Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Helen Hunt Jackson, Oct 3 [or: 13], 1870
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Helen Hunt Jackson, Oct 3 [or: 13], 1870
Subject
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876
Jackson, Helen Hunt
Stebbins, Emma, 1815-1882
Cushman, Emma Crow, 1839-1920
Social Events--Travels
Social Events--Misc.
United States
Gossip--Private
Description
Charlotte Cushman, Emma Stebbins, and Emma Crow Cushman and her children are preparing for the passage to the US. Cushman informs Hunt about the plans for the next couple of months. She has already started to pay farewell visits to her friends.
Col. Higginson is searching for a house for them in the US.
At the end, she refers to the "doings of this summer" witnessed by a Miss Freeman but she des not further explain this issue.
Transcripts courtesy of Nancy Knipe, Colorado College.
Col. Higginson is searching for a house for them in the US.
At the end, she refers to the "doings of this summer" witnessed by a Miss Freeman but she des not further explain this issue.
Transcripts courtesy of Nancy Knipe, Colorado College.
Creator
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876
Source
Colorado College, Tutt Library, Helen Hunt Jackson Papers, Part 2, Ms 0156, Box 2, Folder 34, letters from Charlotte Cushman to HH, 1869-70. Transcribed by Nancy Knipe, 2005.
Date
1870-10-03
Type
Reference
Letter Item Type Metadata
Text
Dearie--
Just one word to thank you for your sweet & welcome letter, which would have been acknowledged sooner but that I have been in a state of visitors. First up to the 19" of Sep" I had my brother & his wife & a very dear old friend visiting me at Knotsford Lodge, Malvern. On the 19" when they left me as our good friends of Upper Terrace Lodge Hampstead were to pay me a fortnightly visit & preferred to pay it at the seaside, rather than Malvern (for they had been at [Windermere?] for four or five weeks before & it wd [sic] have been [tame?] to come to Malvern after that. I made arrangements for taking apartments at Llandudno on the north coast of Wales, & then we spent together the most heavenly of fortnights as far as weather was concerned. I never have seen or known England one third as lovely as it has been this summer & autumn so far. On the 3d they all three--Mrs. & Miss James & Miss Coates--left me & I went with Emma Cushman to Voilas, near Bettwsy Cord, N. Wales to pay a two day visit among the dreadful aristocracy, but in a country more lovely than any words can tell you but which you must see to appreciate. Switzerland with most beautiful forests can only compare to it, & in some ways suffer by the comparison. Then I left Emma Cushman & her lovely bairns, at Llandudno, where they had also been with me, & I started off on duty visits, which were very very sad, & I have been much wrung in the heart by them. I came here on the 11', where I find them all again, preparing to sail on the Abysinnia on the 18"-if you are in New York any where from the 29" to the 1" or 2 of November, you will catch us all, if you look for us with Miss Cushman, No. 128 East 16" Street, for Emma will arrive about the 30" Oct. & I, sailing (D.V.) on the 22d on the Scotia hope to be in New York on the 1" or 2d Nov [&] Emma C. will remain in New York until I arrive, so you will see the whole "Royal family."
I had such a sweet letter from Col. Higginson-he will think me a heathen for not replying to it, but I have been so busy. I wonder if he would think me much wanting in etiquette if I asked him to excuse a message through you to thank him [sincerely?] for his kind attention, and to say to him that in the matter of houses, I am greatly obliged for his letter & will by him to keep himself informed, as to any available places to be had against I come. It is my present purpose to remain in New York a week after my arrival & then to go up to Hyde Park Duchess Co. New York where I stay with Miss Stebbins sister Miss Garland for a month & then to go to Newport to make my trial of a portion of Decr, Jany & Feby, for if those months will agree with me, I will take care of the others elsewhere. Emma Cushman will go to St. Louis to remain until middle of May when she wants to return to the East, & I have thought it would be better for me to take a house in Newport for a year, that when she is ready to come East, she will have a house to go to with the children & servants & then I could go & come as it might be agreeable or necessary. But I must try first how it will agree with me & therefore I do not think it would be wise for me to get Col. Higginson to engage anything for me beforehand. Do you? But you will see me or you will let me hear from you soon after my arrival & then I will communicate further-meanwhile say you all pretty things to him for the trouble he took in writing to me. Your little "German landlady" is just exquisite. Fresh & simple as she was, your way of telling of her is fresher & simpler "& I make you my compliments."
Only think of Rome, dear, did you sin? No. I never dreamed of the doings of this summer. I must send you by Emma Cushman or show you a letter from [Florie?] Freeman who saw it all! How I wish I had been there. Now goodbye & God bless you. Emma's both send love believe me ever your loving friend
C.C.----
Just one word to thank you for your sweet & welcome letter, which would have been acknowledged sooner but that I have been in a state of visitors. First up to the 19" of Sep" I had my brother & his wife & a very dear old friend visiting me at Knotsford Lodge, Malvern. On the 19" when they left me as our good friends of Upper Terrace Lodge Hampstead were to pay me a fortnightly visit & preferred to pay it at the seaside, rather than Malvern (for they had been at [Windermere?] for four or five weeks before & it wd [sic] have been [tame?] to come to Malvern after that. I made arrangements for taking apartments at Llandudno on the north coast of Wales, & then we spent together the most heavenly of fortnights as far as weather was concerned. I never have seen or known England one third as lovely as it has been this summer & autumn so far. On the 3d they all three--Mrs. & Miss James & Miss Coates--left me & I went with Emma Cushman to Voilas, near Bettwsy Cord, N. Wales to pay a two day visit among the dreadful aristocracy, but in a country more lovely than any words can tell you but which you must see to appreciate. Switzerland with most beautiful forests can only compare to it, & in some ways suffer by the comparison. Then I left Emma Cushman & her lovely bairns, at Llandudno, where they had also been with me, & I started off on duty visits, which were very very sad, & I have been much wrung in the heart by them. I came here on the 11', where I find them all again, preparing to sail on the Abysinnia on the 18"-if you are in New York any where from the 29" to the 1" or 2 of November, you will catch us all, if you look for us with Miss Cushman, No. 128 East 16" Street, for Emma will arrive about the 30" Oct. & I, sailing (D.V.) on the 22d on the Scotia hope to be in New York on the 1" or 2d Nov [&] Emma C. will remain in New York until I arrive, so you will see the whole "Royal family."
I had such a sweet letter from Col. Higginson-he will think me a heathen for not replying to it, but I have been so busy. I wonder if he would think me much wanting in etiquette if I asked him to excuse a message through you to thank him [sincerely?] for his kind attention, and to say to him that in the matter of houses, I am greatly obliged for his letter & will by him to keep himself informed, as to any available places to be had against I come. It is my present purpose to remain in New York a week after my arrival & then to go up to Hyde Park Duchess Co. New York where I stay with Miss Stebbins sister Miss Garland for a month & then to go to Newport to make my trial of a portion of Decr, Jany & Feby, for if those months will agree with me, I will take care of the others elsewhere. Emma Cushman will go to St. Louis to remain until middle of May when she wants to return to the East, & I have thought it would be better for me to take a house in Newport for a year, that when she is ready to come East, she will have a house to go to with the children & servants & then I could go & come as it might be agreeable or necessary. But I must try first how it will agree with me & therefore I do not think it would be wise for me to get Col. Higginson to engage anything for me beforehand. Do you? But you will see me or you will let me hear from you soon after my arrival & then I will communicate further-meanwhile say you all pretty things to him for the trouble he took in writing to me. Your little "German landlady" is just exquisite. Fresh & simple as she was, your way of telling of her is fresher & simpler "& I make you my compliments."
Only think of Rome, dear, did you sin? No. I never dreamed of the doings of this summer. I must send you by Emma Cushman or show you a letter from [Florie?] Freeman who saw it all! How I wish I had been there. Now goodbye & God bless you. Emma's both send love believe me ever your loving friend
C.C.----
From
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876
To
Jackson, Helen Hunt, 1830-1885
Location
Liverpool, UK
Geocode (Latitude)
53.407154
Geocode (Longitude)
-2.991665
Annotations
Nancy Knipe remarked that she is not sure about the specific date of the letter: Oct 3 or 13
Extended Date/Time Format (EDTF) Specification
1870-10-~03
Social Bookmarking
Geolocation
Collection
Citation
Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876, “Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Helen Hunt Jackson, Oct 3 [or: 13], 1870,” Archival Gossip Collection, accessed April 16, 2024, https://www.archivalgossip.com/collection/items/show/443.