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Correspondence of Rhoda Waterbury and
G. W. Clinton |
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Correspondence of Rhoda Waterbury and G. W. Clinton 1865 - 1867 Edited
by P. M. P.O. Box 299, March 1866 Vol.
3. No. 9 [M 220]
My
Dear Yours
of the 16th & 17th reached me today by way of S. which will account for the
delay in answer. I had begun to wonder what had become of my guide. I missed
the kind good letters so much. And you think I am not true? how unjust. Can Mr. Coe F. Austin or any other man, take
the place of my own dear friend? Be assured you have the coziest nook in my
heart as I could never think aloud to you as I do, and I wish I had the power
to help you over those anxieties and griefs you
speak of. I wonder if that is not part of my mission?
it is what I am trying to do for my sister. The
whole family has been sick. Three children left and over two of them I have
watched night and day while the mother herself has been unable to set up part
of the time. Last week I was up four nights in succession with but little
rest between, but they are all better now and I am getting quite rested
again, I did feel as if my sun had forever set, but I don’t think so
now. I did expect to return home in a few weeks but I fear I must remain
until the close of their summer or spring term the first of July when the
whole family always goes east to spend the two months vacation at
Grandpa’s, my sister will not let me go unless I use violence and
having no family cares of my own I cannot resist her entreaties. You did not
tell me have you been to I
feel just like it now. Mate and I are the old maids though she is not near so
old as I am but she knows more and has the management of things at home, and
our youngest sister, the baby of the family left us the first year of the
war, was sick two years of consumption, died at nineteen, my first great
sorrow. It seems as if we have all grown old since, very old. Well that is
all of us, only nine lived to grow up, three were ... of the Gods’ and
died in infancy. You know every body considers their own family rather
remarkable and I claim kindred to this ra... and am
glad I am so old I would not go back for anything, I am rather in haste to
see what is beyond ... writes, the papers you send are on the way but they
did not keep up with the letter. These things do me a world of good and make
me a great deal better, to think that you remember me in these things is very
pleasant, and I feel I cannot in any way deserve it, but I have part of the
school girl feeling left and do like your approbation very much, selfish you
see. Oh I must tell you Mr. Austin wrote me in great haste for certain mosses
and ferns that he wanted immediately to complete some sets he was putting up,
and the letter had to come from my home so it was some time before he
received answer and then I was away from my duplicates so I merely told him
the situation of affairs. I cannot remember a “charming” thing in
it. You see I do not like you to think I flirt but when my brothers tease me
they say if I protest my innocence so strongly it is rather a proof of guilt,
what will the Judge think! Now please address me at Warsaw, and if I do prevail
on my sister to let me go & will drop you a line just as I start, I
cannot afford to lose the letters so long I suppose it will be impossible to
discover anything new so near you but I shall continue my search while I am
here. I have sent several mosses to Mr. Peck and have others. If we are all
well I shall ramble some but I feel this is an unhealthy locality. Write me
soon. As
ever your disciple
Rhoda Waterbury Please
don’t think of being old and passing away, you know this is only the beginning
of existence, and I feel quite sure we shall live as long as it will be
pleasant for us here and then merely pass to another and better state. There
must be great things in store for us. I know, for I am sometimes delighted
with the beauties of earth and “what must it be to be there.” R.
W. Hon. G. W. C. Recd
March 25. Wrote Ap. 21. Rhoda’s tone here is rather jarring,
mourning on the one hand, flirting on the other:
“You did not tell me have you been to Rhoda’s alleged protestations that her
sister insisted on her remaining in James Hall’s letter to If Rhoda’s specimens to Vol. 3(43) Peck From “I hope you will come to Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received March 31” As already mentioned, On April 2, 1866, the 19th Annual Report of
the Regents of the University of the State of New York, on the Condition of
the State Cabinet of Natural History and the Historical and Antiquarian
Collection Annexed Thereto, Senate document No. 89 of the State of New York
was published. Charles Peck produced his “List of Mosses of the State
of New-York” pp 42-70. In it he cited specimens collected in the State
by Leo Lesquereux, George W. Clinton, Coe Finch Austin, A. A. Adee, Thomas Potts James, E. C. Howe, J. A. Paine, E. G.
Pickett and Rhoda Waterbury. Rhoda refers to her notice in her letter of Apr.
7th, 1867 below. Rhoda’s specimens were: Fissidens exiguus Sulliv.:
“Wet rocks along streams; Schoharie, Miss R. Waterbury. July”; Barbula mucronifolia Schwaegr. [=Tortula mucronifolia Schwaegr.]
“Roots of an elm subject to inundation, Schoharie, Miss R. Waterbury.
... June”; Bartramia oederi
Swartz. [= Plagiopus oederiana
(Brid.) Limpr.]
“Rocks on hills and mountains. Helderberg and
Of the hepatics Peck mentions: Grimaldia barbifrons Raddi “Exposed rocky soil, Schoharie, Miss R.
Waterbury. April, May.” Grimaldia barbifrons
Raddi = Mannia fragrans (Balb.) Frye et L.
Clarke, a liverwort (Hepatica): see introduction above. |
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