1834.12.02 - Mary Huntington to Elizabeth W. P. Huntington, Dec 2, 1834
Mary tells her mother of Mr. Merrick’s sermon upon his arrival to town. He spent more than an hour to indicate the character of God and denies the doctrine of original sin. Mr. Merrick says he is an abolitionist. Mary is pleased with him and thinks Elizabeth and Bethia would be pleased as well. However, she does not agree with all of his teachings. Mary then discusses a party she attended at Mrs. Dennings’ with her sister. She thought it was a strange way to prepare for the Sabbath. She asks about her mother’s Thanksgiving and says Thanksgiving is celebrated more in Massachusetts than in New York. She is glad Caroline decided not to go to the South. She asks for money to buy a bonnet. On Tuesday, Mary writes because Mrs. Fisher did not let her help make applesauce, so she thought writing a letter back was a good use of her time. Mary wishes to have heard Mr. Stearns’ sermon. She thanks her mother for her advice to be undefeated by temptations.
On Thursday, Mary says she had been busy working on making a hood out of silk since the last time she added to the letter. Mr. Fisher left for Utica. She wants Bethia to cut out her leaf impressions for her. She also tells her mother of Theophilus’s interest in Augusta, and she wonders if she is good enough for him. She apologizes for talking so much about Mr. Merrick’s sermons. Mary includes a P.S. to mention she is not prejudiced against those new religious teachings such as those of Mr. Merrick.
Mary Huntington
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Family Papers (Box 20, Folder 13)
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Dec 2, 1834
Public Domain
1837.06.16 - Elizabeth Huntington to Edward Huntington, Jun. 16th, 1837
A very newsy letter full, as Elizabeth writes, of "gadding." She chides Edward for his business worries, reports on a meeting of a religious association at the house, visits to friends in Deerfield, the girls inviting a party to the house, an upcoming wedding, and news of distant siblings (the Fishers in Oswego NY and William in Toledo OH). Elizabeth reports on spontaneously staying out late to attend an anti-slavery lecture by James Birney. She criticizes the political apathy of the community and expresses strong abolitionist sentiments. She shares home news of work building a house for Theophilus and planting mulberry seeds. At the end of the letter she turns from all these worldly concerns to "the heavenly inheritance."
Elizabeth Whiting Phelps Huntington
Porter-Phelps-Huntington Family Papers (Box 12 Folder 4)
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
1837-06-16
Courtesy of the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Foundation
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