Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Helen Hunt, July 24, 1875
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Helen Hunt, July 24, 1875
Subject
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876
Jackson, Helen Hunt
Illness
Marriage
Social Events--Travels
Stebbins, Emma, 1815-1882
Relationships--Intimate--Opposite-sex
Description
Charlotte Cushman is in pain. This letter is answered by Helen Hunt on July 29, 1875. Cushman encourages Helen Hunt to settle down and marry: "about your marriage. It is better, so infinitely better, happier, wiser gooder[?], so I rejoice with all my heart at all you tell me, only stick to it, don’t go romancing or wandering or stravaging[?] as the Irish say, any more."
Transcripts courtesy of Nancy Knipe, Colorado College.
Transcripts courtesy of Nancy Knipe, Colorado College.
Creator
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876
Date
1875-07-24
Type
Reference
Letter Item Type Metadata
Text
Dear friend,
your welcome letter ought to have been answered earlier, but I have been more than usually suffering, & have had more than usual calls upon my limited leisure from the long care which I am obliged to give out of my walking hours to my suffering body so that I have been unable to work until this moment, and now, you must take the will for the deed, for I am so overtired with my own self through the constant reminder of pain that I have no thoughts fit to throw at a dog. You see I am obliged to write upon block paper for I cannot put my left arm across the hold my paper down, and yet I am told I look well—it seems to me that it cannot be possible to feel so suffering & yet look well but I am forced to believe my friends, & so, when you see me you will not be shocked I shall let you know when I am to make the endeavor to move to Lenox, so that I may get a sight of you, which Miss Stebbins tells me is something to see—you are so greatly improved—I am so glad, so thankful that there is any place where you can get air to breathe, & at the same time food to eat. This is the only thing which keeps one in the north & East, what I am to do this coming winter if God[?] keeps me here so long, I know not, for I dare not any longer remain away from my Doctor, but of that anon! Is it not possible for you to come here to see me, or if not that wk might not be advisable, do you not think you could meet me when I go on to Lenox & go then [underlined] for a little while so that I could see you more than for the moment of being in Worcester? Tell me what is the Hotel I must stop at in Worcester if I stop there one night en route, or had I better try to push on to Springfield & stop there? as I only want to be two days on my journey? Sunday Interrupted yesterday. I will try to finish my note today. Miss Stebbins was kept at Lenox three weeks & only returned here in time for my birthday on Friday. My 59th birthday. I pray I may never see another, if it is to be so full of physical pain! She reports comforting of her little house which I want you very much to see, won’t you go up to Lenox with us? Do! I thank you dear for the information you [must?] say – about your marriage. It is better, so infinitely better, happier, wiser gooder[?], so I rejoice with all my heart at all you tell me, only stick to it, don’t go romancing or wandering or stravaging[?] as the Irish say, any more. It is good to think of you cared for so, & by such a good sweet soul as I hear Mr. Jackson is. Mrs. Gratorx who is a dear friend of mine is here, & I have asked her about him, she says all & more than you do of his Excellent goodness. Believe me dear you will be in Every way improved by this relation. You will work better & more after your own genius, & after all work is all that is worth living for in this world! Ah, if I could only secure good [last two words underlined] beef, I would be tempted by you, ill & suffering as I am, to go back with you to Colorado. I know you are right about air, & I am only sorry I did not go there last winter. However, I must stop it hurts me to sit over the table to write.
Let me hear from you & believe me Ever, Your lovingly affectionate C.C.
your welcome letter ought to have been answered earlier, but I have been more than usually suffering, & have had more than usual calls upon my limited leisure from the long care which I am obliged to give out of my walking hours to my suffering body so that I have been unable to work until this moment, and now, you must take the will for the deed, for I am so overtired with my own self through the constant reminder of pain that I have no thoughts fit to throw at a dog. You see I am obliged to write upon block paper for I cannot put my left arm across the hold my paper down, and yet I am told I look well—it seems to me that it cannot be possible to feel so suffering & yet look well but I am forced to believe my friends, & so, when you see me you will not be shocked I shall let you know when I am to make the endeavor to move to Lenox, so that I may get a sight of you, which Miss Stebbins tells me is something to see—you are so greatly improved—I am so glad, so thankful that there is any place where you can get air to breathe, & at the same time food to eat. This is the only thing which keeps one in the north & East, what I am to do this coming winter if God[?] keeps me here so long, I know not, for I dare not any longer remain away from my Doctor, but of that anon! Is it not possible for you to come here to see me, or if not that wk might not be advisable, do you not think you could meet me when I go on to Lenox & go then [underlined] for a little while so that I could see you more than for the moment of being in Worcester? Tell me what is the Hotel I must stop at in Worcester if I stop there one night en route, or had I better try to push on to Springfield & stop there? as I only want to be two days on my journey? Sunday Interrupted yesterday. I will try to finish my note today. Miss Stebbins was kept at Lenox three weeks & only returned here in time for my birthday on Friday. My 59th birthday. I pray I may never see another, if it is to be so full of physical pain! She reports comforting of her little house which I want you very much to see, won’t you go up to Lenox with us? Do! I thank you dear for the information you [must?] say – about your marriage. It is better, so infinitely better, happier, wiser gooder[?], so I rejoice with all my heart at all you tell me, only stick to it, don’t go romancing or wandering or stravaging[?] as the Irish say, any more. It is good to think of you cared for so, & by such a good sweet soul as I hear Mr. Jackson is. Mrs. Gratorx who is a dear friend of mine is here, & I have asked her about him, she says all & more than you do of his Excellent goodness. Believe me dear you will be in Every way improved by this relation. You will work better & more after your own genius, & after all work is all that is worth living for in this world! Ah, if I could only secure good [last two words underlined] beef, I would be tempted by you, ill & suffering as I am, to go back with you to Colorado. I know you are right about air, & I am only sorry I did not go there last winter. However, I must stop it hurts me to sit over the table to write.
Let me hear from you & believe me Ever, Your lovingly affectionate C.C.
Location
Villa Cushman, Neport, RI, US
Geocode (Latitude)
41.4899827
Geocode (Longitude)
-71.3137707
Provenance
Helen Hunt Jackson Papers, Part 2, Ms 0156, Box 1, Folder 17, letters from Charlotte Cushman to HH, 1871-75. Transcribed by Nancy Knipe, 2007, https://libraryweb.coloradocollege.edu/library/specialcollections/Manuscript/HHJ2-1-17.html. Accessed 30 March, 2020
Social Bookmarking
Geolocation
Collection
Citation
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876, “Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Helen Hunt, July 24, 1875,” Archival Gossip Collection, accessed July 3, 2024, https://archivalgossip.com/collection/items/show/272.