[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading.]Seekonk April 14th 1840
My dear Aunt Carpenter,
Were it not that I so often begin my letter, with apologies for negligence, I would offer some excuse for letting your kind letter remain so long unanswered, but the only one I shall offer is, I have put it off from day to day hopeing [sic] I should feel more like writing tomorrow, but when tomorrow came my cold would be worse, or if it was a little better I should think by tomorrow I shall feel still more like writing or better able to; so I have spent the last 4 or 5 weeks doing but little of any thing; but I hope now to begin to do something again; my cold is much better, but my cough has not entirely left me; I took a sudden and very severe cold a few days after I came from Springfield 5 weeks ago, it settled on my lungs and I have been out very few times since; last Sabbath I went to church all day, had not been in our meeting house but once in seven weeks.
Perhaps you would like to hear about my visit in Springfield: I went very unexpectedly, Josiah came home after me and would not be denied my going; I was not prepared to go and it seemed like a long journey to take in such cold weather and to visit among strangers besides I had a cold; but every objection we raised Josiah removed. I did not regret going for I never enjoyed a visit more Josiah was at leisure to go about with me; it was very pleasant weather and excellent sleighing. every thing favored my visit. We left here Thursday morning at 8 o'clock arrived in Boston 1/2 past 10. left at 1 o'clock for Worcester where we arrived at 3, being 44 miles, stopped there an hour and went on to Springfield 55 miles, having travelled 140 miles between 8 in the morning and 8 in the evening I felt much fatigued, Friday I rested.
Saturday Josiah got a horse & sleigh and carried me to Northampton to see Lucy, she was very much surprised and pleased to see us, was very well and very much improved we stopped there about 2 hours and then came down to South Hadley 6 miles Juliette was as much surprised and pleased to see us, Josiah stopped 2 or 3 hours and then decided to leave me as Juliette was very anxious I should stay, I did not think of staying when I left Springfield but was well pleased with the idea of spending a Sabbath with her at Mt. Holyoke Sem. and I am sure I was never where the Sabbath was so strictly and religiously kept; in the morning I went to Church with 116 young ladies, in the afternoon was sick with a
coldhead ache and was obliged to stay at home, was the only person in that large house. In the evening I attended their Bible Class which was the largest, most interesting and instruction I ever attended; the next Sabbath 14 or 15 of the young ladies united with the Church.I might fill my sheet with a description of my visit there, but must refrain; I left there 11 o'clock Monday morning in a Stage sleigh for Wilbraham where Josiah met me and we came to Springfield in the cars. I spent 2 days in Westfield where Josiah boards a part of the time, but spent most of my time at Mr. Bishops in Springfield which was Josiahs home, they have 9 gentlemen and 3 lady boarders, a very pleasant family, should think Mr. Bishop was doing well. We visited the Armoury and Arsenal which were a great curiosity to me, also visited the Shakers settlement at Enfield 8 miles from Springfield attended one of their meetings, which was any thing but solemn. When I left home did not expect to be gone more than 10 days but was absent nearly 3 weeks, on my way home spent from Friday till Monday in Boston; my cold
quiteentirely left me and I was quite well; was never more fleshy.You may think my letter very egotistical, but I will now leave self and tell you about our family; the day after I came from Springfield mother went to Prov. to make a visit. Wm took cold and was very sick, for several days they thought he could never be any better, one day thought he was dying, sent for our family to come over; Father, Grandmother and Caroline went I was not able to go. he was there about 2 weeks. he had got quite well but had not gained his strength and flesh when last Thursday he began to break out with the Chicken pox, does not have it very hard. Fathers cough is quite troublesome yet, but he goes out all weather; is full of business. sends love to you and says he shall write the first leisure. Aunt Ruth has been quite sick but is better, Caroline has a bad cold, has not been able to go to school for 2 weeks, her cough
is veryhas been very hard is now some better. Grandmother is as well as usual sends a great deal of love to you. Josiah came home 2 weeks ago very unexpectedly and spent the Sabbath. came after Davis Carpenter Jr. he went.Aunt Hunt is very sick, and is failing daily; she suffers very much, her cough is very hard, sleeps but little; her left arm and hand are swollen and very painful, has a constant diarrhea; she seems resigned & happy. I have seen her but once in 4 weeks. Cousin Daniel caught his left hand in some machinery a few weeks since and took off the end of his middle finger and jambed his forefinger badly. Cousin Huldah and Sarah are as well as usual.
Eunice, Gloriana & Sarah Bishop are about to move into Mrs. Wm Bishops chambers. Dr. A- will board with them. Amery Bishop is very low with the consumption. Mrs. Celinda Ides oldest child Temperance was buried last Saturday. 8 years old. Daniel has been very sick at Capt. Coles, is now some better. Mr. Spofford has his sister here as an assistant, she boards at Mr. Grays; he applied to us to board her. -
Miss Harriet Read boards here and attends school. I have engaged to teach our school this summer shall commence in about 2 weeks; do not feel much inclined to go to Ohio, my health is too precarious to think of going so far from home, and Father and Grandmother would be very unwilling to have me. The only excuse I can make for my many mistakes, is, I have written this in the keeping room where all the family were talking and little Willie is trying to. Caroline Yates is spending a week with Caro. <> Give my best love to Cousin Susan, tell her Elizabeth has been spending 2 weeks with me, had an excellent with her - she did me a great deal of good. I could not go out any with her. I hope to go to Rehoboth this week and spend a week or more. Mrs. Wheaton is very sick. Elizabeth Pierce has a great trial in taking care of her - Clark Carpenter's youngest child is very sick, if living.
Yesterday it snowed and blew all day, the snow is now nearly two feet deep on a level, we have had a great deal of windy rainy weather for a month past. Mr. Cabel Chafee was published last Sabbath to Pamelia Allin. Mother says give her best love to Aunt Carpenter and tell her we are all looking forward with much pleasure to her visit in August - Give my love to Mrs. Jacobs and family. As my sheet is full I must close and do write us soon. I need a paper from you 2 weeks since -
Yours in the bonds of love
Maria -[It was easy to link this letter with Juliet Blanding. Juliet was the only Juliet at the Seminary in 1840, and her hometown was Rehoboth, which was mentioned in this letter too. An online biography of the Blanding family reveals that Juliet's father James has a sister named Lucy Blanding Carpenter, the woman to whom this letter is addressed. Juliet did not have a sister named Maria, so further research revealed the author of this letter is her cousin Maria Weeden, daughter of James and Lucy's sister Susan. Maria has a brother named Josiah, who is also mentioned in this letter. The comment in the second to last paragraph about "Cousin Susan" and "Elizabeth" refers to Juliet's sisters Susan and Elizabeth.
This letter came to me from a different source than the rest of the Weeden archive, which had long languished in my collection uncataloged, because I could not identify Maria Weeden the Seminary student. Due to a typographical error in the 1937 biographical directory of Mount Holyoke alumnae, she was not listed under her last name. Closer examination of the Weeden letters revealed that Maria Weeden was a student at MHFS in the 1870s, not the 1840s like Juliet was. It took a little more puzzling with genealogical resources and the biographical directory to identify Maria Hunt Weeden Jr. x1879 as the daughter of the author of this letter.]