Poe Archive

Kennebuck
March 14, 1842

My Dear George Henry,

Your letter of the 12th was handed me by your Uncle Edward on Sunday between meetings. I was delighted too see your handwriting but was grieved to hear that you were sick, per fellow, I do not wonder you had the “blues”, I wish I could have been with you and taken care of you. Now if you and Lincoln and Ralph were of an age, I would go to Brunswick, take a house and Board you for four years you should be in college, would that not be nice, then we would have your Mother come down and make us a visit.

I do hope your landlady was kind to you during your sickness. You must be exceedingly careful of yourself when you come to go out, for you will be in danger of having a relapse. I am sorry your birthday was such a dull one and that your remembrance of it will be so unacceptable, it was the first one, I reckon, you ever spent from home. I have not seen your Mother since I received your letter, neither have I had an opportunity to send it down to her, I expect she will feel badly enough when she finds out that you have been sick.

I passed this afternoon with Miss Lucy Palmer at Mr. Edes’ and she told me, she thought of going to Brunswick tomorrow, so I thought I must write tonight though it is late, as I have attended a lecture this evening. I wish you could board with Miss Palmer, I should feel easier to know you were with some one whom we know and feel confidence in. I lover her very much and hope she will find Brunswick a pleasant place of residence and will be successful in her undertaking.

It will I suppose that through Lears, you are informed of everything that is going on here, but perhaps it will be not uninteresting to you to hear things over again. Well, the railroad company had a ball here on the 4th. I understood they expected there would be about two hundred, but I believe there were only about fifty. I have not heard of any of our town’s people being there except Sarah and Ann Palmer and Sarah Hilton. The week after, our boys had a dance and I believe they had a very pleasant one. Hastley and Charles Lord came home and they wanted to have a little good time so they got up a dance. I saw Julia Maria yesterday and she told me I might give her respects too you and tell you she wished you had been at the dance.

Last Saturday, I called with Dr. Heator at one Capt. Ivory Lord’s to look at the girls teeth and I asked one of them, I believe she has red curls, whether she had received any papers from the East lately. She blushed and did not seem to know what to say, but her Mother said yes she had and I asked Elizabeth whether it had any love on it. She said no, nothing more than regards. Now I don’t know who this paper came from, but perhaps it might be from my nephew. Today, Dr. Heator put in a false tooth for this same lady. She fell down on the ice some time ago and killed one of her front teeth, and as Augusta was having something done with hers, Elizabeth thought she would have hers put in. You need not mention this as perhaps she might not like to have it known. Dr. Heator is going to Portland day after tomorrow and I should not be surprised if he concluded to settle there. I hope he will then I should be likely to go before many years to Brunswick.

Tuesday morning. Poor old Steeph Emery died at the poor house yesterday and they are about burying him now, we can see them from here. I thought I would tell you all the news as it comes into my head. The meetings are still going on at the Landing and I heard that George Little and Elizabeth McCullock rose for prayers.

Mr. Edes is about commencing a course of expository lectures he gave the introductory one last Monday evening and this evening gives another. He invited the young people all to come and they went, though the night was rather an unfavorable one. I hope they will be well attended as I think they must be profitable.

You must go to see Miss Palmer and she will tell you every thing about us. I am sorry I have not more time to write, but it is such a good opportunity that I thought ever a few lines would be better than nothing. I shall be glad to receive a letter from you any time, dear George, and I will write as often as I can.

Once more let me urge you to be careful of yourself and not expose yourself inadvertently. I am sorry you could not be initiated with the others, but I suppose you can be at some other time. Caroline is still at the Port your Father told me Saturday that Edward and Frank had been quite sick. I have not heard since.

Sunday evening we had a Temperance meeting. Mr. Parkinson and Dinon Stevens were the speakers. The former I liked very much, but Dinon I did not like quite so well. They say he did not do as well as he did up back here. In trying to do better than he had before, he did not do as well.

Ralph has just come in and says he sends his love to you. Today is the last day of the vacation and they are playing with all their might. I must now bid you good bye dear George and carry this over to Miss Palmer as she is going this afternoon. When this reaches you I hope you will be quite well. You must let us hear, sick or well, for we are all anxious for your welfare. Yours very truly, affectionately,

Aunt Olive