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[Marginalia]

All goes on very well with Walker [‘All...Walker’ underscored] up to 9 a.m. 28th

4th St[reet] [New York, NY] – Wednesday night – 26 Aug[us]t [18]63

Dear Ann

Whilst waiting for the letters via [steamer] Persia, I wrote 2 pages to Harriet [Ludlow] today, of which I intend sending you herein the press copy. – Along with your letter from [steamer?] Albany of the 13th, I received one of 6 pages from Fontaine – whereof the “pingo’ & ‘scribo” on both in his best style, & seem to me to confirm your report of his excellent bodily health; but I cannot say much for the matter. The main burden is an argument for a case he has already prejudged. It is to prove to me that no honest [underscored] man can thrive in this country either at the South or the North, as a Civil Engineer [‘Civil Engineer’ underscored] on Railroads &c. and that every successful Engineer is dishonest! [‘dis’ underscored] All I would say in reply is that the same assertion might be made with as much (or as little) truth, of every other pursuit in life. There is no calling whatever in which we do not find men of both kinds. And according Fontaine’s logic it is sheer folly to imagine there is any truth in the old maxim that “Honesty is the best policy.” – But there is nothing like pushing an argument to an absurdity, if you want to demolish it en= =tirely. – He says he would like to go into partnership with Ja[me]s & that seems to be very much because James has said the same thing as to himself. – He observes, however, that he is still in quest of employment, & has some expectation of something being ar=

ranged in the following week that may require him to un

=dertake an Overland journey to India; but he does not give me any clue to its nature. – Whilst he has been living in England, since the spring of [18]61, wholly at my expence, he has often reminded me of a noted character, now proverbial quo= =ted, in one of [Charles] Dickens’ tales – Mr. Micawber – who was always “waiting for something [underscored] to turn up, [‘turn up’ underscored] instead of resolutely setting to work to support himself. – Of course I am pleased now at having acted on your advice, in regard to his weekly stipend.

Whilst on this subject, I may observe that I was shocked at James’ inaccuracy, when he says in his letter of the 15th inst[ant] [15 August] that $350 will cover all his debts for private [underscored] bills – where of $100 is for articles bo[ugh]t, as I understood, for Rutson’s account. This would leave but $250, then, on his own [‘his own’ underscored] [a..?]! And yet you remember that single bill of which, during James absence, R[utson] sent me a copy, as due to the widow of some retail grocer for I think $350 – at any rate more than $300. And then Mrs.

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Cox told me that Mr. Mees complains that James owes him a whole year’s salary, & besides that some hundreds of dollars I think for tavern bills & travelling expences &c , that he borrowed of Mr. Mees whilst they were travelling together in [18]61/62 in Missi[ssippi].

Now instead of this nett sum of $250, according to James off hand assertion, I have a fancy that the amount of his private debts, including clerk-hire, office-rent, house-rent, & tradesmen’s bills, would, if all were carefully & accurately enu= =merated, be much nearer $2,500. – James is no accountant, & I fancy that Fontaine is equally careless in such matters. Hence a partnership between them – apart from their present embarrassments – would be too like the blind man leading another blind-man; & both would fall into the ditch!

I walked up from the office today, & whilst I was puttering about in the garden before dinner, David [Spence] returned from Orange [New Jersey] & made me comfortable & happy by reporting that he had found Walker going on all right again. He said W[alker] had had no return of last night’s acute pains; & that Dr. Pearson had been this morning & removed all the bandages &c; so as to expose the wound entirely, & pronounced all going on very well. – I felt very much obliged to David for this prompt removal of my anxiety; & I enjoyed my dinner all the more in consequence. Having ridden down this morn[in]g, I nevertheless felt tired from standing at the desk & writing all day. Of course I took a good nap after dinner, from which Mary awoke me, after bringing in the T[ea] kettle, about 9. After T[ea] I took a walk to 42nd St[reet] & back which I much enjoyed in this fine October-like weather; & I thus secured 6 1/2 miles walking this day; & was quite as fresh when I came in as when I set out on the last walk of 4 miles.

I called in Irving Place, & saw the cook, & propounded my wish that one or other of them should come here tomorrow after breakfast to lend a hand in making the beds &c. She seemed inclined to demure, as (apparently with that object [‘that object’ underscored]) she informed me that Miss Mary is to be there tomorrow. I forgot to ask her at what hour. But I have written a note to Mary that I shall leave there tomorrow morning, proposing that she shall accompany me in my trip to Orange [New Jersey] to-

[3] =orrow - & have given her all the particulars as to time & place, vizt. that she shall get into a Yellow car at 18th St[reet] at about 1/4 past 12 & turn meet me a few minutes before 1, at the foot of Courtlandt St[reet]. I confess a part of my object is thus to test the value of her sympathy for us under Walker’s calamity. – But I have a strong notion that I shall not have her company; & that the requested aid from one or other of the 2 domestics tomorrow will also be witheld. – In my note to her, which I say she may shew to her Father & Mother, I have expressed my feelings very plainly at the determination of the ladies in Irving Place not to step one inch out of their way to help us in the present emergency: & have remarked upon the forgetfulness of Walker’s guardianship of the premises in I[rving] place during 2 nights at the time of the Riots.

The real fact is that there is far too much selfishness [underscored] from top to bottom throughout the whole establishment at Irving Place; & my note to Mary shews plainly enough that this is my decided opinion, tho’ I don’ say so in so many words. – Each one is selfish in his or her own way – with perhaps two exceptions – vizt. (I ought to say certainly [underscored]) old Mrs. Gilpin, & perhaps James.

27th Thursday night – My wrath is appeased, & no one but yourself is aware of it. Anne, the grenadier, came early this morning, & very cheerfully took upon herself the making of the beds &c; and I have been to Irving Place to-night, & finding that neither Mary nor her Father have arrived (as he wrote me, he intended to do) this evening, I got back my note to Mary & have just reduced it to ashes. (I also thanked the Grenadier properly for her aid)

I wrote to you at noon today 2 pages for the steamer of 29th from Quebec, & to save repetition, I enclose press copy, thereof, which you had best read before you proceed any farther. –

My visit to Orange [New Jersey] seemed acceptable to both Walker & Sarah, & was satisfactory to myself in every particular, save one, & that

                                         demonstration 

was that by [venlar?] inspection [struck-through] ^ I found the stump of the lower arm shorter than Sarah’s account had let me to suppose. – I got out, by some mistake, at an earlier stopping place than I ought, & so had a walk of 20 minutes or so instead of less than 5. Sarah had walked to the right place to give me the meeting, & was disconcerted to find

                                  out

no Uncle Rutson among those who got ^ of the cars; & then she had look =ed

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=ed into every car, but all in vain. It was an agreeable surprise to her, therefore, on her return to Walker’s room, to find me seated in it. When [?] [host?] shewed me up into the said room, I found Ann there, as well as Walker, & she seemed to be feeling quite at home, just as tho’ she were in 365 4th St[reet] [New York, NY] – Walker looked well. His colour was of course less [florid?] than usual, more of the feminine than the masculine stamp, but by no means pale. He countenance was quite natural & bore a much sweeter expression than ordinarily; & I was also struck with a similar change in his manner. He was by no means sad, but he was evidently softened & subdued. – I was grateful at this, & at finding the photograph of himself, as conveyed by the tone o f his letter of 25th was not [underscored] a correct one. – I should say that when dictating that letter he was “acting a part,” & in a way that did himself injustice. There seemed more tenderness & affection

                                him

about him than I and ever seen in ^ before since he reached man’s estate; and when I presented the book to him (wrapped up in paper, that he did not remove while I stayed) I fancied he had some presentment of its contents, & I trust it was not altogether fancy on my part in supposing, as I did & do, that he season was timely – that the ground was in a fit state to receive the good seed. – God grant it may be so, & that it may shoot up & in due time produce its “hundred fold!” – He called my attention to his right arm; but we did not say much about it, tho’ it was the first thing that struck me on entering his room – as the reality [underscored] of a very, very sad fact! – He D[octo]r had been there today, but had not removed the lint that rests immediately on the wound – He had said that Walker might take a ride out tomor= =row, if he wished. I discouraged riding, as attended with risk of injury to the arm, still so tender, when getting in or out of a carriage, to say nothing of the risk of being upset, & recommended gentle walking in the open air, in preference. – They got possession of the additional room last evening, & it is by far the best of the three. It has two beds in it, in one of which Walker slept last night, Ann occupying the other when her share of the night’s watch was over. We sat in the new room, which has 2 windows facing the main street, & is therefore very cheerful. W[illia]m had the benefit of an entire night’s sleep last night in the room previously occupied by Walker; & I took a good look at the famous, or infamous [‘in’ underscored], sofa [underscored] therein. – Whilst Sarah & I were alone in that room, I put into

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her hands the press copy of my letter of this day (via [steamer] Quebec) to you & desired her, after perusal, to return it to me by William the [struck-through] tomorrow.

Her own room would not allow of a cat being swung round it, unless it were a very small one, or with a shorter tail than usual. Still it is far preferable to the one Walker had occupied, which might be called

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a thoroughfare, [underscored] as it leads into 2 other bedrooms of dimi^tive pat= =tern, one of which is occupied by the kind Mr. Henry Thompson (whom I did not see.) – But the chief objective to it, as well as to Walker’s present room, is that they are immediately over the Bar-room, where people are noisy at night [d...?] their potations: Otherwise I should pronounce Walker’s present room unexceptionable, & as I observed to them, probably quite as good as they could find elsewhere.

Part of our entertainment was my reading aloud to Walker & Sarah your long letter of the 13th, which however is quite as much of the tragic as the comic order. – I considered your interesting account of the last hours of Caroline Duer in good keeping with one of the primary objects of my visit. – I put in a reminder as to no note of acknowledgment having yet been sent for the grapes to Mrs. King, & said I hoped it might go to her tomorrow. – I did not forget to name Matthew’s note to me, & my determination therefore not to be baulked in my promised visit to Orange. – Time flew away pretty fast; & on bidding good bye to Walker, he grasped my right hand with his left with a force that indicated great vigour of body, & what I valued still now – great affection & gratitude for my efforts to [serve?] him. – Ann returned with me & Sarah accompanied us to the Station, where we had over 5 minutes, perhaps 10, to spare. She pointed to the spot where the fatal leap was taken & to the kind woman’s house. – I told her whilst we were thus waiting for the train that I did not approve of the idea of of taking Walker to Miss Dunning’s – that one [underscored] invalid at a time was quite enough - & that it was best that Walker should be within reach of D[octo]r Pearson as long as he needed at all the care of a D[octo]r.

When we finally reached Jersey City [New Jersey], at 1/4 before 5, we found W[illia]m at the Station on his way to Orange – I did not learn from him whether he had found Mr. N [M.?] Ludlow at Staten Isl[an]d [New York], but imagined from the hour that he had. – I needed his aid for some explanation as to irregularity about my return ticket, which was solved finally by my paying 3¢ ferry instead crossing free of charge. Thus (by my orders) Ann crossed 10 minutes before I did: & after I had done so, I steered for the P[ost] O[ffice] first, but found no letters in our box. Before I got into a yellow car, I loaded myself with 3 fine 10¢ Melons, secured

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in a pocket h[and]k[erchie]f; & finally reached 4th St[reet] about 1/4 to 6, soon after which David [Spence] & I sat down to a nice dinner. – After dinner David went out to make some evening calls: & telling Ann I wished to have T[ea] at 1/2 past 8, I settled down for a nap (L position) until then: But my plan was frustrated by a kind call on the part of D[octo]r Wilkes at about 1/2 past 7, to make friendly enquiry about Walker. And during that call he told me he went aboard the [steamer] Persia yesterday to welcome Mr. & Mrs. Davis, & found both well. He said how glad he was to learn from her how very well indeed you were looking & feeling, when you & she parted. He hoped you would not return the sooner on Walker’s account, as there seemed to him to be nothing whatever to require it. – He left me about 8. I then had T[ea], & afterwards walked to Irving Place; it was all but 9 when I left there, & still Matthew had not come. I told Ann, the grenadier, about the note from him this morn[in]g; and when she asked me about Walker, I took occasion to thank her for her aid in 4th St[reet] this morning.

I then got back my note to Mary. – I came straight back to 4th St[reet]; when Mary Nugent told me that Mr. V[an] Ness had called to ask for the address of Matthew’s family at Cornwall [New York], so that she [struck-through] his Sister, who is at Fishkill [New York] might cross over & go to see them. Mary directed him to go to Irving Place, (which he did) & when he learnt from her (for the first time) as to Walker’s accident, he told her he would call here again. He did so, & after I had given him full particulars, I re= =freshed him with 2 glassed of the No. 1 Sherry.

28th Friday night. I forgot to say that in Walker’s rom yesterday I observed a porcelain writing slate, from which, from the marks on it, it was clear that he had been making experiments in trying to write with his left [underscored] hand. – The attempts were pretty lame & dis- =couraging, but I doubt not he will be quite successful in the end. – He did not call my attention to said slate, & I did not make any remarks about it. – I observed to him that he had no stock= =ings or socks on, & yet no marks of mosquitoes on his ankles. It did not strike me at the moment, as it has done since, that putting on stockings or socks, - especially cotton [double underscored] ones – is an operation decidedly difficult for a person possessed of only 1 hand. Perhaps he would have told me he preferred being without them. NB. – I would suggest that you get him a doz[en] pair of socks of

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elastic [underscored] material – for instance, ribbed [double underscored] [?] – such as you once got for me, & which I did not like because they were too [double underscored] elastic. – There may be many other things he will want & that can be got in England better & cheaper & more readily then here: but at present I can only think of the knife & fork [‘knife & fork’ underscored] blended together (much like your asparagus tool) for the express use of one[underscored] – handed persons. - A first rate [‘first rate’ underscored] cutler’s – such as that in Lord St[reet] [Liverpool, England], a door or two below Cain’s the tailor – is of course the place to go to. – Get two [underscored] – a dessert size & a larger size – If you know any one-handed persons, they could give you various useful suggestions. I dare say, there is Elizabeth Bold’s friend Admiral Grenfell: - perhaps you had best have a talk with him, notwithstanding his dislike for Americans generally.

Ma [struck-through] William left Orange at 9 a.m. & reported all going on admirably. Both he & Sarah were saved all trouble in watching last night by Mr. Sydney Henop going over to Orange expressly with that object. He sat up with Walker until 5 a.m., & reported that he slept very well indeed, tho’ awake twice or thrice for a few moments. – It is hardly necessary now for any one to sit up at all with Walker, except for the purpose of damping or wetting the bandage on his arm. – I asked D[octo]r Wilkes last night if this could not be [ab[b]reviated?] by surrounding the bandage at night with a piece of oiled silk or gutta percha: but he said that that would operate too much like a poultice, & that the frequent wetting & evaporation do not operate in that way – or in a very much slighter degree - & are therefore decidedly preferable, tho’ so much more troublesome.

The Ludow’s (the old gentleman, Sophy & Mrs. Benson) have not come yet, but are daily expected. – Nothing from Harriet later than 20th.

Matthew did [double underscored] arrive by Hudson River R[ail] R[oad] last night, but not until 10 o’clock, instead of 8. – The 2 hour’s detention was in consequence of the addition of 16 cars [’16 cars’ underscored] to the train by the breaking up of a Camp Meeting, & the necessity of sending to the City [New York] for an additional Locomotive. – He called here this morn[in]g, before David & I had come down to breakfast, & then went off & called again whilst we were at breakfast. – I walked down, & it was 1/2 past 11 ‘ere I reached the office with 2 baskets I had filled with firm peaches. The contents of the larger one (24 costing 3¢ each) were stowed away by John Russell as usual in his little carpet bag, each peach rapped up separately in paper. – Matthew begged to have only 12 instead of the 24 peaches, because they were too heavy for him to carry; but I said 24 for 6 persons & for 3 days was but 8 per day for the 6 persons; & so he took the whole. No ob= =jections come from Cornwall, that I send them too many – nor from Orange either! I send firmer ones to both places generally than I reserve for 4th St[reet] – but I don’t tell them [underscored] so.

I wrote (with copying ink) 2 pages to Elizabeth filled almost exclusive =ly with an account of my visit to Orange & I invited Mary to accompa =ny me on another one at same hours on Monday or Thursday next. I sent a press copy of that letter to Harriet at 3 1/2 p.m. with some few supplemental remarks - - When I told Matthew of this invitation

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to Mary, he observed that if Mary came to town next week, it would be to spend a day in the city & not to go to Orange at all. That drew from me the following remake of indignation & reproof: “There is such a thing as natural feeling !” – You see therefore I am still bent on getting some test of the existence or not, of real, proper decided, active [‘real...active’ underscored] sympathy for Walker on the part of Matthews family.

I believe you have sometimes remarked to me that you consid= =ered Mary was deriving injury from leading a life too much like that of a butterfly! [underscored] - & I think so too. – Aunt Elizabeth often seems to me to have narrow views, instead of being “whole- =souled” – I do not mean towards you or myself, but towards the sons of our brother William: I do not think she loves any one of them, but on the contrary considers them very much in the way; & I am always vexed when I see any indications of this want of feeling.

I remained at the office until 5 p.m., writing a page & a half to Fontaine in return for his 6 pages via [steamer] Persia, which with the letter he enclosed for James (containing, as he sad, a press copy thereof) cost me, as I tell him $1 11/100 postage !! [underscored] – Tomorrow I shall have to write to James, but it won’t be a long letter. – One has plague enough of one sort or other, with these nephews & nieces of ours & one does not get the same return as there would be from our own children: But it is far better than wasting time & sympathy on dogs & cats, [‘dogs, cats’ underscored] as you say found some estimable friends & ac- =quaintance at Worthing [England] &c are doing. – Dogs & Cats are an

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institution more peculiarly appertaining to old [underscored] countries, & are ^ the consequence of Marriage being less general.

This morning I wrote a joint letter to Mrs. Greene & Miss Lippett, giving some account of my visit to Orange yesterday, & saying that Walker was doing perfectly well, & was no longer in any danger, ex= =cept by some gross imprudence or serious accident. – I sent (as I remarked to them) the manuscript to one of them, & the press copy to the other. – I consider that all my large increase of correspondence unanswered by Walker’s accident, has now ended: & I expect & intend next week to devote my time to Day Book & Ledger entries taking up the thread from the time of Walker’s last entries. It is a hateful task – especially that of joining the 2 thread to gether but it has to be done, & the sooner the better. – It was altogether too repugnant whilst I felt so much anxiety for poor Walker; but that anxiety is now at an end \ Cha[rle]s V[an] Ness called again to-night to ask about Walker, & took T[ea], a one cup /No it was 2/ after David & I had taken ours. He intends [continues on left side marginalia]

[Marginalia – left side]

going up to Fishkill [New York] to morrow to stay until Sunday morn[in]g, with his sister. – I gave him a glass of Sherry [continues on right

side marginalia]

[Marginalia – right side]

in the course of his visit. Yours affectionately R[utson] Maury

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New York 26 August 1863

Dear Harriet

I am employing my busy pen, whilst waiting for John Russell, our errand boy (now advanced to $2 p[er] week) to bring me the letters via [steamer] Persia (15th Aug[us]t) which arrived this morning, in which vessel I presume Mr. & Mrs. Bancroft Davis (Frederica King) have arrived.

Yesterday, as I informed you, I think, W[illia]m brought me an excellent report of Walker up to 9 a.m.: & Anne Nugent who went to Orange [New Jersey] at 11 1/2 a.m. & returned before our dinner – (having left there at 4 p. m.) also reported that whilst she was there the D[octo]r called & exam- -ined the wound & reported most favorably. [‘most favorably’ underscored]

I rec[eive]d your letter of 20th at 3 p.m. yesterday, containing a letter for Walker, which W[illia]m took with him by 3 1/2 train; and I have sent to your Aunt by [steamer] China today, your letter to me, together with the report that W[illia]m brought me this morning. He left there at 6 a.m. & joined David [Spence] & me at our 8 o’clock breakfast.

I enclose to you a copy of Walker’s dictated letter to me, dated yesterday – a press copy of which I contrived to send to your Aunt in said letter via [steamer] China today, tho’ I only got the original by William this morning: for I thought it must be most interesting to her. Perhaps, if Walker could have wielded the pen himself, some of the expressions might have been different, & far more satis= =factory: - as it is, however, I cannot but apprehend that his “Philosophy” is not what I should call “Christian Philos- =ophy,” but rather of the Stoical [underscored] or Heathen [underscored] stamp! – We however, often find, & especially in persons of Walker’s age, a decided disinclination to give a free expression to their senti=

ments on the subject of Religion, even when those senti

=ments are of a kind that would carry joy to the hearts of those who take the deepest interest in their welfare: & it may be so in this case; tho’ I fear that poor Walker has long been quite callous [underscored] on this all important subject. If so, I pray that God may bless his present & most dreadful misfortune, & make it the means of softening his heart, [‘softening his heart’ underscored] & turn =ing it in the right direction.

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Williams report of him this morning is unsatisfactory & disappointing. Last night, after Walker went to bed for the night, his arm became very painful; & the pain increased so much, that William went out at 11 p.m. to see the D[octo]r, whom he found at home, but who did not see any cause for alarm, & so did not go back with W[illia]m to see Walker, but gave him a dose of Morphine, & instructed him, in case the [?] [struck-through] pain should not be relieved, to undo the bandages & slacken, or remove the ligatures. – The Morphine, however, had the desired effect, & so the bandages remained undisturb- =ed. –

William ascribes the paroxisin [paroxysm] of pain last night to the very great & sudden fall of Temperature. In 4th St[reet], the difference between the Therm[omete]r at sunrise was from 78 [degrees] yester =day morn[in]g down to 66 1/2 [degrees] this morn[ing, & the maximum of yesterday & today will shew a still greater difference; and at Orange the extremes are necessarily much wider apart than in our back porch in 4th [Street] – I am of the same opinion as W[illia]m on this subject. – He went back by 11 1/2 a.m. train to- =day, so as to be there, if possible, before the D[octo]r calls at [struck-through] today. -that he may see the wound when uncovered, & be useful during its dressing. –

To relieve my mind, Mr. David Spence has gone over by the 1 p.m. train today, & to leave there at 4 p.m. & thus reach 4th S[treet] before dinner at 5 1/2 to 6 p.m. – as Ann did yesterday.

As Ann Nugent yesterday, on her first [underscored] visit to Orange, found her way there & back so readily, she will go there today at 3 1/2 p.m. to pass the night, [‘pass the night’ underscored] so as to give W[illia]m or Sarah, or both of them, the more sleep. Tho’ she was there only about 3 1/2 to 4 hours, she was quite useful in arranging matters more neatly & comfortably in the 2 rooms – a hunt after bugs [underscored] being a part of her employment.

I hope the boils will vanish with this cooler weather, & that the Mill will soon get its needed supply of Logs – Y[ou]rs affectionately Rutson Maury