BLACKWELL FAMILY Emily Blackwell Blackwell, Alice Stone July 30, 1900 to Jan 22, 1905Jan 22 1905 Dr Emily to Alice news of the Huntington Antoinette Robinson born uprising in Russia Dr Eliz Book - pioneer work in medicine 17 Plymouth St. Montclair N. J. Jan 22 1905 Dear Alice I have the Conway Vols. If you will let me know what you paid for them I will send you check for amount and send the book on to your father as a present - I wd be glad to do it. Then his mind will be at ease - otherwise he will surely find out the fact and be vexed. I think I will put a check for five dollars in my letter if that be not enough let me know Did you ever receive a package of copies ofWe were all quite interested in your account of the S American lecture I wish Mme H wd give it in Montclair. Before this reaches you you will doubtless have heard from Ethel direct of the arrival of little Antoinette Robinson at 2 pm this morning. A fine large baby 8 3/4 lb. Labor one hour and a quarter only. Dr. Mercelis was called in the night but baby arrived soon after they telephoned. Ethel is doing well and is thankful to be through. Nannie feels almost envious. The trouble about Dr. H going to sea is that he has to observe a special diet which he cd not do at sea, or he wd be glad to take his regular duty. On shore he is improving, and has only been detained from duty by illness one day this year, or rather since he returned to duty Aug 1. We are all well [*Elizabeth's Pioneer work in Medicine I wrote to Kitty to send me some copies and she wrote that she was sending them to you with some copies for you. Have you them*]On the whole the winter here so far has been fine, and not severe. How you must be stirred up this morning by the uprising in Russia! If the autocracy will persist in sitting on the cover of a volcano - they will have to take the consequences. But what a time there will be and what oppression and slaughter first. I hope at least it will end the Japanese war. The times are interesting but not altogether cheerful. Affectly Aunt Emily. [*I want to have some on hand for applications [Let?] me know whether they ever reached you.*] Dr. Emily July 1904 to ASB family news visit of Nannie & Gale Rep on Democrats & Tariff & TrustsYork Cliffs July 1904 Dear Alice I hope you are having a good time on the old Vineyard. But the summer slips away wonderfully fast. Almost the middle of July already. Nannie & Gale are with me now and I am glad to have them. They will be with me this month at any rate. Then they may go to the Navy yard. Dr Huntington has been ordered to the charge of the Hospital there. He comes up twice a week for an afternoon with his family. This is very convenient and better at this season than Pensacola. The country is at its greenest & freshest, and the ocean is always itself. The winter was exceptionally severe and made a good deal of havoc among the trees & shrubs by winter killing, but the summer has brought up new growth to fill its place.Nannie & Gale are both well and enjoying their visit. Gale is a nice little fellow, merry friendly and good humored He was two years old June 4 and is an active little chatterpie. The Mercelis party ought to reach New York on the 13th. They have had a delightful trip along the west of England to Edinburgh then down through the cathedral towns and Oxford to London. Bessie ran down to Hastings and paid a visit to Aunt Elizabeth. They will not come up here this year, they all feel they must go to work again. Their trip has been largely coaching, and they seem to have enjoyed it immensely. All the cottages and the Inn are open and the season is well open. The weather has been pleasant most of the last fortnight, but it is a cool summer more grey weather and fog than usual. I am keeping well I should get on all right if it were always summer. I read your father's reciprocity speech, and agree with him, but he may get himself read out of the Republican party. I have sometimes been so disgruntled with the Tariff and the Trusts that I felt there wd be some compensation if the Democrats got in. But when I see the reports of the mob cranks and Bryan & Hearst at the St Louis Convention I conclude that I wd vote for Roosevelt with all his headstrong ways every time. I have no family news, you must have that as I suppose all the family are now represented on the Vineyard. Don't do any work, but take yr Vineyard time for a good holiday.to make up for the extra work of the past year. Please pay the taxes on N's land, and notify me of amount which I will refund as usual. Nannie still looks forward to having a cottage on her lot. It is one of her daydreams. She retains a warm affection for the Vineyard, and a glowing remembrance of the good old times there You see I have no news, we are very quiet. Dr C gardens, and I ramble in the sunshine read on the verandah or take Gale down on the rocks to the "big water". It is a pleasant lazy time and we always have some one to get the good of it, though not such a group as you have. Aff'tly Aunt Emily Dr Emily to Alice June 19 1904 family news HBB's reciprocity speechEmily Blackwell York Cliffs June 19 1904 Dear Alice So you are at home again. I hope you had warmer weather in camp than we have had here. It has been singularly cold Yesterday was mild and summer like almost the only summer day we have had. Today is bright and sunny but with a cold east wind. I sent a telegram to your father because in my note I had given him the wrong hour for the train and I rather expected him out here. Fine as it is, and the country is green and fresh- there is a fine blue sea and a splendid surf. I am not very sorry he did not come for it is really too cold for pleasure. Indeed as you mean to go to the Vineyard July 1, and are doubtlessvery busy with all the last work that must be done up before leaving, you will probably both feel that you can not spare time for visiting. I did hope you wd have come up for a visit before you left, and if you have time and inclination we would be very glad to have you. We shall have no visitors before July 1, so we have plenty of room for one or both of you. If you wd like to come drop me a line telling me when. I send a packet for Grace to care of ABB. B[ontueall] Ave. Please give it to her at the first opportunity. I rather hope she will not resume the care of the little Armenian. It seems a great deal of responsibility & expense for her. At any rate I hope she will not take her back until she is completely well, and entirely rid of the very obstinate, contagious, and repulsive skin disease the poor child had contracted. Grace is fortunate if she have not been affected by it. I return G's letter as desired. I have had a short but cheerful pleasant letter from Elizabeth, in answer to one I wrote on my return from Cal. They were well and she said it was cool enough for a fire to be pleasant and yet that as she cd not read long at night that she usually went out about 9 o clock and sat in the Terrace till 10, watching the lights, listening to the sea and enjoying the air. It must certainly be much milder in the evening than with us. Nunnie is still at Lake Minnetonka. Dr. H has not been ordered to Pensacola. As soon as he is, she & Gale will come to me. They seem to have a pleasant sociable time at the Lake, and to enjoy the sailing and the company, I have had no other homeitems. It is very pleasant here now despite the cold. Most of the Cottagers are down, and like Dr C are busy gardening. The spring before the Inn opens is generally a pleasant time because there are no strangers, and every thing is quiet and rural. If you would like to come up and see the changes and spend a little while with us we would give you a warm welcome at any time that wd suit you if you will let me know beforehand I will tell the carriage from the stable, or rather its driver to look out for you. We have plenty of novels. I expect yr father will be read out of the Republican party for his reciprocity speech. With love to both of you. Affly Aunt Emily Dr Emily Sept 28 1903 to ASB News of Huntington Family D C - paper for working M 50th ann of Infirmary York Cliffs . Sep 28 . 1903 Dear Alice. I am glad you are safely home, and should be still better pleased if you would begin your new year with a full determination to drop a good share of your proposed work, and keep your activity within reasonable and sanitary limits. In that I fear you are your father’s own daughter, but you ought to take the medicine you are always prescribing for him. I heard from Nannie today - she says the weather is glorious, warm and lovely. Ellen improving, and Gale recovered from his attack. She says the country is exquisite. They had driven for several hours through Mr. Vanderbilt’s estate, and through the grounds truly wonderful in their beauty - two rivers run through it, and it is picturesque and beautifully kept. The little village Mr V has built in which her cottage is, is “Charming clean as a new whistle - roads swept & watered every day - grass cut twice a week and every thing perfectly kept - 5 ladies of the neighborhood had called on her, and she was going to return their calls.so things looked a good deal brighter. Dr C [*Cushier] is quite well again, and works away in her garden with the old interest. We expect to close at latest next week, and I shall probably see you Oct 7 or 8. We have been having ten days of fine autumn weather, but the nights and mornings are cold, and the fall colors show. It is not nearly as brilliant as usual - the cold storms of the summer have destroyed the leaves very much - they are withered and dead without becoming brilliant. I am pegging away at a paper for the 50 anniversary of the Infirmary in November - the Trustees call for it, and I groan, and regret having to spend these lovely mornings at my writing table. I have kept very well, despite the cool, and often stormy weather. I return some of yr letters - will send more next time. Love to all three of you, Afflty Aunt Emily. Feb 23 1901 Dr Emily to Alice SB concern over Whale's contest of Ellen's will [family scandal] & plan to call Nannie as witnessHOTEL NAUMACHIE TAORMINA Proprietaire - Antoine Siligato Feb 23. 1901 Dear Alice I was very sorry to learn from your last letter that Mr. Whale has announced his intention of contesting the will and of calling Nannie as witness on his side. I think it is a suicidal policy, since if they succeeded, which I can’t imagine they could, in breaking this will so that Ellen died intestate, C wd have no right of succession under N. Y. laws, and as Lawrence is in N. Y. that wd exclude them from the property in dispute. But I fear if the case came into court and Cornelia’s relation to Ellen came into question the unfortunate circumstances of her marriage might come out, and they wd bring on their heads all the scandal we have saved them from. I hope as Mr. W looks into the matter he will realise the weakness of his case, and drop it. I fear he has got some shyster lawyer whom they are to pay by ceding him C’s or [o?] interest. In that case they may attempt it, and lose what C wd have. What I am especially concerned about however is his notification to Nannie that he shall call her as witness for their side.Now Nannie has always had more affection for C. than she deserved. And Ellen did her very utmost to keep up a relation between them despite my efforts to keep them apart. Moreover she can not realise that C is simply a tool in HW’s hands, and that every expression of surprise or sympathy, or conjecture as to the reason of the change, or recalling of foolish things said in the heat of anger at the time of the misunderstanding between Ellen & Grace about the will, would all go straight to him, and be so much material for him to use. Now I don’t know how much of that there has been. I know Ellen used to pour forth her grievances about C to Nannie in the most unrestrained manner, and that she has often said what in cooler moments she wd disclaim, and which I shd be very sorry to have in any way recalled. What I want to avoid is to have Nannie unwittingly placed in the position of seeming to support the Whales against her own adopted family, and that is just what they wd want to accomplish. I have written to put Nannie on her guard, but the fact that Mr. W has told he shall call her as witness shows they think they can get damaging testimony out of her. The first thing I want to know is, if Nannie were out of the Country could they summon her as a witness - ask your father to find out. If they cd not I shd think it a strong reason for bringing her to England before the trial comes. If they cd make her come back of course it wd be no use. I feel as though the poor little soul might be placed in a difficult and most unpleasant and undesirable position and that I might either have to get her away, or come back to help her out. I have advised her to come to you as adviser, to tell you anything she thinks they may want to get from her in the way of testimony, so that you and your father may advise & help her. I hope you will make her feel that she is welcome to do this. I have also urged her, since Whale assumes this attitude to cease all intercourse with them, refuse to see him if he call on her again. - refuse to receive or answer letters, and let them Know clearly that she refuses to have any thing to do with their proceedings. Be sure you let me know if it seems likely the case will be pushed, at once, and whether it wd seem to you & your father well for Nannie to be out of the way. It wd be intolerable to haveto have her brought forward as an ally of that miserable Whale crew, and I feel as though she might really need experienced advice and support to avoid it. I am not surprised that Nannie was astonished at the will, or even if she thought some influence must have been used to produce so total a change, that was my first feeling. For years Ellen had a will written by herself leaving Lawrence to C. and E. Orange to Sam’s daughter. That was her habitual intention. Then in consequence of some misunderstanding she determined to have her will made by an agent or lawyer as Lawrence leaving all to C. and she said to me, and I have no doubt told N. that she had it so drawn and witnessed legally lest there might be any effort to set aside a will not absolutely legal. Now she told Nannie many such things, and I dare say N did not know what to think, as Ellen told her during her illness nothing about any change of intentions. I am not surprised at her changing her will, but at her changing it so completely. The only suggestion of a reason is her conversation with you about the probability of Mr W’s trying to claim legal rights of inheritance for C, I think that might have had a great influence in inclining her to cut them off. However I am very sorry for any such Such miserable complication. Nothing may come of it. But I am so far away that I must to ask you to look out for Nannie, advise & help her if possible in any question that comes up, and let me know if it shd seem desirable for me to take her away from New York. I sent a circular letter to Grace yesterday - to come to you in turn. We are still in Taormina on the East coast of Sicily, one of the most wonderfully picturesque places and neighborhoods I ever saw. We shall probably leavein a few days for Naples. Thence I shall write again. Meanwhile I should not trouble myself in the least about Mr Whale's threats which of course no one will regard, except for fear that knowing Nannie to have been always in Auntie's confidence, and knowing her feeling for C, they may try to make a cat's paw of her for their benefit. I trust you to look out and notify me of any such danger. I hope my next letter will be on pleasanter subjects. With love to your father and yourself. Affty Aunt Emily July 30, 1900 Dr Emily to Alice Maine and family newsYork Cliffs. July 30 1900 Dear Alice I re’d yours with hand [?] which I was scandalized at learning. I certainly do scatter small articles broadcast. I am very glad you are enjoying the visit to the vineyard. Nannie came back quite enthusiastic Take it altogether we have had fine weather and the country is lovely, and very quiet. Now the Inn is open - strangers and servants begin to be in evidence, and it is no longer so rural, but the ocean is as fierce as ever. Nannie has first gone off on a sneak shopping expedition to Portsmouth. By the trolley you can go there and back for 50 cents, and Nannie is always delighted to have anexcuse for the expedition. So she makes out a list of all trifles needed with glee, and informs me that as messenger she expects her fare to be paid for her. We have had quite a windstorm for two days a continuous N:west gale. At its height quite a number of schooners and small vessels ran in for shelter for the night. It was very pretty to see them all, one after another like birds taking refuge-they had to tack and work in every possible way to get in, running off for two or three miles to tack so as to get the wind right and then bearing down for the harbor. Some of them had to try several times before they cd accomplish it. Last night quite a little fleet were anchored under the lee of Cape Neddick, and as each one hung out "a riding light, at the stern, it was like a group of great fire flies hovering over the water. The wind swept away all the mosquitoes even from the woods, so Nannie and I took advantage of it to take a lovely walk over the downs and into the great pine woods. We went through a tangled land, made that you are having a good idle time enjoying the delightful air & freedom of the old Vineyard. Keep me posted about Miss Smith's house. Love to all Affty Aunt E.Aunt Emily by a deserted road, and over the downs round Lake Carolyn, which was blue as the sky in its hollow among the pines, and then into the woods, where the birds were calling, and the wind sang in the tree tops. News I haven't any-we are all well In about a week Nannie expects two nieces of Dr Huntington, who are rather sisters as they are very little younger and he was brought up by his sister, their mother. They will spend a few days with us. They have been spending Commencement week at Cambridge, as the elder is engaged to a Cambridge [?] a Mr Johnson. We have been reading a very amusing and interesting book the Memoirs of the Baroness Cecile Courtat. a refugee from the French Revolution. I hope Mr & Mrs Barrows are with you, and