folder 14: September 1852

[top right, in pencil] [23 broken, seemed very glad to see me & enquired very particularly after William and yourself. She soon got on the favourite hobby the surpassing good qualities of her son in law. I wonder if she really believes him to be as perfect as she would try to make people believe. Well! well! we all have our weaknesses & this is hers I suppose. Her son in laws [sic] parents live in this town, their house has been pointed out to me, a nice looking residence - Mrs. Wells called for Julia King & said she would very soon call to see me. Last evening Mrs Jackson & myself hired a carriage & sent our daughters out to ride - dear good Mrs Daggett accompanied them. What a truly good woman she appears to be

Mrs Devereux called last evening She has just returned from their summer excursion - She made me quite a long call - then came a Miss Reed - a very pleasant young lady an intimate friend of Lillie Devereux's - She has just returned from Europe. Our dear Lordy got home last night = he tells us that his Aunt & Uncle are quite well & very happily situated at the Metropolitan Hotel. This is said to be the finest Hotel in the world. It is 6 stories [sic] high & each story [sic] is calculated to accommodate 30 families & 100 single gentlemen It is finished & furnished from bottom to top with equal grandeur - The first day it was opened 300 persons were turned off - so quickly had it filled up. Andrew had his rooms engaged some weeks before the house was opened. I have a great desire to let G & Flora spend a week with Louisa before we go South. They will then be able to tell you all about this great house. Were it not for fear of these dear children being made sick I would return home at once. I am tired of the life I had - so unprof-itable, & so expensive. You & I naturally supposed it would be so easy to make good bargains here - I am utterly disgusted - so much cheating over-reaching, I never believed could be practised - One Landlady told us she want[ed] to get a carpet not long since at the best Carpet establishment here. She told the merchant what she wanted & added that she was willing to pay a fair price &c was no "jockey", &c &c - he agreed with her that jockeying was a shameful practice - he never was guilty of it &c / gave her the carpet at his very lowest price 87^1/2 cts., the very lowest he could sell for - it had cost him 80 cts at Auction in N.Y. The same day one of her neigh

[written in pencil] 10 Sept 1852] [centered] [3] [upper right corner]

-bors [neighbors] - got a carpet off of the same piece at 75 cts - & after her another neighbor one at 62^1/2 cts per yd - Miss Lines is a Yankee & has lived all her life in New Haven. It was from this very man I got our carpeting. There are a great many things I really do want - but I hate to be jockeyed - & have as yet got nothing except those carpets & feel that I was cheated then. I really am sorry that the parlour carpet held out so badly. I do not suppose I can match it even if I could recollect the colour & pattern, if you will let me know I will get some as near it as I can. Lord ordered the shade for the bust - it will have to be made. If I had you or William with me I doubt not we could make some capital bargains. I am myself quite incapable of doing this & the girls are even worse than I am. I shall look back many a day with regret at the sums here wasted, it is a little here & a little there. I put down every cent that is spent or I would be certain I had been robbed. Mrs R. King tells me she has 6 children with her. I presume she includes her immaculate Son in law & his wife. But she will not spend as much money as I shall - She stops more with relations I would rather suffer as I do than tax the hospitality of my husband's brother. I do hope my darling that I may be able to leave for home by the middle of October at farthest. One or two weeks may make but a little difference but I do want to get home so much. It is again distressingly dry here - the dust is insufferable & for the last few days it has been quite warm. M^r Woolley has determined to go home on the first of October either by way of Philadelphia in the State of Georgia or by way of Wilming-ton - He seems to have forgotten every other feeling in the love of sightseeing & as he has once been in New Haven does not care to come here again he is quite satisfied in his Dutch Tavern in Allentown. I do regret very much your sisters having been kept so stationary. I did want them to go to Niagara, but they seem quite happy here & are quite well. The little boys [sic] regular schooling began yesterday - Mallery will begin on the 15^th I hope the two[-]former may be pushed ahead a little so that I can get on better with them until your dear Father returns. Lordy says he will help Mallery with his studies - I have agreed to employ Mrs Lara

if she will come to me. I shall not be able to send Flora & Appy to a boarding school next year, & they could not lose the time it would take to make another crop. I have seen Alic Couper but twice - he said he was afraid to come too often - we may get tired of seeing him, he is the same Alic Couper he was at home Mall tells me Alic is now in New York. Mrs Gordon sent little George / her grand son to see me yesterday / he is a very sweet baby just trying to talk. Mrs Devereux is quite shocked at Davy's ingra-titude. She says 'well after this tell me nothing about negros [sic]' his leaving so kind a master was bad enough but to rob him shows the real nature of the race!! I do not like to even think of Davy - & yet I never am alone but I see him as distinctly as when he was at home coming to ask me about "Master". I hope poor creature he repented his error & may be forgiven. Rhina is very anxious to return home & if I had a good opportunity I surely would send her - it would be a relief. She does a great many things for us - but it does not equal the expense she is to me, & since Davys [sic] conduct - I have lost all confidence in the colour. Eliza Gordon is spending the morning with your sisters - she is about Appys [sic] age - very tall & will be handsome. I hope & trust my own darling this may find you all well - My anxiety increases every day - I have so great a dread you may all be sick. But I will trust to the Mercy of Him who alone can keep you from danger. Do not trouble yourself to write more than one letter a week to us - I know it hurts you to write & I know you have a great deal to occupy your time. I have every reason to hope your dear father will leave California on the 7^th Novem-ber, in that event you need not write after the 22^nd of this month. All here write in love & kisses to yourself dear William and the babies - Say all that is kind to my servants - & remember us to M^r Dunham. I had intended writing this letter last night but my room was filled with company until near 12 o clock May God! preserve & bless you my children - I will write again in a day or two --- your devoted Mother AM King

[upper right corner] New Haven 12^th September 1852

My own dear Tootee,

It rains too much for us to go out to Church today - Georgia has taken the little boys into one room to read to them. Flora has locked herself up in their room to meditate or write letters. Appy & the two Jacksons have taken possession of my room - & as I could neither read, write, or even think in so much racket, So I have taken refuge with Lord - he is getting ready to answer some letters - in the mean while puffs away at his cigar & brings to my memory the wars of your dear Father when he has letters to write & not the inclination.

I am not very fit to write letters myself - but I know I shall enjoy writing to you better than anything else. Now comes the stormy season & I do not know how you may get through it. Tootee dear you are never absent from my mind I can only trust to the mercy of God! that I may be spared to reach home & find all well who I left there. So many things crowd on - of little interest to relate - so little occurs which is really worth while repeating. I find it far more difficult to make out a letter here than when at home.

I sent you a scrabble of a letter on Friday in time I hope to go by the Steamer yesterday - so that you may get it on Wednesday. I write this as your Sunday letter ---- I think if I could only have the energy to walk more I should not only feel better but be more happy ----

it seems almost impossible for all to get to bed before twelve o clock - & even then I cannot sleep, so that I do not feel able to rise early enough to walk before breakfast - after that is over there is always much to be done. I will scarcely be sorry when the Jacksons leave here simply because they are much in my room. The youngest daughter is a dear good child - a real old-fashioned little girl. I love her for her devotion to her Mother. Mrs Preston is still here. I like her too. Last evening there seemed to be no end to callers on us. I had really hoped I had done with them - I will go the rounds once more & then stop. Lord was very much pleased with his visit to New York. Andrew & Louisa were exceedingly kind to him - in fact no fault can be found with them. It is not to be supposed that they could be content to settle down where we are - he has business in N.Y. & has also a taste for its comforts & pleasures - neither of which we can afford to enjoy. Even here the pennies fly faster than I can afford they should. I must now stop & not look forward, if I do I shall be moping again. I am trying hard to look on the bright side of things - I am trying to be more grateful for the blessings I enjoy. My beloved husband my precious children have been spared to me - how blessed how happy I ought to be, & how happy I would be but for money. Oh! Tootee what a poison this has been to human happiness - We all look to it with desire - forgetting that it is not all that is needed for human happiness