Catharine Maria Sedgwick to Elizabeth Dwight Sedgwick, Charles Sedgwick I, and Katharine Sedgwick Minot Transcribed by Patricia KalayjianTranscribed on Primary Source Cooperative2024

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Available under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-SA Attribution--NonCommercial--ShareAlike. CMSOLPatricia Kalayjian, Lucinda Damon-Bach, Deborah Gussman 13 Jan 1825sedgwick-catharine sedgwick-elizabeth; sedgwick-charles; minot-katharine Catharine Maria Sedgwick to Elizabeth Dwight Sedgwick, Charles Sedgwick I, and Katharine Sedgwick Minot Massachusetts Historical Society Catharine Maria Sedgwick Papers I

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1New York 13 Jan'y --

I read your letter the day before yesterday my dear Elizabeth and I am delighted to find that you are enjoying so much and from such rational sources -- My imagination pictures you in the dummy Nursery with Charley thumping about & my sweet little Kate with her bright eye fixed on her book imbibing intellectual tastes, and already forming intellectual habits -- I am counting the hours 'till we get the letter Charles has promised for this week -- -- --

I spent last Eve'g at R's and we read with delight the memoir of LaFayette in the last NA 1-- I thought very often with great satisfaction that you was enjoying the same regale -- There is something sublime in the consistency of this great Man in all the extremes of fortune -- stedfast amidst the temptations of unequalled prosperity and (oh shame to his persecutors!) unparalleled adversity -- an enthusiasm governed by reason and directed by benevolence -- What a delightful example to our species, and still shining in its brightness where every eye may behold it -- --

It would be gross affectation in me to pretend that I was not disappointed in the delay of the review -- -- Sparks has been so long in the pursuit and service of truth that I daresay he regards everything relating to fiction as a kind of chaff that ought to be blown away -- I trust I have not yet enough of the pride of an author to indulge any resentment on account of these petty vexations

I want very much to send you a copy of the Grecian wreath 2 the book I spoke of in my last 2 but I don't see as I shall ever have another opporty to send any thing -- The whole affair has been amusing enough from the beginning -- from the first intimation of it to the reception of the volume beautifully bound; with gilt letters "The Grecian Ladies to Miss Sedgwick" _____

We expect Harry home tomorrow -- Jane is going to give the girls a supper-party and each is to bring her favorite beau -- Harriet has chosen Robert Schuyler a grave dignified young man -- and Sue a Doctor Bell -- a very pleasing young man & quite as tall as her father could wish -- Miss Woodward -- a sweet girl from NHampshire who is passing the winter in town has modestly declined making her selection -- and Sue Channing will I beleive bring a young German who is said to be fascinated with her bright eyes

18' -- My letter has grown quite stale in my hands -- but as I have not yet read any from you I shall go on at least without feeling any self-reproach -- -- You must have heard of Harry's return from P -- Mr Ware, he says preached a very fine Sermon -- It will be published 3 & shall be sent to you -- Our Supper party was coverty into an unceremonious carpet dance at Susan Ledyard's instigation -- She insisted it was great nonsense to give a 'parcel of chits who cared for nothing but shaking their feet and knew nothing about eating' -- a supper -- So we surprised them with the scraping of a fiddle, and I do not think I ever saw any pleasure surpass theirs when excepting Theodore's 4 on the 12th Night -- The pleasures of 3 youths are so easy and natural that it is delightful to minister to them -- --

Just be After we were all dressed and ready to go into the parlor, Harry told me he had sent a copy of Redwood to Mrs Barbauld & that he had a letter for me from her -- No happiness that didnot spring from my own family Circle ever gave produced an emotion of such pure delight and gratitude -- I would send the letter to you that you might see the lines traced by her own venerable hand, -- but I cannot bear to part with it -- or expose it to any unnecessary risk I shall therefore copy it _____

"Dear Madam -- The state of my eyes which have been weak and painful for some time and are by no means well now must plead my excuse for not having yet thanked you for the entertaining novel with which you favored me.

You Americans tread upon our heels in every literature, but we will not be jealous of you, for you are our children, & it is the natural wish of parents that children should outstrip their parents in every thing good and lovely -- In religious matters particularly you are proving to us that much true devotion and at least a decent provision for its public exercise can subsist without an establishment -- What a field you have for description in wastes and woods so lately trodden by the foot of man, savage life giving way every where to the social blessings of civilization, & just enough remaining to show how much has been gained by the exchange --

Should you ever come to England dear Madam, or your brother, which by the way you ought to do this being your Mother Country, I shall, if in the land of the living, be happy to pay my respects to you -- Excuse the bad writing of this letter for in truth I can hardly see to write it & beleive me Madam your obliged and obedient Servant AL Barbauld" 1 5 4

"If the house should catch fire" said Jane, "the first think I should think of would be this letter _____ after my children" an amusing qualification from her -- -- I want you to send this letter to S by the first conveyance -- for I want Sisters Sue and E -- to partake my pleasure -- I should improve your hint about printing my letter to Kate dear Lizy but I am such an unskillful penman! Do remember me affecty to Marianne if she is still with you -- Tell her that she must not forget that she used to have quite a regard for me --

Farewell dear Charles & Lizy

Yours trulyCMS --

My darling Kitty. You must come to New York -- and see Jane and Frances, and sleep in your own Aunt Kitty's arms -- Kiss Charley for me. I have not time to print any more letters but I mean to send you a letter of your own all printed -- I heard yesterday of a sweet little girl whose Mother had lost all the money she had who put her arms round her Mother's neck and said "dear Mother dont buy us any more play-things and sugar plumbs -- we do not want them Mother, for we know you are too poor to buy them" -- Somebody gave the little girl some pennies -- do you think she bought candy with them? -- No, she saved them 'till she had thirteen, & then gave them to her Mother -- Her name is Caroline Fales -- and she is but a few months older than my sweet Kitty --

your Aunt Kitty

Insertion 1

Stoke Newington Octr 30 1824

Letter

Massachusetts Historical Society

Catharine Maria Sedgwick Papers I

Wax blots, tears, and smudges. Some tears have been taped. The inserted dateline of Barbauld's letter is written in the left margin of page 3.

Charles Sedgwick Esqre/Lenox/Masstts --

CMS. Jany '25

Some vertical lines in the left margin of page 3.

A reference to the January 1825 North American Review (Vol 20, No 46, pp. 1-34) in which an anonymous author briefly and negatively reviews two recently published memoirs of LaFayette. The bulk of the article is a biography assembled by the author from a variety of other sources.

The Grecian Wreath of Victory is a collection of essays, edited by W. E. Dean and published in December 1824. It is dedicated "To ONE in whom the mild and unobtrusive charities of private life are blended with the powerful conceptions of intellect, and who, as the authoress of "Redwood," has contributed so largely toward elevating the literary character of her native land, THIS WORK is Inscribed with every sentiment of respectful esteem. December 25, 1824."

Ware's sermon was published as "A sermon delivered at the ordination of the Rev William Henry Furness as pastor of the first Congregational Unitarian Church in Philadelphia, January 12, 1825."

Although the immediate Sedgwick family at this time included three Theodores (Theodore Sedgwick II, Theodore Sedgwick III, and Theodore Sedgwick Pomeroy), we believe the most likely to be named here is Theodore Sedgwick III, who was a young teen at this time.

Our editorial policy is normally not to include any words not original to Sedgwick; we make an exception here as we deem this copied message to be essential to the sense of the letter as a whole.
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