Grace Bristed letter to Abby Hopper Gibbons

New York April 30. 1863

Dear Mrs. Gibbons. I blame my self
[?] for not having William go sooner
but day after day has skipped by.
Without my doing so, I left Sallie
at [Baltimore] as she will have told you,
feeling very forlorn indeed as I looked
my last on her face, and wishing
to hold fast on to her. After a tiresome
journey I arrived safely though late
in New York & took Bess quite by
surprise. Shall I confess it? for
some time after my arrival here,
I was troubled with a desperate homesickness
for the Point, but now the
old accustomed way of life seems
natural again & though I miss you

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sacrifice to his country of letting you stay there when
you are so
useful, [which]
is generous
as he always is.
Thank you dear
Mrs. Gibbons for forwarding
his letter & for the little
note. I shall write soon
to Sallie. [?] told her
to ask her if I shall
enclose it here the $18 [?]

all there, and would like much
to take Mother down, in [which] case
I could be contented there I think
very great while, yet now it
seems more fitting to be here once
more. You will be glad to hear that
Dear Mother arrived from Boston
Yesterday evening looking very
well with a healthy wholesome
look about her that is very pleasant
to behold. She brings good news of
Aunt Kate, who had 2 weeks since
following the first attack, a second
[which] was violent & alarming, but
[which] soon passed off, leaving her very
weak; and she is now doing well
though forbidden any excitement
company or letter writing. She is

[crosshatching]

of her, or let you take it from my [underlined] salary [/underlined]. Is there
any chance of my getting that I wish I
could. Mother has now 6 scholars engaged
and we have some hope of 2 or 3 more.
My best love to dear Sallie, whom I miss
greatly; please remember me kindly
to all, to Miss Lewell whom I [?]
like & all my friends. Tell Frank
I shall write to him soon. Are the
patients all gone yet? Goodbye my dear friend

cheerful & patient, but alas! I fear
very much she will never be the
same again. There was a very pleasant
little dinner party here at the
Field's yesterday, & I happened to
mention at dinner the facts connected
with your dismissal of that Rebel
master, in so summary a style.
You remember, the one whom you
told [to do?] because there was but
one [?]. I went in St Mary's Co
& his name was gone! It delighted
them all greatly, & Mr. Field joined
in the applause, saying you were
a great woman, & had a great mission!
How do you feel now!! praise for
the great me. I hope will not
intoxicate you. People in New York
seem to be very cheerful about the

war, but of how fearful the prices
are. I want dreadfully to hear from
Sallie, to know how she got thro' her
Dentistry, & got back, if she saw Miss
Wagner & a thousand etcs; I lunched
at Jules with Bessie on Monday &
had a most pleasant time, full
looks charming, bright & very pretty.
Mrs. Choate was there, and also [?]
as I took pains tho' carefully to find
out, but your mind has already been
set at [?] on that subject. Lucy
was not at home for [which] I was very
sorry, but I shall soon go again. Mr
Gibbons was so kind as to come to
see me on Sunday P.M. & he looks
very well, but I [underlined] guess [/underlined] they miss
you awfully! though he says he
ought to be willing to make the