Letter from Anne Warren Weston to Deborah Weston, May 1, 1838

by Anne Warren Weston

For works with similar titles, see Letter from Anne Warren Weston to Deborah Weston.

Philadelphia, 5 May, Tuesday evening

It is after 9 Sunday evening my dear Debora, but if I did not write now I know not when I should, when I am to write my poor journal & committee tell, I cannot do as Bosie(?) Hall does. Well here we are, safe in the army(?) of Brotherly Love not a pin lost, not a scratch or a bruise received. Our ride to Providence was pleasant, that from P. to (?)ington Street(?) more so as we were in a car full of Abolitionists. We did not reach till near 9. The boat, the Nanagarret(?) was very much crowded; the babies nicely(?) (?)d & many of them by no means used (?) little Ann. I foolishly went down to be with Mary & Elizabeth. We rested(?) not. Maria was not in the least ill or sick or anything of the kind but I was terribly so. Much more so than last year tho' then I went round Point Judith, Ma's warmest hopes were realised. I went to sleep however sometime before midnight & slept till near 3 then laid awake till 4 and then slept & went on deck. It was pretty cold at that hour but we could not stay below without  [transcription in progress] (Wikisource contributor note) Monday morning. Mary, Mrs Philbrick & Miſs Paul have gone in James Mott's carriage with Mr Thoms to see the water works. St Ann(?) has just called looking very brisk and heaps more of folks are below. Now I will enter a little into the tactics of things. Mary Parker is in a pretty uncomfortable state of mind. Maria treats her with calm cold civility & nothing more. She acts otherwise as if she were not present. I treat her very kindly just as I should Mrs Joebell(?) were she here. Laugh & talk & feel perfectly free with her and treat her as well as can be but of (?) (?) with any talk about the deep things of the cause & I do not find her an authority to other folks. We are somewhat disgusted to find that the how(?) (?) Paul that Maria was not coming on as otherwise Susan would have waited for us. I suppose that we shall have a great chance of having Mary for the President and Lucretia Motts health puts it out of the question. We pressed Sarah Grimké last night very much but she does not think she knows enough of busineſs. All the Philadelphia people appear right as to Denialism, but not sufficiently interested. Baileigh is the same right minded person. Maria leaves no stone unturned to please the Denial appeal before the minds of all. Maria's seeding worries Mary, I suppose. Mary Chapman has been invited to the Grews(?) to take up her abode, but she manifested so much horror that the thing was even thought of, that I hardly knew whether she would be able to answer the invite civilly. I shall do up this letter at noon and will then add a few more words as the mail does not close till 5 o'clock(?) I dispatched my letter to Lucretia yesterday   11 & as the weather had much ameliorated our sail was very delightful. We bought crackers & apples & feasted ourselves. Bonaparte's place is a fine one but nothing very remarkable. At Bordentown we went on board the "New Philadelphia" & had a most lovely sail. Mary & I sat on the upper deck and I cannot tell you how beautiful the banks of the Delaware looked. The trees & ground were of the most beautiful green, the trees of all shades & the loveliest seats & cottages I ever beheld. Biddle's country seat is beyond every thing. A little after & we reached the city. Leſs than 24 hours after we left Boston. Maria, Mrs Phil(?) (?) E. &co stepe(?) into one carriage; Mary, Abby Shelly, S. Paul Anna P. into another & Mrs Basset on the outside of one & Diane & Lucretia. Mary Parker are found settled there. She & Charles Burleigh & Anna Coffin, L. Motts mother decided us, Lucretia being (?) down. She soon app(?)ed how ever, kissed me very kindly welcomed the rest. Mary R. explained to her that E. & herself did not consider themselves as invited guests they only wished to know the nearest rooming place. Lucretia (?) them wait till after dinner & then she would arrange. She gave us a nice dinner & then with great simplicity & warmth of summer assessed us that all our party must stay. If Maria & I who were to have a large bed would have Mary in & if Elizabeth was willing to sleep with Miſs Parker with Susan Paul in the room, there would be no difficulty. This was at once assented to, only Mary was put in with M. Parker and E. with us because of her ill health Mr & Mrs Burleigh were both staying here. The first is a pretty little smiling fellow with the Presbyterianisms pretty much washed out. After dinner it was proposed that we should go over to Fairmount but we did not feel able, any of us, I was obliged to lie down; (?) (?) called but I could not get up to see him. I slept an hour or two, I could not have stood it. When I came to go to bed, Lucretia begged me to feel at liberty to have(?) any friends here at any time. Luig(?) Chester(?) is here, staying in the kitchen most of the time but treated very kindly. The house is large & handsome, neat as an upper drawer, very   Monday noon, I have just come from the Dedication of the Pennsylvania Hall. It (?) a very beautiful room and was thronged & overflowing. 2,000 must have been there. Various interesting letters were read and David Paul Berion(?) gave an addreſs which I cannot criticise now for part of it was very good & part very poor. He is an eloquent man & quite pleasing but defective in point of principle.  [transcription in progress] (Wikisource contributor note)
handsomely furnished and every thing goes on more like clock work than aught else. They are by no means Grahamites, & nothing can excel the quantity & excellence of the goodies. We were delightfully entertained & nothing can be pleasanter than all here. We all slept together very comfortably. E. has not had a s(?) minute & all her arrangements have gone on very well, perfectly easy. Today has been most lovely; the day as warm as summer. We went to Cherry St meeting this morning & heard the Luthers, or rather Mrs L. & Mary Cox, speak; also a brother & Lucretia made a most excellent prayer. After meeting James, his wife, Maria & company called at Daniel Neal's to see the Fullers, then at Mr Pennocks to see Abby Shelly then at Peter Wright's to see Saunton. Lucretia wanted to see all these people & have us see them. I cannot describe to you the kindneſs with which we were received; we were actually devoured, everybody begging us to come & see them any time & any way. You would be(?) astonished to see in what elegant style all these people live Great handsome houses, furnished with the utmost taste, though with great simplicity. Susan Luther & Mary Cox dined with (us?) in addition to the usual number. I thought of going to the Barnes' church with Mr Heim(?) in the afternoon but as he was not to preach I did not. Sarah Pugh called & I had an interesting talk with her. All P. who know aught of Angelina are thrown into hysterics at the way she is going to be married & all manner of gossip is circulated about them. Those of the L(?)akers have called upon them since their return. The women of Philadelphia are in rather a low state with regard to women's speaking, save a few. Mary Grew(?) stands just where she did; has not moved a step. At noon Stanton & Chase called. I tried to treat S. "like a dog" as Henry advised but he would'nt stay treated. He asked for Caroline & you & was very talkative. Mr Chase also called & other brethren. We thought some of going to Mr Furneſs' in the afternoon, but as we found they had no afternoon meeting we all went with S. Pugh to the meeting of the brethren friends. This was not as interesting as the Hicksites! Sarah Grimké was there & it was like meeting, own folks to see her. Angelina she said had been at friends meeting all day   but as there are 8 in the City, we did not happen to light upon her. Mrs Basset, Abby Shelly, Mr Breed of Lyman(?) took tea with us & so many friends were here in the evening that I cannot tell you half. Johnson & his wife, Mrs Burleigh, S. Grimké. In all there were more than 20 out of the house pe(?) me(?) in the course of the evening. It did us good to see Sarah she appeared in charming spirits & wanted us to come early to

(Address, rotated 90°; postage mark of May 15.)

Miſs Debora Weston.

Care of H. Chapman &Co.

Boston.
Masstts/".

the wedding. Lucretia is in most dreadful health. She is on the sopha half the time; she has the dyspepsia as bad as Mary Ann Chandler had. How she manages to have all this company, I know not. She has 5 children, 2 married daughters Anna Hopper & Maria Davis, who are here most of the time & 2 little girls, 10 & 12, & one boy of 14; all very pretty, very good. Anna Hoppers' baby is here most of the time, a baby looking very much like Ann. G. Sullivan & Miſs Ball are staying with Mary Green. The Southwicks are at an hotel but of all the hospitality I ever saw commend me.

Philadelphia