Transcript of Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Rosalie, Dec 22, 1874

Dublin Core

Title

Transcript of Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Rosalie, Dec 22, 1874

Subject

Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876
Illness
Stebbins, Emma, 1815-1882
Cushman, Edwin "Ned" Charles, 1838-1909
Finances
Relationships--Intimate--Opposite-sex
Family
England
Transcript

Description

Lately, Cushman has been very ill again. She made Stebbins write to Rosalie. Rosalie's sister Mabel is supposed to marry:
"make her sensible of the obligation she has taken upon herself - & and its serious importance upon her whole life. A promise once made does not admit of any release – save by consent of both contracting parties. & before one promises one must honor absolutely, whether they can keep their word & faith for life – which is a very long time!"
Ned Cushman's "business is still in a sick condition." This time, Cushman tells Rosalie to pass on Cushman's letters to uncle Charles.
Cushman mentions her retirement from the stage.

Transcripts by Jennie Lorenz

Credit

Library of Congress, Charlotte Cushman Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Creator

Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876

Source

LoC, JLP 1

Date

1874-12-22

Type

Reference

Letter Item Type Metadata

Text

[page 1] (Lettr [sic] from C.C. to Rosalie) (Property of Miss C. Roberts)
"115 E. 23d St. New York City De. 22dnd 1874
"Dearest Rosalie—It is so long since I have been able to write to you that I fear you will think me forgetful & unmindful of you—but if you knew at all of my intended movements after that exciting time in New York & all that I had to get through in the way of work & wandering— you would not be suprised at my long silence. & when you hear that I have been waylaid, [illegible] I have been very ill again, & unable to work or do anything else, you will be less surprised— still I might have made Miss Stebbins write & tell you the reason you did not hear from me. & she would have done so but that I hoped constantly to be able to write to you myself –Day went on after day—& I was so poorly & so miserable that I could not write. Before I left New York

[page 2] (Lettr [sic] of Dec. 22, 1874)
I sent newspapers to you & Mrs. [?] Forwood promised to write & tell you everything about me— Then came my illness & everything had to wait I have recd your letters from time to time & one on the 12" Nov. Dated" [?] postmarked OE [?] 31" enclosing on from Mable Mabel, which pleased me— as it was an improvement on her last. though it is singularly like a young childs [sic] letter, I hope she will get more stability of character & become more womanly—in the face of her engagement. You must try to make her see how solemn a thing an engagement is. & how terrible is the responsibility of taking the happiness of a human being into her keeping & so by impressing there things upon her—not in a jolly laughing way— but in a high religions sense. you may keep her firm to her promise to Marry Forwood [?]. & by these means moke her sensible of the obligation she has taken upon herself—& its serious importance upon her whole life. a promise once made

[page 3] (Lettr [sic] of Dec. 22, 1874)
does not admit of any release—save by consent of both contracting parties. & before one promises. one must know alsolutely, whether they can keep their word & faith for life—which is a very long time! I sent to you a present from Mrs Cochrain [?] Cochram  [inserted]. by Mrs Thayer. I hope you rec'd & it & wrote to Mrs. Cochram. Did you see Mrs Thayer. I hoped to have heard what you thought of her little gift—on my return to New York where I have come for a visit [?] & for rest—I found "Ben"s letter & your postscript. I was very pleased to hear from him & shall take occasion to reply to him at an early date. Meanwhile you will tell him that I thank him for all his kind wishes & the pretty things he says about my retirement from the stage. I wish he could have seen me act. or what I think better. bear me read—but we cannot have all our wishes gratified. I have been much disoppointed in my journey to California—but it is thought +++ that I did not go

[page 4] (Lettr [sic] of dec. 22, 1874)
at this season of the year—when the storms on the plains & the mountains are so severe. If I had been blaked in—in a snowstorm—as I see people have been lately—in crossing the alps—it would have killed me in the state of health I now am—so alls [sic] well that ends well. & I am back here in a civilized community. I am so glad, dear— to hear that the family are behaving as they ought to do to Mr. Roberts & that you have been staying at Flint & that all is as it should be, glad too that you had been having an "out" in London—it is very well to get a change of air now & then, it brunches anay the cobuels—& when you get back home— you are so glad that you have one! I get good accounts from St. Louis—save that Ned's business is still in a sick condition—He is much depressed at it— The children are all well & very happy in the anticipation of Xmas. for me— I feel very sad at being away from everyone belonging to me at this season—But God is so good to me in all ways that I must be content to shut my eyes & try to fancy all my dear ones in St. Louis—London Liverpool & Stuttgardt [sic]—in their happiness & enjoyment of these

[page 5] (Lettr [sic] of Dec. 22, 1874)
precious holidays—I only wish I could have been with you—I hope you will have enjoyed your Xmas visit to Chester Cursho [?—I know how much you like your new relations , so I know you will be merry & happy there.  I had not heard of Mrs. Vizn [?] Vign [inserted in pencil] I getting her pension I am so thankful—I hope you saw them while you were up in London—dont [sic] go to London without seeing them—& sometime when you go—I wish you would go out & see Uncle Charles' wife. You are now a woman & not bound or trammelled[?] by any of your fathers weak prejudice & I should be glad if you would do this for the sake of your uncle Charles who loves her, & for my sake who wish you to do it. and now I must close this letter for I am very tired & it huts me to sit at a table to write I am going to ask you to send me 2 Shetland wool veils—not the little hoop veils shaped thus [drawing inserted] but long ones—thus [drawing inserted] long enough to tie if one wishes. & I want some of those elastics with which you fasten up your dresses or rather which hook around the

[page 6] [Lettr of Dec. 22, 1874)
dress & you pull your dress up through &Sallie begs me to ask you to please send her 2 [—?] six [inserted] silk nets such as you sent her before—she says, "I dont [sic] want her to give them to me as she did the other things—for which I have ben so grateful to her" but I am sure you will be glad to send such a trifle to one who has been for so many years a faithful & devoted friend to me & mine. They can come by post. or your friend Cop_________ [blank in original] would bring a little parcel for you to me. always send them to 128 East 16" St—& I shall get them. Goodbye & God bless you dear. Em give my best love to Mr. Roberts & believe me your ever loving auntie C____ Did you send back to your uncle Charles—the letter which I sent to him & which Ned left with you when he left England—I hope so—I wish you would always send my letters to you—on to your Uncle Charles to read—asking him to return them—& he will do the same.

From

Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876

Location

NYC, NY, US

Geocode (Latitude)

40.7127281

Geocode (Longitude)

-74.0060152

Annotations

some notes added by Lorenz[?] in brackets

Social Bookmarking

Geolocation

Collection

Citation

Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876, “Transcript of Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Rosalie, Dec 22, 1874,” Archival Gossip Collection, accessed March 28, 2024, https://archivalgossip.com/collection/items/show/298.

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