ENPages That Mention Mother
Mary Emma Jocelyn diary, 1851-1852.
p. 9
Journal Continued
Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 27th 1851
Mild & Pleasant
We all rose early. Father, Carrie, Cornelius, Fred & I attended our church in the morning. Father preached On our return home we found that Mr Murphy, Stan and Annie, Albert and Mary Emma had already arrived we having resolved to follow the old New England fashion of collecting all the family together for a good Thanksgiving dinner. This was soon served, and we all did abundant justice to Mother's good cooking. Turkies puddings pies &c dissappearing in short order. Then we remained quite a long time at the table chatting in quite a merry humour We toasted Father as the best looking man at the table which I thought true. After dinner Annie presented Mother with a very pretty cap, and the children insisted on giving some of us a sleigh ride on the ice in the back yard. The remainder of the afternoon passed very pleasantly indeed. We had some very good singing, and Albert entertained us by speaking some of the pieces that he was accustomed to repeat on like occasions in boyhood About seven o'clock we commenced singing some of the sweet old hymns that we had been accustomed to sing from the time we could remember. How sadly yet sweetly those [plaintive?] notes recalled the past, and brought back the Thanksgiving days when Grandmother and [Uncle's?] family united with ours in celebrating it.
[text written on left margin] Father read the [ninetieth?] Psalm in a very solemn and impressive manner and after making some very appropriate remarks was followed by Mr Murphy in prayer Supper at [eight?]. Our pleasant little family party broke up about ten; Stan and Annie Albert and Mary Emma returning to the city
p. 11
Monday, December 1st Very cold. Winter's drear reign has commenced Sewed in the morning. In the afternoon I called on Mary Reeve Mary [Robb?] , and the Waterman's. [?] Dickinson called and presented Carrie with a Lyceum ticket and with an offer of his hand which was rejected. She however accepted his company to Lcyeum for the winter on condition that he would accompany her only as a [cousin?]. He said he wished she would be an old maid but though he felt very badly about it they parted pleasantly Mr Murphy and Mr Roy a theological student called in the [ev'ng?].
Tuesday.. Busy at home all day.. Margaret Culbert called in the afternoon Dr Remmington was here to tea and lectured at our church in the evening. Mrs Hudson and Kate called and accompanied our folks to the lecture. Natty? and I spent the evening alone together in reading.
Wednesday.. Cold but pleasant. After sewing steadily all day early in the evening I dressed to attend Miss Hamilton's wedding. George Hudson and Kate called for Carrie to attend singing school. They returned about half past eight before we started for the wedding. Joseph Wilde and Hannah came in and [staid?] [till?] we returned. Mother and Father, Mr Murphy with Harriet and I attended the wedding. The rooms were crowded. The bride of course looked very sweetly and the groom Mr [Brinu?] looked well. We met there Stan? and Annie, the Culberts, and quite a number of acquaintances and, we enjoyed it very much. The [Calthumpians?] were serenading before the door when we left. It is the first time I have ever heard them. I should [?] like to have them come to my wedding.
p. 15
Wednesday December 17th Sewed as usual. Hannah Wilde called in the afternoon . In the evening we received a note from Mr J.C. Warner, stating, that the [in?] consequence of an engagement, he would be unable to attend singing school this evening. Of this we were very glad as the cold which was intense made us dread to go out. We rec'd an invitation from the Hudsons to spend the evening with them, but for [?] some reason declined. Read Kossuth's great speech of the eleventh, and wrote to Sarah Gonsalves? inviting her to spend the holidays with us. Father left us to-day for Montpelier, Vermont on business. He expects to be absent nearly a fortnight.
Thursday.. Still very cold. Went to the post-office and to Hamilton's in the morning. In the afternoon I called on Kate Hudson. George accompanied me home. In the evening Mother and I attended [Lycenum?]. Mr Saxe, the Green Mountain poet, delivered a very fine poem on New England.
Friday.. Bright but cold.. Sewed most of the day and evening. Sarah Olmsted, am old friend and schoolmate, whom I have not seen for more than two years, called in this afternoon. We had a rather lengthy and pleasant chat on things long since past, but not forgotten. How pleasant it is occasionally thus to meet, one, who still remembers, and loves to think of the little events, and pleasing remembrances of our school girl days. They were indeed pleasant, and I shall not soon forget them.
[text on left side of left margin: [?] [?] for the purpose of taking [music?] lessons. Her family lives in the country where she is unable to obtain a [music?] teacher.
[text on right side of left margin: [?] [?] [?] [?] the Rev Mr Porter [?] Mr Stephen [?] Branch. son of the late Judge Branch of Providence. She has been engaged to him only six weeks. He is reputed to be a gentleman of wealth & respectability The happy (?) couple set out immediately for Washington. They intend visiting Europe in May
p. 17
Monday.. Snowed all day. Helen Stearns called in the morning I was quite ill and lay down most of the afternoon. Nathaniel met George Hudson in the course of the day. who informed him that Henry was quite sick, and unable to leave the house. It is feared that he will have the [Chagres?] fever which he might have taken while crossing the [Isthmus?]. How unfortunate if it should so happen. A sad welcome indeed to one returning, bouyant with hope, after nearly three years absence, to his beloved home.
==Tuesday..]] The ground was covered with snow, and the sleigh bells jingled merrily by all day.. The sun shone warmly and brightly on the snow-clad earth. It was a lovely sight. I did not go out all day. We heard from the Hudson's that Henry was still worse. Mr Murphy spent the evening
Wednesday.. Cloudy. Morning in sewing with Nattie. Early in the afternoon Mother called on the Hudson family and found them nearly all sick. Poor Henry is confined to his bed in a raging fever. The Doctor says that "the old southern rascal has go hold of him". He feels the cold very much and says he could never live here again in this cold climate. He sent us word that if he was well he would come to see us but as he could not we must come and see him. - Went out of an errand and called on Mary Reeve. In the evening received a letter from [joseph? Gonsolves?] saying that [she?] would be happy to visit me but could not come this week. If she comes at all she
p. 18
Thursday, December 25th / Christmas day.. Arose early to search fo a ring which I had lost the night before. I was [not?] successful and began to feel concerned about it as I had a particular reason for wishing to keep it. Mother said that Santa Claus had been sent after it; probably to give it to somebody who deserved it better. Carrie and Nathaniel attended the Catholic church in the morning. I did not feel well and lay down. [Starr?] and Annie called and Father returned before dinner. - Waking from a short slumber I spied my ring on the carpet just where it seemed impossible not to have seen it before. After dinner - a Christmas dinner by the way - Carrie curled my hair all over my head in a way that was pronounced very pretty and though at first I did not like it much myself it was universally declared that henceforth I should wear it in no other fashion than that. Universal opinion prevailed and I submitted. Mr Murphy presented Harriet with a very pretty [pin?]. Carrie and I made a long and pleasant [call?] on the Hudson's. Henry is still worse and has been delirious most of the day. George has watched with him [thru?] nights and they are all constantly busy in attending him. Just as we were leaving Henry sent us [an?] invitation to come up and see him. We hesitated and the [score?] of propriety but finally thinking that circumstance
[text continued on left margin:] justified the step we went up to his room. I followed Carrie to his bedside. She stooped and kissed him and I did the same and [then?] half drew back in surprise to see there not the very youthful young gentleman we had parted with three years ago but this full grown man whiskers and all. He has improved very much in appearance and his expression is at once very good and very pleasing. He grasped my hand warmly and returned my kiss with much fervor saying cheerfully How [?] [to?] Emma said he was glad to see me looking so well and made a few other remarks - then his mind appeared to wander and we left him. George accompanied us home. He told us that before the family he tried to put the best face on the matter but that in California he had seen so much of this dreadful fever he feared much its effects on Henry. He remarked however that Henry was [prepared?] to die and that he [supposed?] he was himself [not?] that there was no [?] [in?] wishing