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Peleg Wadsworth to Lucia Wadsworth, 12 February 1798
Manuscript letter
Philada 12th Feby1798
My dear Lucia has testified her regard for the gratification of her paper in undertaking the ^weekly Diary ^beginning 21Jany out of Course, & that too when the week was almost gone. I don’t mean by this observation to suggest blame to John whose turn ^you say it was to have written. I presume his intended excursion engrossed his attention & his Absence rendered it impossible to ^give me the Family Antidotes; perhaps he will give me an account of his Tour. I am rather sorry that neither of his sisters accompanied him for his sake as well as Charles’ & Rutha’. The great Storm, however ^may make them bless themselves that they tarried at home. The open sley, I confess, was a pretty good Excuse, & added to your portland amus-ments[sic], there is no great Wonder if it they prevailed. As I was going to say, you succeeded very well, although (p. 2) You began at a late period. You must know that the Diary is become quite interesting. Our Girls are looking out for it very solicitously ^every week & are already acquainted with all your Beaux. ^They were not a little disappointed to find that Capt Megee was a married Man. However they are were complaisant enough to say that He is not the worse for that – I am! – have I told a fib, again? - well. If they did not say so, I suppose they were compaisant[sic] enough to think so. I think Girls always ought to encourage Matrimony _____ For their own sakes. _____ I think Mr Symones must have had a vast desire to entertain the family or he would never have so far departed from the Rules of Propriety or to engross all the Conver-sation of an Evening in panegerizing[sic] himself where there seemed to be no need of it. For his near Neighbours ought to be acquainted with his Merits. Your Sister Eliza must certainly be in an enviable situation since by the Power of her Music She attracts the Country Swains from the Distance of 50 miles, & then has not only (p. 3) the Pleasure of Pleasing them by filling their Ears with Melody, but their Hearts too with Generosity – Altho the Sum actually presented was Small, no Doubt their Simplicity thot it large, & Eliza in her turn had an op-portunity of displaying her generosity by declin-ing the Boon, which I think must complete her Character with those Lovers of Music.
I must regret the ^expected loss of our Neighbour & his Family, nor do *that I know ^how to supply the Place. Tell Mr Prentiss ^that I cannot consent to his leaving the Town school for a private One, because in the Case I cannot have his Instructions For my little Boys, not being able to send them to a private School – He will do more Good on the whole in the public than in a private One – And as his present School is already methodiz’d & reduced to good Order the Labour & the Pleasure of this, will be nearly equal to that. I advise him to continue where he is, as long as he shall keep schools
But a little more about this Diary – By means (p. 4) of it, I, in imagination visit with your mama, chat with your Gentleman, talk Sentiment with my Daughters, enjoy your favourite Amus-ment[sic], Dining ^at your Balls & have the pleasure too of seeing my Children happy, & conspicuous in their performance – In short, I enjoy my beloved Family much better for this agreable[sic] mode of communication – as it keeps me intimately acquainted ^with & interested in all their transactions. – It is next to spending now & then an Evening by my own fire side in the midst of all my Beloved! – It was always my great wish to have my Family excell[sic] in polite Accomplishments, in useful Knowledge & Acquirements, in domestic Business & Industry; believing them not at all incompatible with each other, but each enhancing the Value of the Other. - For what is One without the other ^either alone?
As it respects our Sex, - A Fop, A Pedant, ^a Muck worm. as it respects yours – (hur up here! co-tib! She is stuck fast & wont go another step) – but all combin’d make the Gent or Lady, indeed.
Adieu says your Papa.
[Side bar note] February 12th 1798 43.
My dear Lucia has testified her regard for the gratification of her paper in undertaking the ^weekly Diary ^beginning 21Jany out of Course, & that too when the week was almost gone. I don’t mean by this observation to suggest blame to John whose turn ^you say it was to have written. I presume his intended excursion engrossed his attention & his Absence rendered it impossible to ^give me the Family Antidotes; perhaps he will give me an account of his Tour. I am rather sorry that neither of his sisters accompanied him for his sake as well as Charles’ & Rutha’. The great Storm, however ^may make them bless themselves that they tarried at home. The open sley, I confess, was a pretty good Excuse, & added to your portland amus-ments[sic], there is no great Wonder if it they prevailed. As I was going to say, you succeeded very well, although (p. 2) You began at a late period. You must know that the Diary is become quite interesting. Our Girls are looking out for it very solicitously ^every week & are already acquainted with all your Beaux. ^They were not a little disappointed to find that Capt Megee was a married Man. However they are were complaisant enough to say that He is not the worse for that – I am! – have I told a fib, again? - well. If they did not say so, I suppose they were compaisant[sic] enough to think so. I think Girls always ought to encourage Matrimony _____ For their own sakes. _____ I think Mr Symones must have had a vast desire to entertain the family or he would never have so far departed from the Rules of Propriety or to engross all the Conver-sation of an Evening in panegerizing[sic] himself where there seemed to be no need of it. For his near Neighbours ought to be acquainted with his Merits. Your Sister Eliza must certainly be in an enviable situation since by the Power of her Music She attracts the Country Swains from the Distance of 50 miles, & then has not only (p. 3) the Pleasure of Pleasing them by filling their Ears with Melody, but their Hearts too with Generosity – Altho the Sum actually presented was Small, no Doubt their Simplicity thot it large, & Eliza in her turn had an op-portunity of displaying her generosity by declin-ing the Boon, which I think must complete her Character with those Lovers of Music.
I must regret the ^expected loss of our Neighbour & his Family, nor do *that I know ^how to supply the Place. Tell Mr Prentiss ^that I cannot consent to his leaving the Town school for a private One, because in the Case I cannot have his Instructions For my little Boys, not being able to send them to a private School – He will do more Good on the whole in the public than in a private One – And as his present School is already methodiz’d & reduced to good Order the Labour & the Pleasure of this, will be nearly equal to that. I advise him to continue where he is, as long as he shall keep schools
But a little more about this Diary – By means (p. 4) of it, I, in imagination visit with your mama, chat with your Gentleman, talk Sentiment with my Daughters, enjoy your favourite Amus-ment[sic], Dining ^at your Balls & have the pleasure too of seeing my Children happy, & conspicuous in their performance – In short, I enjoy my beloved Family much better for this agreable[sic] mode of communication – as it keeps me intimately acquainted ^with & interested in all their transactions. – It is next to spending now & then an Evening by my own fire side in the midst of all my Beloved! – It was always my great wish to have my Family excell[sic] in polite Accomplishments, in useful Knowledge & Acquirements, in domestic Business & Industry; believing them not at all incompatible with each other, but each enhancing the Value of the Other. - For what is One without the other ^either alone?
As it respects our Sex, - A Fop, A Pedant, ^a Muck worm. as it respects yours – (hur up here! co-tib! She is stuck fast & wont go another step) – but all combin’d make the Gent or Lady, indeed.
Adieu says your Papa.
[Side bar note] February 12th 1798 43.
Archives Number: 1005/4.1.1-03#56
U. S. National Park Service
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Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site (1005/4.1.1-3#56)
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Peleg Wadsworth Papers (1005/004.001), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Correspondence - Outgoing (1005/004.001.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, Letterbook - 1794-1807 (1005/004.001.001-003), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Correspondence - Outgoing (1005/004.001.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, Letterbook - 1794-1807 (1005/004.001.001-003), (LONG-FileUnitName)
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Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Code: LONG
Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
NPS Museum Catalog Number : LONG 27923
Title: Finding Aid to the Wadsworth-Longfellow Family (1610-1971) Papers, 1610-1971 (bulk dates 1745-1950)
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#WL
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#WL
2021/03/17
02/12/1798
Manuscript letter in the Wadsworth-Longfellow Family Papers, Peleg Wadsworth and Family Papers, Peleg Wadsworth Papers, Correspondence, Outgoing, Letterbook - 1794-1807. (1005/4.1.1-3#56)
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Organization: Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
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