Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Helen Hunt, March 21, 1871
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Helen Hunt, March 21, 1871
Subject
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876
Cushman, Emma Crow, 1839-1920
Jackson, Helen Hunt
Illness
Relationships--Networks
Description
Charlotte Cushman faces surgery again and is afraid she may die. Cushman asks Helen Hunt to care for Emma Cushman if she dies.
Transcripts courtesy of Nancy Knipe, Colorado College.
Transcripts courtesy of Nancy Knipe, Colorado College.
Creator
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876
Date
1871-03-21
Type
Reference
Letter Item Type Metadata
Text
Mia Carissima,
Your own note of the 16th must have a word of acknowledgement & I must send you the enclosed & must also tell you that I have decided upon submitting myself to the surgeon--whenever he is ready I shall go to 128 E. 16th St New York. To Mrs. Cushmans & there lay myself down. I have doubted, feared, & struggled for-against, towards & from first one thing & then the other until the decision, which is most terrible, seems almost a relief, so hard & robust has been the contest. I came to the conclusion after much looking into & under the Electrolysis that if I must be a field for Experiment—for from the first moment I ever saw him in Nov last Dr. Wright has never known [underlined twice] whether he could do me [underlined] any good. He now fears [underlined] absolutely fears, to undertake my case, simply because he does not know [underlined] his theory or his system sufficiently & from the first to now he would only have Experiments, & if it must be an Experiment, let me deal with the known & proven & trust in God & my constitution for the result. When one fails after descending to Empiricism it is more humiliating than to die by [death?] the laws sure & known. I wait the day & hour! “all good souls pray for me.” I have a feeling that my work is not yet done, if so, I shall get through, if not, amen, amen! amen! The month has been trying, but wonderful for March, which I so much feared, but it appears that March may be a sad month to me, & yet not through the bad weather. Emma Cushman has sent to me to take the Cunningham house for her [underlined] ; so whatever may come of me, you will give a look out for her, for she is worth it! If you see the sweet lad[y?] of Fort Adams, will you tell her with my love, that I shall want her to help Emma Cushman about the horse [underlined] matter, in the way I had proposed to her to do by now which was that we should club together – ask her to let me have the address of her sister in New York. I cannot write more today, or I would send her a note; if quite well tomorrow will write to her. I am in much pain, an ugly varicose tumour has burst on the [acctrix?] of my [wound?], & causes me much torture. God bless you dear, believe that I am every your loving C.C.
[additional note added to front of letter:] Whenever you want to come to New York, there is a very nice house boarding house, corner of Green S’ & Washington Place Mrs. Marget where Miss Stebbins mother boards wh I think wd be nice & central & comfortable for you. If Emma should want you, you would hear & you will hear from her whether or no.
Your own note of the 16th must have a word of acknowledgement & I must send you the enclosed & must also tell you that I have decided upon submitting myself to the surgeon--whenever he is ready I shall go to 128 E. 16th St New York. To Mrs. Cushmans & there lay myself down. I have doubted, feared, & struggled for-against, towards & from first one thing & then the other until the decision, which is most terrible, seems almost a relief, so hard & robust has been the contest. I came to the conclusion after much looking into & under the Electrolysis that if I must be a field for Experiment—for from the first moment I ever saw him in Nov last Dr. Wright has never known [underlined twice] whether he could do me [underlined] any good. He now fears [underlined] absolutely fears, to undertake my case, simply because he does not know [underlined] his theory or his system sufficiently & from the first to now he would only have Experiments, & if it must be an Experiment, let me deal with the known & proven & trust in God & my constitution for the result. When one fails after descending to Empiricism it is more humiliating than to die by [death?] the laws sure & known. I wait the day & hour! “all good souls pray for me.” I have a feeling that my work is not yet done, if so, I shall get through, if not, amen, amen! amen! The month has been trying, but wonderful for March, which I so much feared, but it appears that March may be a sad month to me, & yet not through the bad weather. Emma Cushman has sent to me to take the Cunningham house for her [underlined] ; so whatever may come of me, you will give a look out for her, for she is worth it! If you see the sweet lad[y?] of Fort Adams, will you tell her with my love, that I shall want her to help Emma Cushman about the horse [underlined] matter, in the way I had proposed to her to do by now which was that we should club together – ask her to let me have the address of her sister in New York. I cannot write more today, or I would send her a note; if quite well tomorrow will write to her. I am in much pain, an ugly varicose tumour has burst on the [acctrix?] of my [wound?], & causes me much torture. God bless you dear, believe that I am every your loving C.C.
[additional note added to front of letter:] Whenever you want to come to New York, there is a very nice house boarding house, corner of Green S’ & Washington Place Mrs. Marget where Miss Stebbins mother boards wh I think wd be nice & central & comfortable for you. If Emma should want you, you would hear & you will hear from her whether or no.
From
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876
To
Jackson, Helen Hunt, 1830-1885
Location
Tremont
Westchester Co. NY
Westchester Co. NY
Geocode (Latitude)
40.841345
Geocode (Longitude)
-73.84313
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, March 21, 1871,” Archival Gossip Collection, accessed April 25, 2024, https://www.archivalgossip.com/collection/items/show/256.