Letter from February 22, 1875
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from February 22, 1875
Subject
Correspondence--1870-1880
Description
letters
Creator
unknown
Date
1875-02-22
Format
4 JPEGs
600 ppi
Language
English
Identifier
1874_06_06_bl
Coverage
Brompton (Fredericksburg, VA)
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
February 22nd, 1875
I am in distress this morning my dear [ ], having read Ada’s letter, bearing the fearful intelligence that you’re determined to sell your home!! And now I wld ask what you'll live on? I cannot think for an instant that you've (counted? courted?) impartially __ the appalling cost of the [movement]. I know the many [ ] [ ] you endure but depend upon it my child you’ll have worse_ Ada loses her school wch will be a dire misfortune & one that shuts you all out of every comfort. For the life of me I can’t see the slightest relief, but on the contrary a plurality of evils when you had but one in the country. Now we know how poor every one is now able to buy & of course you won’t get the third value, of your plea, so your creditors must have what you owe them_ every one coming down on you. & having a few hundreds left from long wills they last and what to be done when it is gone.
Yes, doubtless every one is glad you come to town. What for? something new to speculate upon on & see & [ ] upon every turn you make in & out of your house __ when you have one__ This is human nature we all do such things.
I know how your house needs repair & but for you at this [ ] time of the country to rush into more poverty than you've had & are having is [ ]_ my dear [ ] than I can contemplate. Cld you sell & better yourself I shld (should) rejoice indeed. but to take such a slip, without an impartial calculation of the consequences is too fearful for me to look into__ I pray you let me hear from you. We [ ] think alike, unless you can throw a more cheerful light over this dark future. Every thing is very gloomy here about. So much sickness & death, awful weather. Poor Nelly lost her lovely child_ old Mrs. Barton was buried on Saturday & this morning a note announced the death of Mr. [ ] an old acquaintance of yours_ Cashier of the Bank leaves a wife & children and nothing else.
Then dreadful days have put every thing in a horrible state here the plastering in the drawing room has fallen as well as the library_ Snow getting in the [ ] between the roof & ceiling. Mr. L will have to put a new roof on both ends of his house, besides plastering these two rooms. The carpet has a solid sheet of ice on wch (which) skating might have been done. & the trouble _ awful_ It was in this condition when [ ] went in for something . The centre table look'd like an ice burg as the leak was just over it. It took five or six persons to get the carpet out as it must be carried out, straight, turn'd the wrong side up to melt this acre of ice off. Luckily the [ ] was clear, as chrystal. We look now as if we had just moved in as the furniture is much in the hall. The drawing room left to the constant falling down of plastering like [ ]
I’ve written you a hasty line my precious [ ] but I was so [ ] & am yet indeed have been all the winter_ Tell Ada I will answer her letter in a few days. Keep dear little [ ] at her books tell her I expect she will be greatly improved where grandma sees her in [ ] May
[ ] swears her to be & begs you to consider
Your anxious, but loving
Ma
I am in distress this morning my dear [ ], having read Ada’s letter, bearing the fearful intelligence that you’re determined to sell your home!! And now I wld ask what you'll live on? I cannot think for an instant that you've (counted? courted?) impartially __ the appalling cost of the [movement]. I know the many [ ] [ ] you endure but depend upon it my child you’ll have worse_ Ada loses her school wch will be a dire misfortune & one that shuts you all out of every comfort. For the life of me I can’t see the slightest relief, but on the contrary a plurality of evils when you had but one in the country. Now we know how poor every one is now able to buy & of course you won’t get the third value, of your plea, so your creditors must have what you owe them_ every one coming down on you. & having a few hundreds left from long wills they last and what to be done when it is gone.
Yes, doubtless every one is glad you come to town. What for? something new to speculate upon on & see & [ ] upon every turn you make in & out of your house __ when you have one__ This is human nature we all do such things.
I know how your house needs repair & but for you at this [ ] time of the country to rush into more poverty than you've had & are having is [ ]_ my dear [ ] than I can contemplate. Cld you sell & better yourself I shld (should) rejoice indeed. but to take such a slip, without an impartial calculation of the consequences is too fearful for me to look into__ I pray you let me hear from you. We [ ] think alike, unless you can throw a more cheerful light over this dark future. Every thing is very gloomy here about. So much sickness & death, awful weather. Poor Nelly lost her lovely child_ old Mrs. Barton was buried on Saturday & this morning a note announced the death of Mr. [ ] an old acquaintance of yours_ Cashier of the Bank leaves a wife & children and nothing else.
Then dreadful days have put every thing in a horrible state here the plastering in the drawing room has fallen as well as the library_ Snow getting in the [ ] between the roof & ceiling. Mr. L will have to put a new roof on both ends of his house, besides plastering these two rooms. The carpet has a solid sheet of ice on wch (which) skating might have been done. & the trouble _ awful_ It was in this condition when [ ] went in for something . The centre table look'd like an ice burg as the leak was just over it. It took five or six persons to get the carpet out as it must be carried out, straight, turn'd the wrong side up to melt this acre of ice off. Luckily the [ ] was clear, as chrystal. We look now as if we had just moved in as the furniture is much in the hall. The drawing room left to the constant falling down of plastering like [ ]
I’ve written you a hasty line my precious [ ] but I was so [ ] & am yet indeed have been all the winter_ Tell Ada I will answer her letter in a few days. Keep dear little [ ] at her books tell her I expect she will be greatly improved where grandma sees her in [ ] May
[ ] swears her to be & begs you to consider
Your anxious, but loving
Ma
Original Format
Paper
Physical Dimensions
3 x 5
Files
Citation
unknown, “Letter from February 22, 1875,” The Lane Family at Brompton, accessed April 18, 2026, https://lanefamily.umwarchives.org/items/show/21.