A Letter Written around Dec 17, 1851

[There is no punctuation, so some paragraph marks are added for easier reading.]

Kingston [NY] Dec 1851.

Dear Aurelia

The very day that I received your letter I was going to write a few lines to you in order to ask you if you had entirely forgotten me and all the other Kingston folks (one excepted) for it is just four weeks since I wrote you a letter I was telling your Mother the other day that I guessed you had eloped with some of those exquisite fellers, but I still find you in Mt Holly Hawk, but a great many things have happened since I last wrote and rather different from what I expected the most important is going to New York for I did not know on Thursday when I got up about nine O'clock that in the afternoon of that same day I would be on my way to that big city but our folks all wanted me to go and I was easily persuaded and I am not sorry now that I have been for I never had a pleasanter visit in my life to that place

the first morning I got there which was Friday it rained as hard as it could pour down and did not stop untill [sic] about four O'clock of that day I was obliged to stay on board untill late in the afternoon when I took an omnibus and whent [sic] up to the old jug as Joseph calls it but I must not forget to tell you the compliment I got as I was walking up the circle "Howard" happened to be standing by the school-room windows and he said to "Joe" who was standing by him there comes a pretty girl but how much it looks like Mate I've replied he only hoped it was but he was sure I was not in the city but I soon took them out of their suspenders that evening and all next day I did not see the honerable [sic] "Mr Mc" for himself an "Fanny Crosby" had gone over to Brooklyn at tea next day I saw him and he was the same old coon, the room I sleep in he is used to occupying when no person is there but when I come he is obliged to give it up he told me he was sorry he came home so early for he should like to have done as he had done many evenings before came in so late that none of the folks would have seen him and marched up to that room not knowing I was there he said if he once had got in he would not have whent out and he would have thanked me for warning the head so nicely

but to go on with my city story Sabbath morning Mrs "Chamberlain" made a fire in her parlor and told me I must receive calls in there but in the morning I whent to church in the chapple [sic] but in the afternoon I did not on account of "Mr Mc" calling on me and making an afternoon stay of it he asked me if I would go to church with him in the evening I told him certainly (as a matter of corse) [sic] but when he came in the evening he found me asleep and after that I plagued him about asking a lady to go to church with him and then get sick of his bargain but I expect by this time you are sick of all this trash and I will hurry and get through with it as fast as possible

on Monday evening we whent to the Art Union and got back about ten we then set down by a large cole coal fire in the office and talked untill about half past twelve (good hours dont you think) on Thanksgiving they gave a party at the "Institution" and a first rate time we had after the party Mrs Chamberlain and myself had a serenade by the "Mr Mc" "Howard" "Joe" "Andrew Quick." "Jerry Tillerson" "Jule Sprung" and "Fanny Crosby" but to my great grief I did not hear a single bit of it the rest of the week I had first rate times but I must tell you some-thing dont you remember the time before when I was here I wrote a note home and told Mother to tell you I had seen the famous "Howard" and I expect "Joe" has told him of it so he kept asking me all the time if I had seen that famous "Howard" yet I told him I had seen him to my souls satisfaction but you had not seen him yet but you lived in hopes (that was right was it not) but the next sabbath he [...] was around so we whent to church in the morning and staid [sic] home the rest of the day I must not forget to tell you that he took me to hear the Chrysties and I was perfectly delighted as you may suppose.

after spending just two weeks there I left for home "Mr Mack" brought me down to the boat and said he did not think it would be long before he would come to Kingston but now for some Kingston news for I know by this time you are tired of all my other trash but this ought to be a good letter for I am writing it on sunday and the better the day the better he deed so I say I have just shipped Bill Mickens off for he had the pleasure of galavanting me home to night Luke paid his distresses to Miss Sate [?] Mickens but you need not be alarmed for Abe H is dead in for her. The glea [sic] club are going to give a concert at the Court House this Tuesday and Bill Mickens just asked me if he could have the pleasure of taking me there and I certainly did not say no

Janie and myself have both got invitations to attend the Excelsior ball the nineteenth of this month but I do not think I will go for you know I cannot dance a single step Janie told me while I was gone to New York Bill Osborne got dead drunk and one of the fellers told him he had not ought to act like that for all the ladies would find it out if they had not already but he said he did not care for that he liked a glass of Whisky Punch better than all the ladies in town dont you think he is getting to be quite a dare devil I had almost forgot to tell you that while I was in the city it snowed and we being were afraid if we waited untill morning the snow would be gone so Mr Camp the supretendent [sic] of the other house an old bachelor (I wills state all the particulars) and Mr Mc got one of the boys sleigh's [sic] and I had one of the best rides I ever had in my life they upset me two or three times before they got through with their muss.

May McGeorge is going to be married to Tenbrouck Sharp before Christmas so they say and I guess it is pretty correct for she whent down to the city the same week that I did to get her wedding clothes would you like to be here to attend the wedding I expect it will be a grand party Mrs Cofax has gone to live in the city this winter and I should have went if I had been in her place for she was as big as a barrel before she whent away so we will not hear any thing more about midnight performances. I must tell you before I forget that you must write a letter to you Mother she longs to get one from you for she says she has only got one from you since you have been gone and I hope you will not wait as long to answer mine as you did before are you coming home during your vacation in January if you will I will set you up I will be so glad do you believe that last week they were trying to make up a load to go to Bloomingdale to a society and Ben Van Wagganor had the imprudence to come and ask me to go with him but I politely told him different Beek whent with that Thompson feller tat [sic] came with Bill Coborn to the society to Elijah Duboises so you may imagine what kind of a load it was but it was not a load for all the girls except two backed out of it and they whent in one horse waggons I guess I have told you all I know and prehaps [sic] more beside so I will close by telling you I am still your cousin

Mate