| Title: | Sinton, Joseph to O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne, 1819 |
|---|---|
| ID | 5976 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/26 |
| Year | 1819 |
| Sender | Sinton, Joseph |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | merchant |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | Wilkesbarre, near Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Philadelphia, Penn., USA |
| Recipient | O'Brien (n. Greeves), Anne |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | uncle-niece |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 7556 |
| Genre | correspondence, bad state of local eonocmy, family news, local news |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Wilksbarre Decr. 18th 1819 My dear Niece It was a very great disappointment on my arrival at Wakefield on my way home to find that thee had gone to town; and had I not written to Polly the time when I would be in Easton. I would have gone back to the City and brought thee back, to have had the melancholy pleasure of saying that painful word "farewell". I intended to have written to thee before this time but since my return I have had a great many things to attend to that hindered. This part of the country is in a dreadful situation in respect to want of money. I expect we shall lose a great deal and many will be entirely ruined unless a change takes place soon - for property at public sale brings scarcely anything. I have lately heard a house being sold for two dollars. I never saw such a gloomy time: on reflection and advising with my friends in the City, I concluded to buy no goods yet a while although it is unpleasant to be idle. I found James [B. Sinton] and Martha [nee Bettle] well and sister Polly quite recovered from effects of the attack on the Pocono. I stayed but one day at Easton and reached home in two more, where we found all well and a great many kind enquiries after Wra and thee, patticularly E & S. [Emily Hollenback and Sarah Cist] who send their love as usual. I found that the valley looked as interesting as ever, nor did absence and all the fine folk I had seen make my friends less dear to me than before. Phoebe had made quite a revolution in my den with the bucket and scrubbing brush and I dont expect it will be in the power of spiders to decorate my window in the same fanciful manner till spring. I have however again got the floor of the office in such a state that I am not afraid of dirtying it as I was at first, and I spend some pretty comfortable hours, It is true, and I often look back with regret on those I spent with thee there and elsewhere, and I wish thee could sometimes call in and rouse the spirits of a poor lonely old batchelor. I have never got quire into my old track since thee was here. I still call on a few female friends occasionally such as S & E and some coy who are not half as coy as I once thought them. There is some joking on the subject among the tattlers I find, but I assure thee without the least cause. If I had kept my den as I used to do I might have jogged on without any remark, but I might have left the gossips without something to talk about. By the way of news, tho it may be none to thee - I suspect that Sydney's family will be larger soon - perhaps I am mistaken for such old fellows as me are left much in the dark, as a punishment I suppose for our sins in not wearing the hobbles. There has been some matrimony going on here bur not among thy acquaintances - the hard times dont seem to make people cautious. Let them go on, I think. 22nd Decr. 1819 I had written so far when I was called away on an arbitration and kept too late to finish for last mail. Since then the bridge has been planked on one side so that waggons can now pass over it, which will make it pleasant to take a trip to the ten mile house in sleighing time. We have had none of that pleasure here yet, though we have had pretty severe weather here sometimes. S & E are spending the evening with our folks in the house - I have left them to finish this. Let me hear from thee soon - when thee visits the City, please give my love to all Uncle Mortons family - I often, very often, when alone in my den at night, look back with regret on the pleasant hours I spent there. Also to James Mortons housekeeper [i.e. his wife]. When anything occurs worth mentioning I will write to thee. Let me heat from thee often. Should I have the misfortune to get harnessed I will announce the fact early; but be assured, married or single I shall be as ever Uncle Jo. |
