[in pencil: Mother]
New York May 6/65
My dear daughter
The letters are
in thy fathers hands - I intended
to go to Gurney today but
Aunt Sarah came before I
let out & passed the whole
of a very pleasant day - This
is the week of the Home and
Industrial School meetings,
which fast has given me
more to do - I have written
to dear Chesley I hope it will
bring a response - poor fellow
I cannot help feeling a warm
sympathy, as I am apt to for
all oppressed people of every
condition - Lucy Hale came
today & her condition proves
abundantly that newspapers
take delight in rumors
[left side]
which have a foundation
she is happy & bright - [underlined] quiet [/underlined]
as such treatment would incline
her to be -
The Piano (which is
a Steinway) delights its owner,
who says it is perfectly satisfactory -
It is certainly a handsome
piece of furniture and
Lucy is fairly entitled to it -
It is time I felt the necessity
of making home attractive to
Lucy, and to gratify her fondness & taste
for music was the [underlined] best means [/underlined]
for which it “lends enchantment
to the ear”, gives her at the
same time pleasant occupation
- It goes toward
filling vacancy too, which
is satisfying to Julia - while
to me, every vacant place
which we attempt to fill
[right side]
gives me a pang - The lonely places
seem everywhere - there is
no such thing as resigning oneself
to the losses, [crosses?] trials & tribulations
which test us - The most
we can do, is to accept patently
and diligently strive against
circumstances - and if possible
be lifted above it all - [underlined] potently [/underlined]
did I say? just the virtue
I stand most in need of
I entreat my children to profit
by my short comings - and be
especially careful not to attach
yourselves too strongly to [struck through: ina]
inanimate objects & thereby
save yourselves munch suffering
if they are lost to you
It is true few homes had so
much to lose - so sacredly associated
men the innumerable
& super standing gifts, from
loved & loving friends, that it is
no miracle that we loved so much
The carpets were faded & somewhat
threadbare, but no [underlined] new [/underlined]
carpets could [fitty?] fell their
places, for the fact that [?]
over them in your young days
made them of sympathy [?]
to me - Every thing upon which
the eye rested told a pleasant
story of the many good & gifted
who had helped us through
so many years - and what an
array of names (all told) who
had given us the light of
their countenances - Hope is
live, and I took to a [underlined] setting
up, [/underlined] and while I am waiting
& hoping, shall take every ray
of sunshine & every fragrant
flower which comes in my way
and when clouds come, quietly
pass from under