Abby Hopper Gibbons letter to her children; Lucy Gibbons Morse to Sarah Hopper Emerson

My dear children

I did my best
to secure Kate Hoffman for Mrs Pat
but as yet am unsuccessful. She
has a step-mother who oppresses her
by fruit selling, that she is becoming
deformed by the carrying of great
weights. I must attend to her
case personally, and shall try all
reasonable ways, and then if I must
shall steal her, such servitude
is pitiful if there is any way to
[underlined] Post [/underlined] the result of my efforts, pray
do it. Julia will fix Mrs
Appa in the best way. I had
Appa's consent to place him
(the child) as I pleased in his
absence. We shall go to
Salem. 3rd day, I found
it decidedly best to visit the
Drury's den, as we shall not
return to Boston. They are just
the same true good people are
home and found them, not a
vestige of change in Addy, one
sensible girl is she in that particular.
There is great need that
every engaged girl should pressure

[sideways along left side]
Love to William who will please tell his mother, that
Charles looked far brighter & less anxious when he left him

with tenderest care, all her near
family relations, which she can never
afford to lose, however she may deceive
herself into the romantic & false
idea, that she must narrow the span
of her affections & interests to the selfishness
of one individual, who [underlined] never [/underlined] possess
all the elements required to secure
such happenings as mortal woman
stands in need of. Let her nature
enlarge that there may be room for all.
I am greatly pleased with Addys
perfectly natural way of touching upon
her future course, as if [underlined] she [/underlined] had
a voice and a will, and a way, as a
woman should, and an independence
to speak without liberty from any, and
with a frankness & honesty that does honor to
her womanhood. They are both
[underlined] individuals [/underlined] to be led by their own
individual convictions, a course
tending to the benefit of each. I never
yet found a man right in all things
neither a woman. These remarks
are for the thought of my dear
unmarried daughters, who have come
up in their own way pretty much, and
I am jealous that their lives may [mislead]

[sideways along left margin]
[mislead] them, so prone are girls to become possessed of the

[sideways text written by AHG]
observed notion [underlined] that [/underlined]
it is a wife's duty
to submit even to
the waywardness
of her husband.
God forbid
that [underlined] our [/underlined] free children
should [underlined] fall [/underlined]
into such an error

You will have
my love through
every charge, grant
me admiration too
I stand in need
of all the strength
you can share, for
I am very sensible
of my own shortcomings.
Let us
dispense to each
such as we have
Your loving
Mother

[Letter from Lucy to Sally]

Rochester, Aug 21st/59

Dear Sally

We left Cambridge yesterday
morning after having a delightful visit, very
quiet but very lovely. We have been to Medford
and Wayland and now have in our
list, Salem, Dover, Keene and Northhampton

Medford is beautiful. I never saw a house
in every way more perfect, and more beautiful
with flowers. We took a great box of the latter
to Cambridge for Mrs Walker

On Fourth day we surprised Aunt Maria
and Uncle David. They were really glad to
see us and treated us most cordially. They
asked after all of you, showed us all their
pretty things, gave us dinner and were sorry
to have us go away.

When we went back to Dr. Walker's I went
rowing with Jimmy Lowell and brought home
some water lilies. Carley was to go with
us but the boat was rather small for
three people.

[crossed out: We s] I saw, but Mother did not, [Mr. Hartwell]

[Mr. Hartwell] and Mr. Patten, who called at the
Doctor's.

It is real pleasant here. Addy is just as
nice as ever and not a bit changed. We are
not to have the pleasure of [seeing] Mr. Hepworth
as he is away. He [underlined] is [/underlined] Anti Slavery, doesn't
wear a white choker and is not ministerial
(of course that is only what we hear).

I could tell a great deal if I were with you
all but I really do not know what to write.
William Choate made us a very pleasant
call only a few days after we arrived, and
brought us a really beautiful note from
Carry. We shall be glad to go to Salem.
Indeed I have told every thing I can think
of, so I will leave a place for Mother.
With love to all, including the girls, the
cat, the bird and [underlined] not [/underlined] the fish,
thy loving sister
Lucy.

P.S. Best love to Uncle John

[more text from AHG]
I [underlined] hope [/underlined] you can read what I have so
hastily written with Hepworth's old
quill, mine having going to Salem
Your father is a splendid Sue Maker
I am indebted to his talent for every
idea that comes into my heart