| Title: | Stewart, Frances to Beaufort, Harriet, 1810 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4721 |
| Collection | Revisiting Our Forest Home, The immigrant letters of Frances Stewart [J. L. Aoki] |
| File | stewart/3 |
| Year | 1810 |
| Sender | Stewart, Frances |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Allenstown, Co. Meath, Ireland |
| Destination | Collon, Ireland |
| Recipient | Beaufort, Harriet |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | friends (ex-pupil - ex-governess) |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1023 |
| Genre | family life, news |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [1816]: March 14 To Harriet Beaufort, Collon, Ireland Thursday March 14th My dear Harriet Now this is my third letter to you & you have written but one to me. I have been in expectation of one these two days. As you asked me to tell vou every thing that I do I will now. I could not before as I was in such a hurry for my black petticoat for the ball that I could do nothing else. However, Monday. Catharine & I became very industrious again. I was up at 7. I had intended to practice before breakfast but as the drawing room was not done out I could not. So I sat down to read some of the fairy tales & just as I had found a dictionary & settled myself I was called to breakfast at ten minutes past 8. When I went down they were all there but the urn had not come yet so I sat down to read some of a pretty little story called "Education — or a Journal of Errors" which Aunt Susan begged me to read. I read it till breakfast immediately after which I went to play & that occupied one hour of my day, till about ten. I then wrote a letter to Aunt Rachel & walked in the garden till near one. We then went [on] a most f Wmingly dirty walk to the archdeaconry. We saw Mrs. De Lacy. Poor Mrs. Montray was ill with bile. By the time we got home again it was near three. I did more of my petticoat & read a little mouthful of "Novelle Morali" before dinner. After dinner Catharine, Bessy & I always retire to the drawing room. That is where we have sat a little while. Then Catharine & Bessy make me play all the waltzes, tunes & dances that I ever had for them. Then we go down to tea & after tea work or read till 10 oclock when we go to bed. I have been teaching Bessy music every day. When I have done playing I give her a lesson. She is learning a great long one of [Keyels] now which she began with [ ]. She plays very well indeed for so young a child. She is a nice little girl. Catharine draws every day. So have I these three days. She has some very good pencil things & sketches of [F-] which she has lent me to copy At any rate they will teach me boldness for they are very bold. Now my [ ] Aunt Susan bids me lay a case before you viz: — she has the books for Kate & me. There are some very valuable she says & a number of imperfect sets & odd volumes not very valuable. Now, she says that they must be equally divided & that if we were to draw lots for them one might get all the valuable books & the other all the others. So Aunts Susan & Sutton said they w'd ask you & that perhaps you would be able to start a good method of dividing them. I have a list; shall I send it to you in my next letter? There is a beautiful edition of the Spectator I hear. I have not seen any of them yet as they are all locked up. Poor little Bessy has been plagued with headaches but she has taken some Calomel today & I think it will cure her. She & I have been very busy all day making crosses for Sunday. Yesterday I saw Ellinor Wade. She came to see Mrs. Webb who lives next door you know. So she went out to the garden & we were all working in our garden & we had a great deal of conversation over the paling. She looks very well & not at all in low spirits. They are to go to England very soon but the time is not fixed as they must have an auction before they go. Mrs. Montray is quite well again & walked here yesterday with Mrs. De Lacy & Mrs. Tisdall who is staying at the Archdeaconry whilst her "caro sposo" is at the assizes. She asked me whether Mrs. Pilkingtons Moral Tales were ever published to which she subscribed long ago — answer this. Mrs. Montray bid me give her love to you all. Aunt Susan has had a letter from Mrs. Stewart putting her in mind of her promise to go there in summer & so she gave me a most pressing & kind invitation to go too. What am I to say. If you go to Wicklow I will positively not go any where else — answer this too. We have had two delightful days & have taken great long walks & I worked one whole day in the garden. Indeed I try not to be idle & to please you & every body. Uncle Sutton has had a very heavy cold but is better. I saw a house butterfly yesterday for the first time. What are you reading out & to yourself. Catharine heard from Aunt Rachel a few days ago. Poor old Uncle Latouche has been very ill but is better. Do now my dear creature write soon & answer all my questions — & about Mrs. Harrison — her name was Gale & she is mother to [ ] Allen. Pray say how Aunt Beauforts side is particularly. I have written out two tunes. They are very short. Tell me all about the Edgeworths &c. Where do Wm. & Emma go. Give my love to them & the children & to every one, not forgetting my [loves). I forgot to ask Mrs. Martley about Susan but I will remember it next time. Good bye my love — your own daughter from [F-] Fatlips I try to hold up my head & never sit cross legs, not bite my lips. Did you see the thing in the newspaper about the flannel petticoat. Miss Vernon saw the whole thing & it was not the cleanest petticoat. She was at the castle that night. |
