Blackwell Family Family Corresp. Blackwell, Henry B. 1889-1906 Emily BlackwellEmily Blackwell $700 00/100 New York Jan 17, 1889 Rec "18 " Dear Harry, Enclosed find certified cheque for $700 - Jan. payment on house . On Feb 5 or 6th - I will send $1000 more - balance when house is completed. Always supposing you write me that the house is being advanced rapidly enough to justify it. I hope the house is satisfactory as it goes along. How soon will it be ready to offer for sale? If I cd lend Mr. Vickery the money when would he want it-- I suppose he would put more into the house than the $1700 he wishes to borrow, also that he cd not dig now, and therefore wd not need the money yet. Would it answer to let him have the money in May or June? And doYou think he wd pay the interest promptly without trouble - Is he reliable? I wd like to sell the lot, and have a second house on the ground if I cd arrange for the money without disturbing mortgages I want to hold. I am rather looking forward toward coming up in the spring to see how things are - but never can tell beforehand. We have had a great misfortune in the house - water pipes giving way - parlor ceiling fallen - bathroom to replumb - an awful time. I feel as though life were a burden while it is going on and wd be a burden afterward on account of bills. Ellen is getting on well - she spends Sunday at East Orange and seems greatly to enjoy it. N & N are also doing well. We have had an extraordinary winter -not a flake of snow? Few freezing days - I wonder if we shall have a tornado - or some catastrophe after a while. There must be some strange combination ofthings at work. Love to Lucy & Alice Affty Emily Blackwell, Dr. Emily to Henry Blackwell March 26, 1890 Real estate venture family news Goggin (real estate) Lucy Florence (Mayhew) George Howard (son of George)[Emily Blackwell Rec Mch 26/90] New York March 26, 1890 Dear Harry, I shall be satisfied with 3 mos interest. In fact I wd rather waive all claim for that 6 mos rather than involve you in any trouble about it. Make the best terms you can without a fuss, and I shall be satisfied. The only thing to be guarded against is any idea that we allow ourselves to be over reached. If it do not establish a bad precedent, I certainly wd rather lose something than have you do anything that wd make Goffin troublesome or ill willy to you. I was very sorry to learn from Lucy that you are not well and do not throw off yr cold. I hope the spring will relieve you of it. I hear your house is progressing. You know in calculating yr interest you need not allow any on the first six months of my $2500 I did not want you to pay int. on that until some one else is paying you for it. We were very glad to see Lucy. I hope she was not fatigued by her journey. [Louis?] appeared to receive her with cordial enthusiasm. Florence is slowly recovering. Sam is on the whole, better than before his illness. George is troubled as you are by an obstinate and rather wearing cold. The winters here do not seem to suit either him or Howard very well. He has sold several lots, and is doing well with his land. If you don’t improve you ought take a change of climate for two or three weeks. At what time willMoney be needed for my Corner home. Love to all Afftly E Emily Blackwell New York Aug 9. 1890 Rec 9 1890 " Dear Harry I return agreement. I have not found that contract. I fear there is little doubt I destroyed the contract instead of the letter. Can you get another for yourself without saying ours is destroyed if you did but wish to. Say] I wished to keep the contract. I am very sorry but this time I have certain been unaccountably careless. Everything great here. Ellen goes down to her Lawrence house on May 16 to stay till she let it. Emma leaves about the same timefor Gardner. About the middle of June Ellen & the two girls & Emmas & G. expect to go to the vineyard. College ends May 28. but I shall not leave NY etc sometime in July. I am sorry to hear that you & Lucy are still coughing Emma told me she heard yr cough was much better. I wish settled fine weather wd (would) set in - you ought both to go off for a change of air if yr colds hang on. Affty - EB Emily Blackwell New York Dec 7. 1890 Rec 10 " Dear Harry I have delayed answering your letter because I hesitated as to what to do. I have great confidence in your judgement, yet the more I think about it the more I feel reluctant to take any property in exchange - especially country property. The house and lot must have cost at least $3700. therefore it wd (would) be allowing $900.00 at cost for the country house- and I wd (would) not give that for it because it is so utterly out of our way to manage or dispose of. I still feel that I would rather have my own house to manage that one in an out of the way place, and kindincline to wait till spring and sell for cash or reliable mortgage. It is so good a house I can not believe but we may do better there to take 2/5 the price in unavailable property. I suppose your land also is standing there at present. George must be doing extremely well. - he must have sold off as many as 20 lots - there must be 7 or 8 houses going up on recently sold lots, and he tells me contracts have been made for 8 others to go up this spring on lots he has sold. and he gets cash for all his lots. The streets nearest the RR are quite closely built - and several house have cost from 8 to 12000 $. He has just sold all but 6 of his homes and some lots in a lump to one man. Taking for the largest part of the payment a mortgage on them - the East is in a place of 9 acres between [O Sange?] & [Mordetous?] He is glad because it saves him trouble, and gives him an income without the bother of looking after the houses. Moreover they have become old fashioned and Secindrate now that newer and more expensive ones have gone up around there. G & family seem to me in better health than last winter. Everything goes on quietly in New York We are having our first snow, never welcome. Be we are all welland busy , and full of interests. I wish Boston weren't quite so far off and I cd drop in and talk matters over now & then Love to all affty EyB DR. E. BLACKWELL, Office Hours, 10.30 to 12 30 a.m. No. 53 E. 20th Street. Emily Blackwell Pittsfield . Aug 16. 1891 Rec " 18 " Ac " 19 " Dear Harry I return A's letter forwarded by Ellen. She has probably written you that West has sold Cliff Cottage & 25 acres of land to a N Y family Sandford by name. So we have to vacate the house this fall. I have written G to ask if we can store furniture in his garret, and whether he inclines to try to secure a location in the Vineyard. If we care to do so I think we shd do it this summer. I only heard the news yesterday, and have not quite made up my mind [whet] what I shall do. My address is [Mrs] Care of Mrs K P Stevens Pittsfield but yr letter came F.HAAS, DRUGGIST, 266 FOURTH AVE., COR. 21st STREET, NEW YORK.all right. On the 18th Isuppose you will give C another check. They propose to come to Dorchester with Mrs Whall who is not visiting Ellen, about that time. I suppose you have no intention of visiting the Vineyard. I may possibly have to go down & help close up the home, especially if I had any idea of securing any place. But there is no house I care for, though I wd rather like to own a location where I cd put a summer cottage if I desired it. I suppose Alice is absent. I see by evening post that Lucy " quietly celebrated her 70th birthday the other day". Best wishes and my love to her. Affty E Emily Blackwell New York Rec May 5/91 May 4. 1891 Dear Harry Many happy returns of the day - the date reminds me that it is yr birthday - I hope you have as bright a day for it as we have here in New York after yesterday's storm. I return receipt as desired. I suppose with mtge will come insurance certificate. I am exceedingly pleased that the sale is completed, not only because it is a good thing to no longer have the house going idle, but also and almost more, because it ends your bother with it. And I hope it ends all that trouble of building for sale, as I quite agree that it is best to let the lots lie until we have either orders for houses, or Can sell them for persons to build for themselves either with or without loans. I suppose it would be well to put a price on the lots, and dispose of them when we can. Hope yr own operations are going on prosperously. You must now I shd think have recd cash enough to cover all the indebtedness of the property. When I come on in the summer we can settle up, as there will be then none but the Current expenses for taxes &c. It must be looking lovely on the hill now. I wish I cd step in and spend a Sunday aft with you. Love to Lucy & Alice. Affy Ey [ Emily Blackwell Rec June 1/93 Ans " 12/"] New York May 31 1893 Dear Harry Cornelia has written me asking to be allowed $10 extra to pay for filling teeth. Please let her have it with the June allowance. She also asks whether it wd be possible to buy a small house, not at Dorchester, but in some cheaper neighborhood, with the balance of the $2500, putting on it a mortgage. not too large to make it possible for them to pay the interest. Do you suppose a cottage cd be bought for a price not exceeding $2000 close to a station near enough for her to have to go daily to Boston? If they cd it might be a good thing if they were both minded to economize and secure a home. I hope Lucy & Alice are enjoying Chicago. Commencement at ourCollege takes place June 1. After that, the summer holiday begins. I expect to pay you a visit late in June or early in July if convenient. York Cottage progressives. Expect it to be finished early in July I heard of E's safe arrival in Dorset, but nothing further. All well. No letters. I think Alice hears more from family generally than I do. I hope you are keeping well and that everything is thriving. Hoping to see you before very long Affy Ey [Emily Blackwell Rec. Oct 28/93] New York Oct 27. 1893 Dear Harry, I suppose by this time everyone has gone home, and you and Alice have the house to yourselves. So often at breakfast or dinner I think of you two sitting down. It is no use to say anything, time only will soften the painful sense of loss and emptiness. I only writeto tell you how often I think of you with sympathy. As we came home Sam said "well there is one thing Harry can think of his 40 years of married life without any shade of self reproach, for certainly he had been a most exceptionally good husband." And that was surely, the case Few men would have modified their whole life to suit their wife's needs and wishes as you did. If there were imperfections or yr side there were also on the other - no one is perfect, and in any close association there must be forbearance, and the Acceptance of imperfection on both sides. I sincerely hope the morbidly painful feeling you were suffering from, has yielded to a different view of the matter - and a truer one.I wish you were near enough for me to come in now and then and visit you. I am glad you have business to occupy you. Give my love to Alice - poor dear child, learning for the first time the terrible possibility of loss that life is full of. Nettie has not yet returned from U.V. Ellen wrote me that she had been quite ill with one of her summer attacks of diarrhea, but she is better now, and will probably leave Dorset next week. With much love to both of you. Affty EBDr. Emily Blackwell to H.B.B. [*dup*] New York, Oct. 27, 1893 Dear Harry I suppose by this time everyone has gone home and you and Alice have the house to yourselves. So often at breakfast and dinner I think of you two sitting down. It is no use to say anything. Time only will soften the painful sense of loss, and emptiness. I only write to tell you how often I think of you with sympathy. As we came home Sam said "Well there is one thing, Harry can think of his 40 years of married life without any shade of self-reproach, for certainly he has been a most exceptionally good husband." And that was surely the case. Few men would have modified their whole life to suit their wives needs and wishes as you did, If there were imperfections on your side, there were also on the other. No one is perfect, and in any close association there must be forbearance, and the acceptance of imperfection on both sides. I sincerely hope the morbidly painful feeling you were suffering from, has yielded to a different view of the matter, and a truer one. I wish you were near enough for me to come in now and then and visit you. I am glad you have business to occupy you. Give my love to Alice, - poor, dear child, learning for the first time the terrible possibility of loss that life is full of. ---- With much love to both of you Aff'ty E. B. (Emily Blackwell)[*Emily Blackwell Rec Feby 24/96*] New York Feb 23. 1896 An " 29 with note - Dear Harry I write to acknowledge receipt of $1000 on account of your note for $2500. That leaves you only the $1500 for Cornelia in your hands. If you will send me an acknowledgement of receipt of $1500. to be held in trust for her - interest at 5 per ct to be paid by your estate to me, or to any person appointed to act as Trustee by me, I will returnthe note. I don't think it is worth while to say anything about paying when children are of age, we shall neither of us live till then. I would like to make it a legal claim on your estate to be paid to me, or in Case of my decease first to Cornelia herself, as I should then be free of all responsibility and no other member of the family wd wish to act as Trustee As to interest - as we are settling the note let it go I dont care for any - but I wd like H C's money to be put into proper shape. I am quite well again as to cough and feeling, but all the Drs protest against my going out until the weather is milder, so I am only able to do indoor work. [Ha] Ellen is coming up tomorrow and will bringplans of her house. She has no rooms so small as 10 X 11 1/2 If she be willing I will send plan to you, but I hope some purchasers of lots may turn up. I could advance $1500 to sell the lot at any time if there were a good opportunity. I wish you could be in two places at once, for if you were in N.Y. you might sell yr mountain land, and free yrself from all embarassment. No European letters Love to Alice Affty EyEmily Blackwell York Cliffs june 26. 1898 Dear Harry I have yr letter & paper. In reference to the request that we pay $265 for a doctor's bill for Aunt Eliza I think it would be a very great mistake to comply with it. Although she is not a relative, her old connexion would give her a claim upon us if she had not a large well to do family upon whom she has the claim of near relationship. She has a brother and sister living, and many nephews & nieces. From what she said of them I suppose them all to be comfortably off, and some of them very rich. Certainly her brother, and one of her nieces had handsome establishments, kept horses & Carriages, and lived in an entirely different style fr any of us. They are certainly abundantly able to take care of her, and for their own credit must do so. I think Sam should have told herat once that he was in no position to respond to any such request, and that it was the place of her own relatives to provide for such needs. I should think Sam did an injustice to his family if he accepted any such claim. You see it is not as if the Majors were not abundantly able to support the oldest living member of their family. It is simply a mean attempt on their part to get rid of a legitimate claim. If we pay the bill and thus accept responsibility we shall very soon have further claims. I think the right think to do would be to write to her eldest living brother or sister, and say that the application had been made, as we suppose at the instance of her family, but that it is their share to provide for their own sister, and that we decline the called upon to discharge their obligations. Both you and George are already are already helping members of yr own family, and will have to do something for Ellen. It is not that I would not contribute toward a legitimate claim. I wd be very willing to unite in providing for Ellen more decent comfort. But I certainly am not inclined to take up a burden so clearly belonging to others, and I shall think it a great mistake if you do so. I suppose Alice & Emma are now in Denver, I think of them often, and wish I knew how they were getting on, I wish we were near enough for you to come in and dine with us every week as you do at Cambridge - If you would Cone up and spend Sundays with us while Alice is away we should be very glad. The country is lovely, the ocean magnificent, and the weather has been pleasant, though very variable intemperature. At present Dr C. Nannie Dr C's little niece and myself are the whole family. Except on the first 4 days of July when Mr & Mrs Brady may be here, we do not expect any visitors. I hope Howard may run up for a couple of days, before he goes on his tour. I will read your editorial and see whether it seems worth while to write any further notice of Mrs Stetson's book. I shall be glad of the copy - please charge it to my account, or I will refund when I pass through Boston. Now dont allow yourself to be made to pay the Major's debts, and above all don't let poor Sam be imposed upon. That is my last advice. Affty Ey[*Rec Oct 10 /98*] New York, Oct 8. 1898 Dear Harry As I write the date I am reminded that today is my 72nd birthday - we are a set of old chickens certainly. I had a very pleasant visit to Dorset after I left you. It is a very pleasant entirely rural, hill, almost mountain region, as the valley is 1000 ft above sea level and the highest new peak is 4000 ft. and many other from 2 to 3 000. There are many fine rushing brawling mountain streams - high slopes and fine woods. Nannie and I had several delightful hill walks, and some pleasant drives. It was a complete change from York.It agreed with Nannie finely. She came home blooming, and with eyes almost well. It was a good summer for Ellen - a very attractive ample old house - and Company all the time, which was pleasant for her and helped greatly with expenses. Ellen is now at Lawrence looking after repairs, but spends Sundays with George. The reopening of that household is a great gain to her as they are always kind to her. It is very good for George - Emma says he goes out after breakfast and spends almost all day out of doors. A very much healthier arrangement than sitting writing in a library all day. But you must miss them - especially as I hear Alice is gone or going West again. I wish she had more personal interests in Boston. I learned from Howard's cards forwarded by you, for the first time, of Anna's illness. I recd a note today - very short, from Eliz. I shd think Anna's condition very precarious, but at 82 life here can not be worth a great deal. She seems to havegood care, but it is an odd unsatisfactory state of things that E. can so rarely see her. Certainly we are a set of cranks. Everything is running quietly in New York. I am lecturing 4 times a week, but otherwise taking things easy. Agnes and her baby seem to be thriving. Nannie went up with a pretty little eiderdown hood for it yesterday, and reported all well. How I wish you were not so far off. If I cd step in once a week, and you cd dine with G. & E. Sundays how glad we shd all be. With love to both of you. Affty EB [Emily Blackwell] York Cliff, Me. July 8, 1900 Rec " 10 " Dear Harry, I return balance of A's letters. Am glad she is having so good a time. There is certainly no more delicious air than that of the old Vineyard. I wrote you that we wd do what you thought best about Mrs. Sorenson - so if there be any thing more needed I shall expect to hear further. I think it very possible I may have to send Nannie inland, as the light here seems too intense for her. If so, would it be convenient to you to let her to come to Dorchester for awhile. As you will have a small family perhaps you would not mind an addition for a time. I wd be very glad to pay for her if she were there for any time. It is a great disappointment to us. She did extremely well at the Vineyard, but we are so directly on the water that she feelsthe glare of the sea. Just now she has two young visitors, nieces of Dr Huntington, more like sisters, as they are about his age and he was brought up with them by their mother, his elder sister. Caroline & Frances Gale - they seem very nice girls - they will be with us until next Sat. Then, unless N is doing better, I should be glad to send her down, and see if the Change wd be beneficial, if it were convenient for her to come. We are having fine weather, but the country, which was exquisitely green & fresh when I came, is becoming parched by the drought - two short showers in June! I hope you spent the Fourth with A. [Emily Blackwell] York Cliffs Me Rec Sept 23/1900 Sep 18 1900 Dear Harry, I return letters - all but Alice's which I have mislaid, but shall doubtless find it and return next time. We have had the storm which all your letters report a tremendous wind and rain for 24 hours followed by fine cold weather still blowing a brisk wind, and a most magnificent sea. I wished you cd have walked over the Head with us yesterday. I never saw a grander ocean. Most of the cottagers are still here, but they will gradually drop off. We stay until Oct 1, probably until the 3d as I think Oct 1 will be Saturday. I propose to stop with Nannie for a few days if convenient: If you go with Spofford as Ellen says you are considering I may not find you, but Alice will be at home, and your absence will probably not be very long. I shall be glad to see you both. It is one advantage of York that it takes Boston into the journey. In the Vineyard people seem to report the season there a success. Here we have had exceptionally fine and mild weather. There has been but one day when we were kept in all day by the weather. I wish you cd spend the winter south, and have a pleasant change, though you have certainly an exceptionally comfortable home. Well, I shall soon see you, and pick up the threads of interest again. I got a card from Alice today who tells me she means to return to Boston next Sat. I shd think such a storm was more f [?] than agreable in [?] Affty Ey [Aunt Emily] York Cliffs. Sep 20 1908 Dear Harry I return Alice's letters with thanks. Probably she has the same cold snap that we are having here after the warm spell. Thermometer has fallen 30 degrees in two days. 58 degrees is very welcome today. How long we may stay depends on the weather. Our cook is gone and we are packing up, and clearing away, so that we may go at short notice of we shd have really cold weather. We shd have been very glad to have had you & Grace earlier, but don't think of coming now. The house is so dismantled [?] and it is so cold, we could not make you comfortable. We are very sorry for we are both always delighted to see you - provided we are able to make you comfortable, which we cd not certainly do now. We store a good many things when we close, and Dr C. hasutilising the fine weather to leave as little as possible for the last moment, so we are reduced to the bare necessities. I shall see you on my way home and will drop you a line before I come. What a crowd you must have had! Your house is a regular house of Ease [?] for the whole tribe. I am glad you get more of the price of the Montclair lot in a mortgage, for then you cannot spend the principal only the interest. I hate to see that valuable property eaten up piecemeal. I hear that the Robinsons are back in Montclair, and I suppose we are the last of the out of town lingerers. When I last heard from Nannie she reported that they had engaged a very pleasant furnished cottage on the Vanderbilt property at Baltimore suburb of Askerville. It was within their means and they were greatly delighted at the prospect of a small home of their own. I suppose cold weather will probably hasten Alice's return. i hope I may see her when I stop at Boston. With love to Grace & yrself. Affty Emily [Emily Blackwell] 17 Plymouth St Montclair N.J. [Rec Jan 5 1905 Ans " 5 "] Dear Harry Will you please send when convenient account and bal interest recd up to Jan 1. Everyone here is well and thriving. I hope you are both the same. I am keeping well and keep interested and occupied. We have had mostly a very fine fall and early winter. And I have very much enjoyed the beauty of the snow and of the sun rises & sun sets. It is so long since I spent winters in the country that I had almost forgotten how much winter beauty there is in the country I think you ought to read "Japan An Interpretation" by Lefcadio Hearn published shortly before his death. It gives a better account of Japanese character & interests, and the influences that formed them than I have seen anywhere, and makes their doings in war understandable. I saw Ethel & Edith the other day. They were well George & family I do not see as often as I wish; this present disagreeable weather. Take good care of yourself - how do the ugly little brick houses get on? I see Mrs Manning's Insurance expired in November - Has it been renewed? Love to you both. Afftly Ey.May 5, 1906 Dr Emily to HBB Alice Geo Dr C - Cushier Nannie Gale Fredk Ethel Robinson Brooke - E's son Antonettle " daughter Agnes (D ABB)Mrs. Ralph Wilkinson [?6] Salem Street Andover, Mass. Emily Blackwell 17 Plymouth St. Montclair, N.J. Rec May 5. 1906 May 3, 1906 Dear Harry, This should reach you on your birthday & wish you many happy returns of the day. George was here yesterday and reported you as well and active and full of interests. I am very glad that it is so, and it must be a gain for you to have George and his family so near you. I was very sorry to hear that Alice had been summoned to Oregon for three months. You must miss her greatly.I am glad you did not go. I hope you find your home arrangement Comfortable. Here everything is taking on full spring beauty. Fruit trees in blossom, shade trees in young leaf, tulips - Jonquils and other flowers, and flowering shrubs make the gardens gay, and the grass in emerald. We are all well. Dr C is at York for a week. She will return her for a short time, but in first week of June we leave for York. So in a few weeks now I shall see you en route. I shall go to George's house for a few days. Nannie and her small household are thriving. Gale is rejoincing in a Tricycle, and feels as proud as a peacock riding all round. Little Frederick is trying hard to walk, and succeeds in tumbling down perpetually. Ethel was here yesterday. She seems very well and brought a bunch of tulips from her garden, in which she takes great pleasure. Brookes is quite a boy, and Antoinette is just beginning to talk. Agnes and her children are well. Everyone is thriving, andrejoicing in the spring. Nannie is looking forward wit great pleasure to her visit to the Vineyard. She anticipates her little boys having as good a time as she and the other children had there years ago. I suppose you & Alice will be there as usual. I may possibly run down for a short visit in August. By the bye if Alice wants the rent at any time please pay out of my money at any time. I hope your houses are paying, and not giving you too much trouble. And above all I hope this may be a flourishing year for you, in health & interest, and happiness With much love Affectly Emily