DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Bean family letters, 1845-1860

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1846-01-01 Page 01

New York Jany 1st. 46
Well Mary I, Wish You a Happy New Year; with all the Happiness Kind friends can bestow and May God Grant You; a long & Happy Life. constant or continued cultivation of Those Nobler principles of the Human Mind with which You are Superiorly possessed; that You May Guide by precept & Example Those Sprightly Little ones comitted to Your Charge aright and to Your companion (permit Me to Say Beloved companion) be Ever a Source of purity (as You Now are) upon which His Eye Can Rest and In His Moments of Leisure His Mind Can Dwell with Sacred fondness. Never Mary untill Reason is Bethroned Shall be Erased from My Mind Some of Those nobler Principles with which Your precepts are Replete pen fails to Inscribe a just Reward & for that You Must Look to his Eye that Errs not., My only Request is that You May continue to cheris Those principles in Main That Have Been Your Guide, and Let Your Better Judgement Mark Thare Area. 
December 30th.- for The Last week There Have Not been Lectures.  was across the River In New jersey Viewed Some of the Natural Scenery of that Section of Country. Landed at what is called Hoboken a place which the cragged Rocks & Shrubby Vegetation Much Resemble that at Niagra falls Banks not being as High. followed along the Beach of the River for about 1 Mile to what is called Sibleys Cave a small cave the Mouth of which is Some 6 or 7 feet above the Level of the River; Entered and took A partial View of the Subteranean House Did Not prosecute My Search farr for fear There Might be Something in the cave Took a Circuit Back from the River to the celebrated New Jersey Race Course then Returned to the North River again through Jersey city. Very Interesting Holliday Stroll 
[Vertically, at left-hand side:]  I Enjoyed the Ramble Exceedingly well frequently Thinking This would be a Great treat for Mary if She were Here - well I can tell You a Thousand Things when I come Home that cannot be well fixed up on paper - I collected a few Specimens of natural curiosity Representing The Nature & growth of oysters - a Kind of Zoological Trip
[Upside-down, between lines of main letter:] Mary that Verry woman is one of the most uncomfortable creatures this world contains- I suppose that Father & Mother Entertained & Treated Her Kindly for old acquaintance sake as it could not be for any Debt that I was owing Her or that You was owing on my acct.- - - How Many Hundred Times have I. in my solitary Rides & walks when musing upon the varied character & Disposition of mankind Lamented the unfortunate Lot of My unhappy Brother who in the Days of His Youth fell Victim to the false allurements of that Indiscribable Loathesome person Deceitful adulterous & abominably wicked in word and Deed; by which He Has for Years been Deprived of the society of His friends & His Life Rendered one continued and unbroken chain of anxiety & trouble - & Then I Have Most as frequently contrasted His fortune with Mine and Here words fail to Express my Gratitude to an allwise being for Exemptions alike Disastrous to My Happiness. Oh! My Beloved companion I Do appreciate Your Many Excellent Virtues which are often uppermost & Becoming Daily of greater Value as I witness Daily the prostitive & Loathsome condition of So Many of The Female Rac. - Well Mary although your Letters are few in number they are of Great Value - I Have Read Them Several Times over & probably shall Read them Several times More before I Leave this city to gaze on Your pleasant countenance well you mentioned in your first Letter that You perused with pleasure My first Epistle & if So I. think your interest in this will be much Increased from the Difficulty of Discovering at a glance all it contains - it will also Remind You of an old maxim that Hard Earned Laurels are always prized the Highest I Think You will without much Difficulty be able to Read This unless I should cross write but I Think I will cross write next time if There is not Enough in This - I Have two pages written that I. think I will not send this time

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New York Jany 1st. 46 Well Mary I, Wish You a Happy New Year; with all the Happiness Kind friends can bestow and May God Grant You; a long & Happy Life. constant or continued cultivation of Those Nobler principles of the Human Mind with which You are Superiorly possessed; that You May Guide by precept & Example Those Sprightly Little ones comitted to Your Charge aright and to Your companion (permit Me to Say Beloved companion) be Ever a Source of purity (as You Now are) upon which His Eye Can Rest and In His Moments of Leisure His Mind Can Dwell with Sacred fondness. Never Mary untill Reason is Bethroned Shall be Erased from My Mind Some of Those nobler Principles with which Your precepts are Replete pen fails to Inscribe a just Reward & for that You Must Look to his Eye that Errs not., My only Request is that You May continue to cheris Those principles in Main That Have Been Your Guide, and Let Your Better Judgement Mark Thare Area. December 30th.- for The Last week There Have Not been Lectures. was across the River In New jersey Viewed Some of the Natural Scenery of that Section of Country. Landed at what is called Hoboken a place which the cragged Rocks & Shrubby Vegetation Much Resemble that at Niagra falls Banks not being as High. followed along the Beach of the River for about 1 Mile to what is called Sibleys Cave a small cave the Mouth of which is Some 6 or 7 feet above the Level of the River; Entered and took A partial View of the Subteranean House Did Not prosecute My Search farr for fear There Might be Something in the cave Took a Circuit Back from the River to the celebrated New Jersey Race Course then Returned to the North River again through Jersey city. Very Interesting Holliday Stroll [Vertically, at left-hand side:] I Enjoyed the Ramble Exceedingly well frequently Thinking This would be a Great treat for Mary if She were Here - well I can tell You a Thousand Things when I come Home that cannot be well fixed up on paper - I collected a few Specimens of natural curiosity Representing The Nature & growth of oysters - a Kind of Zoological Trip [Upside-down, between lines of main letter:] Mary that Verry woman is one of the most uncomfortable creatures this world contains- I suppose that Father & Mother Entertained & Treated Her Kindly for old acquaintance sake as it could not be for any Debt that I was owing Her or that You was owing on my acct.- - - How Many Hundred Times have I. in my solitary Rides & walks when musing upon the varied character & Disposition of mankind Lamented the unfortunate Lot of My unhappy Brother who in the Days of His Youth fell Victim to the false allurements of that Indiscribable Loathesome person Deceitful adulterous & abominably wicked in word and Deed; by which He Has for Years been Deprived of the society of His friends & His Life Rendered one continued and unbroken chain of anxiety & trouble - & Then I Have Most as frequently contrasted His fortune with Mine and Here words fail to Express my Gratitude to an allwise being for Exemptions alike Disastrous to My Happiness. Oh! My Beloved companion I Do appreciate Your Many Excellent Virtues which are often uppermost & Becoming Daily of greater Value as I witness Daily the prostitive & Loathsome condition of So Many of The Female Rac. - Well Mary although your Letters are few in number they are of Great Value - I Have Read Them Several Times over & probably shall Read them Several times More before I Leave this city to gaze on Your pleasant countenance well you mentioned in your first Letter that You perused with pleasure My first Epistle & if So I. think your interest in this will be much Increased from the Difficulty of Discovering at a glance all it contains - it will also Remind You of an old maxim that Hard Earned Laurels are always prized the Highest I Think You will without much Difficulty be able to Read This unless I should cross write but I Think I will cross write next time if There is not Enough in This - I Have two pages written that I. think I will not send this time