Searching for Susan

Susan writes to Edwin from her childhood home in Ipswich, Mass.

Ipswich December 9, 1866 Sabbath Evening.

It is always pleasant to me to write to you on this day of the week & at this hour of the day when the sun is gilding the west before it sinks entirely behind the hills. And as I sit now in the room where my earliest days were spent many scenes come before me which tell me of dear ones who pass the days in God's temple not mad e with hands & as I write I wish you could take this seat by the same window & we would together see such beautiful clouds as we enjoyed on our pleasant morning ride to Concord.

How quickly time is flying & I am by that as well as by your letter reminded that not many weeks or Sabbaths remain to be spent "at home." But, dear Edwin, it seems to me that we shall find pleasant ones in store for us in the future if we are permitted to meet in "our cottage home."

Cousin Lissie & I have just been kindling a fire in the stove & would like you to enjoy it with us. Sometime you will won't you? And sometimes in return I will sit with you around the fire which you will kindle.

I have attended church twice today; this morning I heard our own pastor Mr. Southgate & this afternoon I went with Lissie to their church. Since commencing to write I have taken tea & having left the parlor to Annie & her friend I will go on writing my letter. Perhaps you are engaged in a similar way & I am looking forward to the arrival of the mail tomorrow for a letter from you. I do not think you will disappoint me. Did you receive a hasty note yesterday? I hurriedly wrote a few lines just before starting for Ipswich. I thought you would not think it a very satisfactory letter but trusted you would excuse it once more.

I received a letter from Miss Brown & also one from Mr. Hills in the same mail with your last, & which do you think I opened first? Not Annie Brown's and not Mr. Hills', but one from a dear, kind friend, whom you do not need me to tell you. From their letters I find I am not quite forgotten by them in school; but I do think I enjoy taking my own time Monday mornings & not hurry for the cars before sunrise.

Tomorrow I am to spend the day with another of my many cousins, & quite a band of them are to meet in the afternoon & use their needles for my benefit, and yours too, is it not?

Aunt Martha has just come in and wishes to be remembered to you & would like to have you come & see them. Perhaps I have written enough for this evening & will finish when I have received yours. Why do you not tell me I am growing very careless about my writing? I think you must have noticed it, & perhaps if you had hinted as much, I should have made some effort at improvement. Now, once more, dear Edwin I will bid you good night, & wait to hear from you tomorrow.

Tuesday morn. 10 1/2 o'clock.She makes plans to see him the following week.

Dear Edwin,

Yesterday afternoon while at Cousin Martha's I was most happy to receive your long letter. I need not tell you how glad I was to hear from you & this is such a nice day that I wish I could be at home that I might see you tonight. I have just come in from the office with a letter from Mary & she tells me of a package which came from Acton bearing your handwriting. I am impatient to see it.

I am glad others are so well pleased with the room-papers; though most important that we should like them. Mary intends to come to Ipswich tomorrow & to return to Danvers on Thursday, leaving her here. Then we shall probably go to Boston on Saturday or Monday. Will you excuse me if I make a suggestion with regard to your visit to Danvers?

It would be pleasant for me to see you there on Thursday afternoon, & I shall be at liberty to make any arrangements you wish for Friday. But I must if possible be in Boston on Saturday or Monday, & Tuesday & the remainder of the week, every day I am engaged with a dressmaker & seamstress. But please feel at liberty to do as you think best. But I would like if you can to receive a line Wednesday afternoon directed to Ipswich in care of Thomas H. Lord, informing me if I shall look for you then. If you should mail a letter later than Wednesday morning please direct to Danversport as I intend to leave Ipswich Thursday forenoon.

I think you will need an interpreter for this letter, but by way of excuse I would say I have been writing down in the sitting room with a number of friends talking & asking me questions & the pen is a borrowed one & not of my style.

I am going to Lucretia's today. I must end my letter or it will not reach the mail. With much love & hoping to see you soon, I am truly your,

Susie

While Susan mentions receiving a long letter from Edwin, it is missing. Edwin has however visited her, presumably in Ipswich. She has returned to her brother's home in Danvers when she next writes.

Danversport, Dec. 16th, 1866. Sunday P.M.

My dear Edwin.

One week ago today I wrote to you from Ipswich & was looking forward with much pleasure to your coming! Today I write to you from home & look back on the pleasant hours we spent with each other while you were with us; for I did enjoy your visit & miss you today. But if it seems best to our heavenly father, it will not be many Sabbaths before we may exchange writing for each other's society, & as I look forward to that time when it will be, as it were, a new life to me, I do hope to make it a better life, a more earnest Christian-life & I know my dearest friend that your desires will not be different.

There have been times when I have felt more thankful that I had learned of Christ as a Savior, than at some others, but never so much does it seem so desirable as now, for what is lost if "home" is not a "Christian home". And I feel that "ours" will be a Christian & a happy one, & I hope I shall ever be truly grateful to the giver of all our blessings for his gifts to us.

The wind is blowing & the snow falling fast, reminding us that summer days are over. I hope you are seated around a nice warm fire, but I would rather have you here to help me watch ours.

We took our seats in the cars yesterday after leaving you & found Charles who had arrived before us. We all stopped in Lynn, Charles only till the next train & Mary & I took tea with Mrs. Hills & reached home between seven & eight. I think I was pretty thoroughly tired. I did not sit to hear the clock strike many of the small numbers but retired quite early.

I have attended church only this afternoon & heard Rev. Mr. Toles of the Little Wanderer's Home. I was very much interested in him & one could not listen to his stories without shedding tears. There is work enough all around us if we are only ready to do it, is not there?The Home for Little Wanders began as an orphanage in 1799 but in 1865 began operating as a private organization to care for children orphaned by the Civil War. The home acted as a placement facility for its wards. Though greatly expanded over the years, the facility continues to prosper to this day. It is the oldest agency of its kind in the nation.

I am anxious to hear from you & to know if you reached home safely & if the plants were frozen, & how you found your brother. Did we not have very favorable weather, & go in just the right time to accomplish our work? Has not providence smiled on us & may we not always hope for its blessing?

I think you will have plenty of snow when you wish to send to Lowell. Am I not glad I have not got to rise early & start in the storm for Lynn tomorrow morning? I know I shall enjoy the day at home & won't you come in & take tea & spend the evening with us?

I have looked many times at your beautiful gift & admire its beauty & you know how much I prize it, & how truly I thank you.

I heard from your brother James as being in Boston on Saturday. Mr. & Mrs. Hills were there also. I wonder we did not see them; I think we were too busy. Afternoon has passed into evening & if you could look in upon us you would find Mary & I writing, Charles reading, & Charlie sleeping in his chair. What would you do if you were here? I think if I could peep in at you I should see you with the table drawn up to the fire writing to somebody.

I am not much of a clairvoyant so you need not feel afraid that I shall tell what you are saying. My teeth troubled me some last evening but have behaved very well today. I think the cold in them has nearly gone. I have the impression that there is something about which I was to write to you, but I do not think what it is. I wish I was to have the letter tomorrow, but my turn will come the next day, won't it? Time and paper are hinting that it is time to say good night. So with much love & a good night kiss, I will once more tell you dear Edwin, I am your own,

Susie

Monday morning.

Is not this a storm & is it not well that we did not wait to go to Boston, I shall have a real nice long day to sew & I shall improve it. Mary sends love & so do I. Good morning.

Susie

Susan and Edwin had spent two days together and exchanged gifts of some kind. A diamond ring, perhaps?

Acton Sunday Eve. Dec. 16, 1866

My dear Susie,

I will comply with your request to commence a letter to you this eve and is it not a stormy one. I am enjoying it here all alone in "our cottage home" and dear Susie I do wish you were here to make me enjoy it still more. I have thought of you many times today and of the social evenings we spent together and the two days experiences. I trust you arrived safely home with your precious load and that you find them satisfactory. I can hardly feel reconciled that I should not have your beautiful present to read this evening but instead I will enjoy writing a few lines.

I reached home about 6 o'clock and found everything in the house about as I left them. The fire has not been out since I left home and the plants are in good condition. I called at John's in the evening and found him rather poorly. He had not been out since Thurs. He is now improving and I hope will soon be out again as I have as much business on my hands as I wish without taking his part also. I called down to see him this evening and had a sing.

Mother came in and took a cup of tea with me at noon. Mr. Coleman preached today. The congregation was not quite so large as usual. There was no evening meeting on account of the storm. As I have got to the bottom of the second page I will bid you good night and finish after receiving yours tomorrow evening.

Monday eve.

I received your good long letter fragrant with the beautiful flower this eve for which I do thank you. What a fine snow storm we have had and the prospect is that we are to have some fine sleighing when it is trod and if you will only come to Acton I will give you a sleigh ride. I think I shall go or send for the goods Friday or Sat. if the weather is good and then you will come over will you not?

You know I should have enjoyed watching the fire with you last evening, but was deprived of the privilege. I will sometime gratify your wish. I thought of you this morning and knew you would be glad you was not obliged to start for Lynn High School or Boston to do your shopping.

I think we had very favorable weather and if providence smiles on us in other respects as it does in regard to the weather we can find no fault. I should have been glad to have met James in Boston. I called at John's this evening. He has not been out but thinks of coming to the shop tomorrow if pleasant. I have been busy at the shop all day and evening. I have duties at the house I wish to do. The carpet has not arrived. I shall look for it tomorrow.

I am sorry that your teeth still continue to trouble you. Do not apply yourself too closely to the sewing this week but get what help you can. The Sewing Society meets three miles from Home Thurs. eve. We are planning to turn out in full rank.

And now, dear Susie I must bid you good night as it is getting late and when shall I hear from you again? You know I shall not get it any too soon. Would you like to come to Acton next week if I get the goods home this week? With much love I remain your own affectionate,

Edwin.