I presume you would like to know how our exhibition has passed off etc. I have the satisfaction of informing you that it is said to have been the best we’ve yet had. The children all did remarkably well & enjoyed it greatly. The house was filled & the exercises began at 8 o’ck., closing at about 20 min. to ten. Two of the speakers were detained at home by illness. After the speaking was over I gave a general invitation to the refreshment table while I with the assistance of two or three others, distributed some cakes, candies, & cream among all the children that attend school. I have 42 this month & almost all of them were present. I think about thirty of them spoke.
I had excellent luck with the cream & it has been highly commended. I made it Sat A.M. and got a young man to freeze it. We had about two gallons.
Mrs. Armstrong & Miss Smith came to my assistance Sat. P.M. which was very acceptable and much needed. I was very busy all day & felt very tired at night & ’twas late when we closed. We took a little over $40. I had a great deal of cake sent me at night & most of it was very nice. The day & night was very pleasant though the day before was quite stormy & very disagreeable. Sun. A.M. was like a summer day & Mrs. Armstrong, Miss Smith & I went out to spend the day with Mr. Gibson’s family. Late P.M. there was a sudden change in the weather, it became very chilly & soon after a storm arose. We came home between 7 & 8 o’ck. in a hard rain storm, in a covered carriage so that we did not get wet or experience any inconvenience from it. We enjoyed our visit very much, but were all much fatigued from the previous day’s work & rather dull from loss of sleep.
Miss Smith held her exhibition & festival last night & was obliged to return in the A.M. At her request I accompanied her to Dr. Cr. & lent her my assistance. It also passed off well & very pleasantly, some of her pupils were much embarrassed & could scarcely be heard, but generally the children spoke well & their singing was also very good. Miss Smith had the satisfaction of knowing that her pupils did far better than she’d, expected. She also had refreshments for sale, and took in $28.50 which was first-rate for that small neighborhood. Several white persons were present & seemed to enjoy the occasion as much as the colored people themselves. I remained there overnight & returned this morning. Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Armstrong and several others were expecting to come down in the evening, but was disappointed in so doing & went to Ferry Neck instead, Mrs. Thomas also went down. I reached home about two o’ck. & I’m feeling very tired having been up till three o’ck. before retiring. The people certainly do enjoy these occasional gatherings greatly.
[….] Give my love to all of my friends & accept the best to yourselves. From your absent
Rebecca
P. S. I don’t believe & neither does Mrs. Thos. the tale about Miss Rebecca.
Royal Oak, Apr. 27, 1868
My dear Parents & Sister,
We have eaten breakfast somewhat earlier than usual this morn’g. so now I have a considerable leisure before preparing for school & I thought I would improve it in writing your weeklie—I style it “The Home Weeklie.”
It is a fair & happy morn’g. the air is a little cool but I judge it will be warmer by & by. We’re all enjoying health excepting colds, but this is nothing new or strange to me, for I seem to take up fresh ones about every third week. The wheat is coming on finely now all around us. It has been as wet and changeable thus far this spring, that the farmers have not been able to do much more to their fields than manure them & repair fences. I hear them talking about ploughing now so I presume they’ll commence today as it’s so mild pleasant.
[….] Josephine came over to see me Sat. arriving at noon. She walked & came quite unexpectedly, but we were all very glad to see her. She is in the bloom of health & is as brisk & active as ever. I could get her to remain no longer than over night, therefore I drove her down to the Ferry at 8 A.M. & then returned alone, and went out to the church to discharge my duties in S. S. It is about five miles to the Ferry and there are some quite bad places in some parts of the road, which impedes the traveling very much. I rested the horse a few moments & reached home at ten precisely. She has rec’d. the box & will write to you & Miss Fish very soon. She has been very busy like the rest of us, preparing for an exhibition & festival for the holidays, from which she says she realizes something over $30. She went to Balto, to get her things & that was the reason she did not come over to mine. Neither did she inform me about hers. She’s as eccentric as ever. Mr. Thos. asked her for her picture sometime ago not thinking he would ever get it when to the surprise of us all she presented him one on a card Sat. & it is taken well too. She had it taken in Balto. She also brought Mrs. Thos. quite a pretty little bag of her own invention, & me a very neat little penwiper. I think she will come North this summer.
Mrs. Thomas’ mother returned home Sat. A.M. & the niece went up Tues. The old lady is enjoying her usual health & she’s as clever as the day is long. She & I always have quite a jolly time together whenever she is here.
My S. S. is fast increasing in numbers & I hope soon to have the whole quota together again. It numbers 45 now, & yesterday 34 were in attendance. We are to begin having S.S. concerts every month & next Sunday will be our first. Nearly all are learning verses. The object is to see who will learn the most. I’m to keep account & I purpose to reward them in some way. We had a very interesting school yesterday. I have put the most advanced class in the “number one question book” & they ans. the questions quite promptly & are learning to find the references quite readily. It is all a source of much gratification to me.
[…] I should have been glad to have seen all of you at our exhibition, you would have been warmly welcomed by the people & children also.
I am glad you’re going to let “Miss Rebecca” set for I think she’s deserving of it. I think it’s going on two years since she’s been allowed to do so.
I have rec’d a letter from Henrietta characteristic of her own peculiarities. I am glad she likes so well.
I was pleased to rec. a letter from you Bell, although it contained some unpleasant passages, which I must say only involves me in still deeper mysteries, for I don’t know what to make of it. I presume time will tell however. I hope the sociable at Mr. Johns’ passed off pleasantly & happily. I am rather surprised to hear of work bet. 2 & 3 P.M. so that he was in & out the rest of the P.M. & the hours did not seem so long.
Mrs. Armstrong’s mother has washed & done up my striped skirt for me & sent it down by Mrs. Thos. Sat. You’ve no idea how well it looks, one would think it a new one for it’s not faded in the least in the washing of it. I am really delighted with it.
[….] There has been no preaching here this spring by the preacher in charge & his appointed locals. I believe a little class meeting is held generally Sabbath morning after the school & a general prayer meeting at night, but I never attend either & have heard no preaching since last Fall; we want to attend ch. all day in Washington if the weather is favorable & I really hope it may be, for we’re all longing to hear some good sermons once more. We want to visit three different churches if possible.
I have read last week’s no. of the “Bazaar” I think the hero Brandon is doing the thing up brown. I long to hear the end. Mrs. A. is going to try to get the book she says it is in book form.
I see the “Courant” speaks of the return of Tom Saunders,2 I presume he’s more foreign in air, speech, & dress, than American now. I presume they’re all very glad to have him return, & also have abandoned the idea of leaving their native land for the present at least.
How long has Ida Cargil been attending dancing school that she has become so proficient in the art? I see her name is upon the list of fancy dances in Mr. Rielly’s soiree. How is Mrs. Cargil’s health nowadays.
I wrote to Henrietta last week. Have you heard from Nelson lately? He’s so long answering my last letter I did not know but some of his family were sick. Give my love to them all when you write.
A few of our young men here are endeavoring to organize an instrumental band among themselves
. One of them belonging to a band while in the army & remained in it until they were honorably discharged.
There has been another death among the whites here, it occurred last week; the deceased was quite a young man with five or six children. He had the pneumonia & some other disease & is said to have been a very clever young man.
Mr. Foster is in trouble—he came to inform me last Sat. A.M. before Mrs. Thos. had gone to Easton; he rec’d. an anonymous letter from an unknown source last week quite well but meanly written, warning him to leave Ferry Neck within ten days etc. He says he paid no attention to it at first neither said anything about it, but some young man has informed him that a plot has been made to shoot him which has put him on his guard & he has decided to leave, but not until after the 10th day for he thinks there’s something in it. He will probably report to Gen. Gregory. It seems the white school children have annoyed him very much ever since last winter, he complained to the teacher twice but to no purpose & he has borne their insults patiently until recently when as they were passing one eve’g. one of the girls came round to the door & burst it open. He anticipating her desire caught her immediately by the shawl & held her firmly he says, for a few moments freeing his mind. I presume this letter is the result, as it is since learned to be the uncle of the girl who has taken the case up & he resides near Easton & is said to be only a mean, low, despicable villain.
Mr. Foster is feeling very badly & hardly knows what steps to take. All sympathize with him & the people dislike to part with him for he is very much liked down here. He does not feel safe to remain.
My head is inclined to ache now.
Remember me to all of my friends & give my love to Jim.
Excuse this ugly blot.
From Rebecca.
The family join in love to you all; I hope you’re all well. P.S. In week before last’s letter I enclosed a 5 doll. note. I hope you rec’d. it. Forgot to mention it last week.
Royal Oak, Oct. 18,1868
My dear Parents & Sister,
I have now seated myself to inform you of my safe & pleasant return to this place. I arrived at St. M. on Friday at 11 A.M. & found Mr. Thomas at the wharf waiting for me. We reached home in about an hour afterwards. As I drove into the yard and alighted it seemed as if I’d only been away for a short time, everything looked so natural. He had one of my school boys with him to bring up my luggage in a cart.
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas are enjoying good health at this time & they’re delighted to see me again also the rest of the people. They hardly knew what to think of my delay. It is much healthier here now than it has been, though the chills have not yet quite left the neighborhood. Last Sunday Mrs. Thomas was quite sick with one but has had none since. Mr. Thos. is looking quite well, he says he lost 28lbs. during his illness last summer.
I traveled alone from Hartfd. to Baltimore & was glad to do so, for I had the toothache & headache the whole distance & was in no disposition for talking much.
I awoke Thurs. A.M. to find it raining which it continued doing till about 11 o’ck. then it ceased & finally during the P.M. it cleared off.
I visited the Rooms A.M. & accompanied a young man from Vicksburg, Miss. & a stranger too, in the city, out on a shopping tour, & it was three o’ck. when we returned. I then dined & at 4 P.M. went out again & this time alone, making five calls first on old Mrs. Lee, then on Miss Creek the old maid who was delighted to see me, she said, & had only been talking about me the day before. She enquired for you & Bell & sends much love to you both. Miss Fortune’s parents reside in the house with her & it is the same apartment through which we passed the night we all called upon Miss Creek. I had the pleasure of seeing Miss Fortune & she said she’d been talking about me too, & was wondering whether I had returned to my school without calling as I’d promised to do. She was in dishabille apologizing for the same on acc’t. of being busy. Her hair was in it’s natural frizz, otherwise she was unchanged. She inquired very particularly after many of the Hartford people. She spent three delightful weeks in Philadelphia, & desires to return there this winter as some friend has written on for her to do so. I afterwards called upon Miss. Cooper who was also very much pleased to see me & I spent sometime with her. Miss Williams rec’d. my last call & paid me five dolls. ’Twas just about tea time 7½ o’ck. when I returned to the hotel—(I could not be accommodated at Mrs. Forresters, her house being full,) & finding Mr. Ballard one of our former corps of teachers there, I accepted an invitation from him, in co. with a Miss Haskins from Pittsfield, Mass, to attend a concert at the col’d. Catholic church that eve’g., & went but it proved to be a very poor affair indeed. The large audience present exhibited much dissatisfaction. I’ve left at the close of the first part of the program. This Miss Haskins is an agent for Mrs. H.B. Stowe’s last new book, “The Men of our Times” & I purchased a copy from her, & propose reading it aloud to Mr. & Mrs. Thomas & others this fall & winter.
I also succeeded in finding the question books I wanted, in a store on Balto. St. and at the same price they are sold in Hartfd.
I got some gum drops, and a lb. of mixed candy for Mrs. Thomas. They are both truly delighted with & grateful for their presents, & send you many thanks for them. Mr. Thos. wishes me to tell you that we rode 28 miles last night after sundown, & he wore his gloves. ’Twas a cold drive the wind was very high all day & did not fall till late in the eve’g. but I want to get inused to these things, so I did not mind it much. I wore my coat, & also my waterproof over it enroute home. We went down to see Miss Smith, she came over last Sat. week and came up here being much disappointed to find that I had not returned. So I thought I’d. go down & surprise her. She has had a more comfortable boarding place provided for her by the trustees & I think she will remain with them, though the people at Miles River are still very anxious to obtain her services. Still they’re not yet ready to open their school for they’ve been disappointed in rec’g. some of their lumber. Mr. Cole has allowed her to take her choice.
Mrs. Armstrong has been on for her things & gone. Miss Briggs has not been heard from. Miss Snowden has charge of the Easton School. I shall open tomorrow & Miss Smith does the same.
Now I will close & what I’ve forgotten to state in this letter I will remember in my next. Direct to the Oak now as we have a daily mail. Give my love to little Doll & say to her—her Auntie would like to see her little old fat self every day, & tell her not to forget me. Give my love to Leila also & Jim accept the best & same to yourselves.
From
Rebecca.
Remember me to all the friends & well wishers. My tooth has ceased to ache since Friday night & I am also feeling very well otherwise.
Mr. & Mrs. Thos. join me in love to you all.
Rebecca
Doll, the little girl who is now living with the Primus family, makes her first appearance in the preceding letter. In the following, Rebecca mentions Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, the nineteenth century’s most well known black woman poet, novelist, essayist, and activist. Like Rebecca, Harper also taught the freedmen in the South during Reconstruction.
Royal Oak, Nov. 1, 1868
My dear Parents & Sister,
[….] I have just written a letter to Henrietta in reply to one rec’d. from her last Friday. She says she’s been frightened almost to death of late by what was supposed to have been a ghost story, which fact I presume you’re all well aquatinted with now through Joseph. She said he was coming in Wednesday & told what she was going to send you. I imagine you’re enjoying the turkey today. I’ve not yet tasted the cake I brought with me, but I’ve given Miss Smith some of it & she has given me ajar of preserves pear which are just as clear & white as they can be & a tumbler of plums. She put them up expressly for me she says.
[…] A little babe was born dead in our neighborhood last week, & the mother now lies quite sick. Her husband is one of our trustees. The girl that was taking a bottle of that chill medicine, has not the chills since, & she has taken all the contents of one bot.
/> I think it is quite healthy here now, & the past week has been a most delightful one. The saw mill has been rebuilt & was in working order when I returned. The boiler is a non-explosive affair and came from Phila. Mr. Thos. is engineer & the owner will not have the engine run unless Mr. Thos. is there himself. He offered him more wages to induce him to take charge. The old hands are all at work there again excepting one. The mill is erected in another place & very near the water this time, they are having all the work they can do.
Mr. Thomas has heard from Mrs. Armstrong since my return. She is teaching at Trenton, N.J. now. No one has been appointed over the Easton school yet.
Politics are very dull here there are no demonstrations, meetings or anything else thought the Rep. had a gathering with addresses etc. yesterday P.M. at which some of the rowdies endeavored to make a disturbance but the speaker silenced them we are told. I suppose there was a grand rally as well as a grand display in Hartford last Wednesday night.
I thought Mrs. Watkins Harper was to deliver her poem the week I left home. I am glad you heard her & liked the poem. They were so long dallying about the Installation while I was home that I treat it as a matter of indifference now, & had become to feel thus about it long before I left.
[…] I am glad Nelson reached home without any harm to himself, but they must have had a rather tedious time of it. I wrote him last week.
My tunks came safely but one jar got broken. However, its contents did not all get wasted only a part of the liquor run out. I did not know I had any sculcap with me. I will look for it some day. That lady was not a teacher. I gave $3.50 for the book.
Sam is all right & glad to see me again. Give my love to little Doll & tell her not to forget me for I think of her often. Does she creep much or any more than she did? Give my love to her & Leila. Tell Jim to be a good boy & to grow fat & good together. Mr. & Mrs. Thos. send love. The enclosed please return. ’Twas given Mrs. Thos. & she sends for your inspection Bell as the style of the Southern G. Bend. We think the Saratoga Belle rather the best. I am glad Nelson put that picture of Mrs. F’s. on exhibition. She may conclude to take it. Has Mrs. Cargill paid for Kittie’s?
Beloved Sisters and Loving Friends Page 27