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a single lady who had two nieces living with her, we had a private parlour and took our meals to ourselves. They became so much attached that to us, that they could hardly part with us, and it would afford them the greatest pleasure to see us again. There was an old gentleman Colonel Mosely who loved us as his grandchildren and whenever we spoke of returning home, tears filled his eyes. We became acquainted with every one in the place — October 15th 1837. Sunday. There was a family there from the west, who boarded in the same house with us with whom we became very intimate. They are still there, and a correspondence is kept up between us. It is so long since we left the North, that numerous incidents which at the time were interesting, have left not a vivid enough impression to enable me to relate them in a clear distinct manner. I must therefore give but a short sketch of our sojourn there, & perhaps not a very satisfactory one. When we first saw snow we were perfectly delighted, and thought it a sight worth going to the North to see, the sleigh rides were delightful, and even our walks to school through the snow, with stockings over our shoes to prevent us from falling were pleasant. When we first wore the stockings over our shoes, we were quite concerned, less persons should think we had no shoes on, but we were told no one would think Southerners so brave as to go without shoes in
Winter, and found it was the custom there to wear stockings in that way. The studies we attended to were History, Geography, Arithmetic, Astronomy, Philosophy, Rhetoric & Grammar, but as we left school before we had finished we were perfect in neither branch, our accomplishments were music & drawing the former I have given up, & the latter I learnt two quarters of, we left the North unexpectedly & were therefore unfinished in every thing. I left school at thirteen, & think I deserve great credit for being even as well informed as I am. I have a great taste for improvement, & derive the greatest pleasure from reading. I never feel lonely, even when alone & always have enough, sometimes too much to [employ] me. But to return - my brother had a great many intimate friends who loved us also, and to this day, though far separated, cherish a sincere regard for us. One of them, now in Maryland loved us too much for his own happiness, & would give the world to be able to see us again. The others are scattered about in different states, and it is most probable, we may never see them again. We remained stationary in New Haven, except during our vacation which we generally spent at a farm house, or village a few miles from the town. When we went to house keeping it was delightful, we lived near one of the kindest of old ladies, who loved us so much that she wished Mamma when she returned home, to leave two of us with her
to go to school. Mamma was destined not to return with her whole family, After we had been a few months in our own house, sickness entered it, we all had scarlet fever. I was the first and had it most slightly, the others suffered greatly, and with my little sister it proved fatal, this was the first real affliction we had met with, and we felt it, to be deprived of a member of our little family was indeed severe, and never, never, will my sister be forgotten by me, it only serves to make me more anxious, so to live, that I may be fitted where I die to enter those blessed regions, where she is enjoying happiness unspeakable.As I look back to the period when we had her with us, every thing relating to her recurs to my mind, not in an [indistinct], but in a most vivid manner. And as time advances this is still the case. Ever will that place be regarded with sacred interest by me, where for the last time on earth we were an unsevered family. What bliss beyond description will it to be, to be united once more to those dear objects, torn from you here, and who as time advances you are only more anxious to be reunited to. If heaven is a place of perfect happiness, we must have the feelings of affection that we hade here, & be able to distinguish those we loved from those to whom we were indifferent, Love constitutes the happiness of this world, who could be happy without loving and being loved. No one indeed.
You might be resigned, and contented, but not exquisitely happy.
Monday night, October 23d 1837. I again take up my Journal to write a few times in it. We remained at the North one year after removing from the boarding house to our own house. At the expiration of that time my brothers health seemed bad, and my mother determined to return home. It was in January, a bad month to be at sea, but however we thought there was no risk, & made preparations to leave New Haven. We gave up the house we were in, and boarded at a kind friends for a few days. Our regret at leave a place, where he had resided so long as to feel perfectly at home, and where we had experienced so much kindness, and enjoyed so much happiness, was extreme. Our friends were equally sorry to part with us, and as a proof of this love loaded us with presents. Two of them accompanied us to New York, and remained until we set sail for Charleston. We embarked under fair [auspices], and the prospect of a speedy voyage. For passing Cape Hatteras we had a storm and the weather was expressively cold. The Captain thought there was some danger, but after a few hours, the wind subsided, the sea was calm, & all danger was over. My Mother had set sail with a bad cold, which during the voyage increased, and by the time we
reached Charleston she became so sick, that our fears were excited on her account.
Our own house was not ready for us, and our Aunt had prepared rooms in her house for our reception. We therefore after landing proceeded to her house, and remained there a month or two, my Mother became extremely ill, with inflammatory rheumatism. She was in great danger, but in the end recovered slowly. She was still spared to be a blessing to us.
My brothers health being restored, returned to the North, as he was anxious to graduate. We removed to our Uncle's house, where we spent the following summer, while he was travelling in the Upper Country.
Our friends I believe generally, thought us improved from our residence at the North, and were pleased to have us back with them again. They were so predjudiced against the North, they did not like the idea of our residing there altogether.
The summer we spent at out Uncle's house, was one of the least pleasant of our lives. We were so high up, and the weather so warm, we could not see much of our friends, and we found it quite lonely.
Just before our Uncle returned our own house being ready, we removed to that. We were