Judge Sewall offers himself to Madam Gibbs ("To Mrs. Mary Gibbs, Widow, at Newtown, MADAM, your Removal out of Town, and the Severity of the Winter, are the reason of my making you this Epistolary Visit. In times past (as I remember) you were minded that I should marry you, by giving you to your desirable Bridegroom. Some sense of this intended Respect abides with me still; and puts me upon enquiring whether you be willing that I should Marry you now, by becoming your Husband; Aged, and feeble, and exhausted as I am, your favourable Answer to this Enquiry, in a few Lines, the Candor of it will much oblige, Madam, your humble Servt MADAM GIBBS. But does not propose to pay her debts MA ("To Mrs. Mary Gibbs at Newtown") S. S. Feb 10th 171 [ADAM, these are kindly to salute you, and to say, that the Omission of Answering one or two of my Letters, and of coming to Town, makes it needful for me to enquire, what the plain meaning of your Letter of Jany 30th may be. "I do chuse to comply with your last proposal, of Releasing my children, and Accepting of the sum you proposed." The last Proposal was, For your children, or some in their behalf, to give Bond to indemnify me from all debts contracted by you before the Marriage; and from all matters respecting the Administration. This I told you, I peremptorily insisted on. I was to secure you Forty pounds per añum during the term of your natural Life, in case of your Survival. Published At Last This proposal must be taken entirely, every part of it together. And if the words Releasing my Children, intend a Releasing them from this Bond, my last Proposal is not accepted by you; and my Letter of Febr. the sixth, rests upon a mistaken foundation. I would prevent Misunderstanding, and therefore I thus write; praying an Answer as soon as conveniently can be. My Service to Madam Cotton. I am, Madam, your humble servant, S. S. The Judge and Madam Gibbs are finally published ("To Mrs. Mary Gibbs at Newton, Feb. 16, 1721") MADAM, Possibly you have heard of our Publish ment last Thorsday, before now. It remains, for us to join together in fervent Prayers, without ceasing, that God would graciously Crown our Espousals with his Blessing. A good Wife, and a good Husband too, are from the Lord. I am bound as far as Deacon Brewer's to-day. The Council sits in the Afternoon next Monday. And I am to wait on the Committee of the Overseers of the College next Tuesday the 20th Inst. Please to accept of Mr. Mitchel's Sermons of Glory, which is inclosed. With my Service to Madam Cotton, I take leave, who am, Madam, your humble Servt S. S. George Washington salutes Martha Custis WE July 20, 1758 have begun our march for the Ohio. A courier is starting for Williamsburg, and I embrace the opportunity to send a few words to one whose life is now inseparable from mine. Since that happy hour when we made our pledges to each other, my thoughts 1 The publishing of the banns of matrimony. have been continually going to you as another Self. That an all-powerful Providence may keep us both in safety is the prayer of your ever faithful and affectionate friend. John Hancock sends a letter of remonstrance and a box of presents to Dorothy Quincy PHILAD'A, 10th June, 1775 MY DR. DOLLY: I am almost prevail'd on to think that my letters to my Aunt & you are not read, for I cannot obtain a reply, I have ask'd million questions & not an answer to one, I beg'd you to let me know what things my Aunt wanted & you, and many other matters I wanted to know, but not one word in answer. I Really Take it extreme unkind, pray my Dr. use not so much Ceremony & Reservedness, why can't you use freedom in writing, be not afraid of me, I want long Letters. I am glad the little things I sent you were agreeable. Why did you not write me of the top of the Umbrella. I was sorry it was spoiled, but I will send you another by my Express wch will go in a few days. How did my Aunt like her gown, & do let me know if the Stockings suited her; she had better send a pattern shoe & stocking, I warrant I will suit her. The Inclos'd letter for your Father you will read, & seal & forward him, you will observe I mention in it your writing your Sister Katy about a few necessaries for Katy Sewall, what you think Right let her have & Roy James, this only between you and I; do write your Father I should be glad to hear from him, & I Beg, my Dear Dolly, you will write me often & long Letters. will forgive the past if you will mend in future. Do ask my Aunt to make me up & send me a Watch String, & do you make up another & send me, I wear them out fast. I want some little thing of your doing. I All To Be Worn Remember me to all Friends with you as if nam'd. I am call'd upon & must obey. I have sent you by Doc Church in a paper Box Directed to you, the following things, for your acceptance, & which I do insist you wear, if you do not, I shall think the Donor is the objection: I p. Black Calem Co. (Shall be sent when done. I very pretty light Hat. I neat Airy Summer Cloak. (I ask Docr. Church) 2 caps i Fann I wish these may please you, I shall be gratified if they do, pray write me, I will attend to all your Commands. Adieu my Dr Girl, and believe me to be with great Esteem & Affection. MY I wish you a happy new year, and a repetition of happy new years as long as time shall endure; not here below, because I shall want you in another country, better than this. EAREST, DE that Peabody) I SALEM, Nov. 27, 1840 Whenever I return to Salem, I feel how dark my life would be without the light shed you upon it, how cold, without the warmth of your love. Sitting in this chamber, where my youth wasted itself in vain, I can partly estimate the change that has been wrought. It seems as if the better part of me had been born since then. I had walked those many years in darkness, and might so have walked through life, with only a dreamy notion that there was any light in the universe, if you had not kissed my eyelids and given me to see. You, dearest, have always been positively happy. Not so I, I have only not been miserable. Then which of us has gained the most? I, assuredly! When a beam of heavenly sunshine incorporates itself with a dark cloud, is not the cloud benefited more than the sunshine? Nothing at all has happened to me since I left you. It puzzles me to conceive how you meet with so many more events than I. You will have a volume to tell me, when we meet, and you will pour your beloved voice into my ears in a long stream; at length you will pause and say, "But what has your life been?" and then will stupid I look back upon what I call my life, for three or four days past, and behold, a blank ! I am enduring my banishment here as best I may; methinks, all enormous sinners should be sent on pilgrimage to Salem, and compelled to spend a length of time there, proportioned to the enormity of their offences. Such punishment would be suited to crimes that do not quite deserve |