Abby Hopper Gibbons letter to Sarah Hopper Gibbons Emerson

New York Aug 8/73

My dear daughter, I hope our letters
reach thee promptly, which is of more
importance than if thine to us are delayed
because we are a more gone people, generally
while thou art not so [summonded?]
although Charles is at thy right hand. I
am delighted that the knife pleased him
and that Mrs Charles is pleased with her
gifts which were pretty, and I am glad
she thought so. I hope the Lake is lovely
to thy eye and that the months of thy
absence may be full of happenings, and
and splendidly, and that thy seat at table
may be occupied by its rightful owner
Thy father has taken it for the summer
the light falls on the News of a morning
and shades his eyes, he enjoys the school
room, but says there is nothing to compare
with the Den, which is out of sight &
sound. When he called to pay the Rent
1st of August he saw clearly that the
house is in former hands. Sam was
just walking in, evidently to bear away
the prize. The [underlined] truth [/underlined] is such, to mankind
but it does not exist, in that quarter
We have just received a letter from
Lucy telling us that Alice Morse has
just had a tumor taken from her side.

The size of a Duck's egg. She is doing well
the tumor was not of a serious nature,
but there were large arteries &c and it occupied
nearly two hours. She took [?]
the cutting took but a few minutes, but
the consequences took time. Bonny, she
reports as saying very often, "Aunty Labby
sick, go to bed." She caught it from
hearing his [?] read about the sea
voyage [underlined] her father [/underlined]. The little Dula
come to have a party with Julia before
going away, she missed thee greatly.
A letter received from Julia today
tells us she is to take train from Beverly
Farms with Joe Parrish who will
look out for her and accompany her
to York to pass a week with Aunt Anna
that will be nice all round.

Just here I wish to make a statement
of a remarkable character,
our front door bell did not ring
once all day yesterday. Thy father
thought the like never happened before
To be sure Anna Mason who
takes your breath with her eternal
talking, was on the step in the evening
for two mortal hours, and Dr Harris
for at least one hour.

I am very much afraid I tell
things twice, but uncaring thee [underlined] shall [/underlined]
be told this,

know the risk. The Home women went on a [prime?]
to Sailors Susy Harbor. Miss Pearson & Miss Jarvis
went with them, also a Police Officer who was
very kind and made himself agreeable
They had plenty of Ham sandwiches [?]
cheese, milk & ice bought down there &c &c
They had a splendid time and Miss Pearson
said they behaved in the most satisfactory
manner. Miss Drake had an [underlined] "impression" [/underlined]
that it was right for her to visit all the meetings
in New York State which opened the way to fill
her place. So Miss Jarvis who is O.K. in
the [?] Department makes Miss Pearson
House matron where she is most satisfactory
Miss Knickerbocker [?] as door post, found out
herself that it would not answer & said so
much to our relief

It is a pleasure for which we are grateful, to receive
thy letters and they come very regularly It
is a mighty dull season so news of any kind and
we find we can live without other than letters from
our dear children bring, a month left enliven
the scene no doubt, often all there way [?] one
fact, that there is more to make one
cheerful & happy than when Julia was abroad.
It seemed at that period as if there was a conspiracy
to serve up disagreeables. We are looking
for James' return in a little over a month
and we will have seen thee meantime I hope
I suppose thee has heard from Barnstable
we have not since Frank left

All are well at
Aunt Rachels & every where else and upon
the whole, "we live and thrive and have a being
and think life is worth living for

Thy loving Mother