[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading]Honolulu April 4th 1889
Dear Cousin Mattie,
Yours of Feb 23-25th was much welcome I had almost given up expecting a letter, till some great event happened in your lives. You see, I am not going to wait four months before answering. Indeed your letter was such a "multum in parvo" letter, that I wanted to sit
rightdown, and answer it right off. But there has been no steamer mail going off since, till now, and I did not care to try a sailing vessel chance. And indeed I have been so very, very busy since the day it arrived (March 16th) that I am sure you will be glad to know all that has happened in these three weeks. They seem an age to me. But before I begin on the account I must talk a little about your items of news, and then go back to my history of three months back, for as you did not write me, the interval has been long since we were in communication.First of all, let me apologize for the "overweight letter" I sent you! It was careless of me - and I will not crowd a letter so again. I thought I weighed it carefully enough too for postage, but the last tip of the scale is charged for, & if not prepar'd made double at the other end of the route. We often have this experience. (I might have kept back Nephew Frank's letter on heavy paper.) Thanks to Maria Wallace for collecting the dates & facts for Brother Levi on the geneological [sic] record. And thanks for all the items about your home news Aunt Ann's health & welfare, your brother's family &c &c. I congratulate John, on his pluck and determination to make the most of himself. I am sure he will suceed [sic], and have a richer life for it. He need not be a professional man to enjoy the results of education. A thoroughly educated farmer is a grand help in any community. Love to all you remember me. Very glad you keep the Dampman's [sic] acquainted with me. Always remember me to Miss Margaret Robinson, & tell her I keep the card she sent with the note she slipped into my hand in the old church in Pequea [Pennsylvania], that morning I spoke there. I know she must be more feeble now, but we shall all meet in the land where eternal vigor will be given us.
I want you to tell me about Mary J. Gault. I heard some how that she was very ill the winter after I was there. Did you write it to me? Has she fully recovered - and is she able to work as hard as before? Well I cannot go back in memory as much as I want to, for letters are not accomplished quite as easy as before and I have so much to say. I quite forget how late my letter to Parker[s]burg [Virginia] was, & have not my diary of last year here to refer to my record of letters, so if I repeat, you will excuse.
In December. and January I was sick. Laid aside from duty and confined to my bed or room most of the time with a very severe attack of prevailing influenza or cough. It took the form of Acute Bronchitis with me. I think I had got run down too in my constant visiting work. I was quite a care to Sister Maria, and felt during that time (as she did) that I must not try to attempt living alone by myself. I really felt as if I should never be strong again.
Perhaps I wrote to Maria about nephew Fred. S. Lyman's wedding, but I think not, as I find no record of a letter in Jan, so it might have been I only said it was near in anticipation. It was on the 7th of Jan. A very blustery chilly night for Honolulu & I was too poorly to attend. It was a very quiet family wedding. Not one invited guest beyond the relatives. As she had only her father & mother on her side (the only other child her brother John being in Washington Ter.) the circle on Fred's side was much the largest. Ellen Lyman came from Hilo to attend it, & Ernest & Levi C Lyman his brothers were here, also three of the Lyman cousins by another branch. And the Forbes family, & Warren Chamberlain's. I was sorely disappointed, but learned during that illness to give up many things. The young people reside with the parents, as she is the only child at home and the arrangement is perfectly satisfactory on both sides. After the wedding, the bridal party, including Ellen, all went to Kauai with the Wilcoxes for a little trip, and returned to Honolulu in a fortnight.
When Ellen returned to Hilo, I went too, to try the sea voyage & change[.] I had serious thought of resigning my position as City Miss. but our Pastor was not willing to have me. Told me to try the vacation, and see when I returned how I felt. I spent a month in Hilo & returned Feb 23rd to Honolulu almost made over, and as they had continued my office for another six months I decided to work on for that time at least. Before I left for Hilo Sister M. had been formally invited to take the place of Matron in the Lunalilo Home for aged and indigent Hawaiians, a Benevolent Institution founded by the Will of one of the deceased Kings. She was offered a home for herself and children with a salary of $800. a year, & part of their living free. ("all the substantials, but no luxuries.") It is a very kind opening for them. They can keep their horse there & have her grain at the expense of the place. Though there is of course a great deal of responsibility devolves on her. Her son Will is her business manager, but she is the responsible Head.
Rev. O. P. Emerson her husband's successor arrived on the 22nd of January, and she was very glad to have a prospect of being able to vacate the premises for him at the end of the quarter, for the Trustees did not ask her to enter on her duties until the 1st of April. As they were quite strict on the subject of relatives being there with inmates, I was not counted one of her "family," and I knew this, before I went up to Hilo. It made her feel very badly at first, as she wanted me to be with her as one of her own, but I told her not to worry about me. I felt the Lord would provide for me.
April 5th I resume my story. At the point where I dropped my pen last night and went to bed. During my illness the question of leaving again, my cottage (I have written of previously) came up. The man who had it, had stables on the next lot, and it made my place more undesirable, for living in; and as he was willing to pay higher rent, I decided to lease it out again. So when I went to Hilo knowing that I could not [sic] be longer a member of Sister M's family, and had no home as I had fancied I might make. Matters were rather dark for me. Still it is not my nature to despair. Bella would gladly have had me stay in Hilo, but they care all the time for Bro. Levi, and their house is full, besides there was no way for me to support myself there, so I returned to Honolulu. Brother Warren then most kindly offered me a home with his family - and as their accommodations were small, suggested my having an addition built on of two rooms. He owed me a small sum of money, and I had a little at interest, so I have decided on building a cottage of two rooms with two closets, close to their own house, and it is now well on the way to completion except the inside work, and next week outside painting will begin. I shall board with W's family, & the cottage is so near their boys room I can easily call to them if I wanted any help at night. I feel quite grand and in the mean time, while it is going up, I am boarding at Oahu College. Have a very snug corner room in the girls' dormitory, and provide my own bedding and toilet set, and am very comfortable. As the Hiru [sic] Rail Road cars have been constructed the past year, clear to the college I can go in & out cheaply & comfortably to my Work. Brother W's house is about half a mile from here & I go down often to see how my cottage is progressing[.] There is some work I am doing to help the College also now, so I am very much occupied. I would like to send you a picture someday of the College & grounds. It is a new building & very handsome & modern, quite a contrast to the humble building we were educated in, on this same spot.
Well, I resolved not to take another page, so I must begin to wind up. Sister M. & family moved to their new post on Monday of this week. She is very tired & worn. I hope the position will not be too hard for her. The Home is in a lovely location & a most healthful spot. But the breaking up & moving has been very hard sad work. The rooms there are small and she has had to sell some furniture & store some of her things.
Give my warm love to Aunt Ann. And all your Brother's family. Remember me to all inquiring friends. Tell the cousins in Parker[s]burg the latest items from us. It is quite possible Dr Frank Lyman may come home for a visit this year. He graduated this Spring as a physician.
Now I must say Good Bye & take up another letter to answer.
Your ever loving Cousin
M. A. Chamberlain[The reference to Fred S. Lyman is Frederick Snowden Lyman (1863-). Fred Jr was a pineapple rancher in Hilo. His wife was Mary A. Babcock. They married on Jan 7, 1889 and had no children.]