & may I not feel assured He will lead us still? And while I look to you as my earthly friend & companion shall we not together commit our every interest to Him who will be a better friend than we can ever be to each other?

I will not think you too 'neighborly if I should see you this week. You know I am always glad to meet you. What day shall I see you? The sweet clover was very fresh when I opened the letter, having been so short a time on the way. I always wish I had some sweet flowers to send you; but as I am without them, will you take the will for the deed?

Miss Brown was in school today and is better. I presume you will have a fine sing this evening. I would like to be a hearer. The wind sounds cold, & cheerless tonight & reminds me of coming winter. I enjoy the thought of not having to start for Lynn in the cold mornings. How do you like the idea? You will not look in vain tomorrow for a letter, & if this reaches you then I wish very much I may hear from you on Wednesday, may I not? And now I think I had better not write anymore at this time, but will tell you the rest this week when I see you. With much love & a good night, I am aff. Your,

Susan.

At last! Even if a firm marriage date isn't set, at least we know the month!

Acton Tuesday Evening, October 30th

My dear Susie.

I did not look in vain for a letter this evening and as you "wish very much" to receive one from me tomorrow I will write a few lines before bidding you good night. I have thought of you on your way to and from school in the rain today and have not we had a nice rain? I hope and think we shall have a pleasant day tomorrow, as the storm will interfere with my work if it should continue longer. I have had one day's work on my window which is not one of improvement but of destruction. Today I have had a new sink put in which I think you will find a useful piece of furniture and an improvement on the old one.

If pleasant I shall expect two men to work tomorrow and shall hope for some signs of improvement.

We had a very pleasant time last evening and notwithstanding the very dark and cheerless evening we had about 20 at our sing. None but members of the choir are invited. We have a melodeon and John played an accompaniment on his violin. We intend to meet once a week and the singing school at South Acton is to be kept once a week which I think I shall attend.

I also enjoy the thought that you are not always to go to school and be exposed to all weather but are to cheer my home and fireside instead.

Don't you think it will be more pleasant to me this cold winter to come home and find a warm house and a companion and friend to greet me? I think you take the right view of the step you have taken for it certainly is one of great importance and one upon which your and my happiness is to depend , and I think we can look with confidence to our heavenly father for his blessing upon us.

I have written to my dentist this this P.M. that I will meet him on Friday if pleasant and dear Susie, do you think I can come so near Lynn without calling on you? I hardly know how to leave home but next week I shall find it still more difficult as my brother will be away and I shall have more work on my hands.

The Military had a dance in the hall last evening but as our choir met the same evening I could not attend. They did not have a large party.

I also received a paper from you in which I see your name in print which is very satisfactory to me when I think of the reason of its being there.

Mother has not been very well today but is better tonight. I am sorry you were not able to hear the lecture by Mr. Fletcher for which I suppose I am responsible. It was through ignorance that deprived you of that treat. And now my dear Susie as it is getting late I will bid you good night and wishing for you pleasant dreams and hoping to hear from you again soon and to see you soon after hearing from you I will remain very truly and affectionately yours.

Edwin