Letter from Mama Margaret to Eva: 4/28/1913
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Mama Margaret is getting ready to take her six-month-old granddaughter back east from California.
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Monday Apr 28
Dear Eva,
Your letter with Fred’s enclosed came this morning. Wasn’t it too bad that he had that delay in Lisbon. He must have been disappointed and Mabel would be too. I received the other letter too but have been doing some letter writing that has been put off for a long time.
I did a bright ? thing the other day. I was writing to Sallie and had one ready to send to Fred and thought I would better leave hers as there was no hurry and get Freds off when the carrier would come along. After he had taken it I sat down to finish Sallie’s when I discovered that I had mailed to Fred the first sheet of Sallie’s and the last of his. I had heard of the like being done but never happened to me before. I then had to mail the rest of Fred’s to him and write a beginning to Sallie’s.
I wrote to Will - sent it this morning that I could leave here at any time now as far as the wet nurse is concerned.
Margaret only nurses twice now in the twenty-four hours once at night and once during the day and she would not take it if she could get the bottle. She is too cunning for anything. She nurses a little bit and then looks around at me, then Mrs. A. will try to get her to “eat” as she calls it but Margaret won’t eat any more than she can possibly help. The other day Mrs. Allario said “Margaret look, she watch, she like her grandma.” I thought I knew what Margaret wanted if she didn’t. I gave her the bottle as soon as I could get it ready and she took several ounces. She did the same thing today at two o’clock. That is the time she nurses in daytime once it went until five so it made fifteen hours without her. She is getting along splendidly, weighed ten pounds and thirteen ounces today. I told Will I had not heard from Mrs. Morten and if she was not going I would leave as soon as he would send the money for my ticket. I would go to Canton and stay there awhile and then on to South Hadley.
In Alma’s last she said she would like to go to Chicago for a six weeks term and I think she ought by all means to do that. It would do her a lot of good after being in South Hadley for so long without going any place of that kind. It would all depend on Will’s leave - if he gets one - when she would go. I would like to get home about the time the College closes. If you have no other plans for the summer why not come up to South Hadley for a part of the summer. I wouldn’t want to go to the seashore without the rest of the family. Alma thought Will would want to have Margaret somewhere on the Jersey coast so he could go to see her occasionally. I shall be willing to do whatever he wants, the dear boy, for I know he is lonesome and passionately fond of this dear child. She is so dear to me too, I believe I am the making of a foolish grandma but I will try hard not to spoil her.
She will need a cloak I think before we go. If you have any suggestions about one send it on, I don’t know anything about what I should get. Cloak and bonnet are the only things that she needs. Laura wanted to know what she could get for her and I wrote to her that was all she needed and I thought I could get them here as she would not know the size of bonnet. I thought that could be likely what she would get. I would like to leave here in two weeks if I can. I don’t know whether I shall get the visit in San Francisco or not, Miss McKenzie wanted me to go to their home but her sister-in-law is expecting the stork and if that shd happen about the time it suits me to go I think I would have to go right on to Canton. If she would be at home she would take me to see all the sights. She has always lived in San Francisco and never was away from it until she came here. The weather here has been very changeable lately. Last week we had three very hot days. The people said it was very unusual for this season of year. Saturday it turned cold and last night there was a frost some places. When I went out to get my peas this morning the vegetable peddlar told me his tomato vines had been hurt also his beans by the frost. He had the telephone pea today a very large excellent pea. I wonder if I will ever get tired of them. I get enough for several meals and cook them all at once so I just have to warm them.
I think too there is something in Christian Science have thought so for a long time or there would not be so many of them in such a few years. And since Will has taken to it, I think if there were not something real in it he would have given it up after Margaret’s death thinking she was a victim in not admitting to herself that she was not well. But he seems to have faith in it. He left some literature for me to read but I do not have much time for reading. I have read some when I was at Alliance I read some there after Mrs. Hanlin commenced to take Christian Science treatments. There is a church here, I don’t know just where it is but saw the picture of it. I would like to go to a lecture on the subject at the Opera house on the 2nd of May. I saw a notice in the paper, but I don’t know where the Opera house is. I am surrounded by Catholics so could get no one to go with me. There are a great many Christian Scientists in California. I saw in some magazine that they have four large churches in Los Angeles.
Wednesday April 30.
I will now try to finish this before the post man comes. I do wish I could hear from Mrs. Morten whether she is going. I think if she were anxious to go with us she would write. I will try to get all ready to go but will not leave as I have some places until I am ready. So don’t stop writing. I have gotten over my real lonesome feeling but even then I had a lot of company in my precious darling never lost interest in her so you must not lose interest in your work. I hope they will increase your salary next year but you must always keep up a big interest in your work.
Margaret has had her two o’clock repast and is out in the yard again. It is warmer today - was cold last night. She weighed 10-14 oz today.
Did Alma receive the nuts and fruit that Will sent?
I will be sorry to leave the Bengord family - they have been so nice to me.
With lots of love
Mother
How often does Frank get home? Remember me to Mrs. Burns Mrs. Hall and Noah and any other people.
Dear Eva,
Your letter with Fred’s enclosed came this morning. Wasn’t it too bad that he had that delay in Lisbon. He must have been disappointed and Mabel would be too. I received the other letter too but have been doing some letter writing that has been put off for a long time.
I did a bright ? thing the other day. I was writing to Sallie and had one ready to send to Fred and thought I would better leave hers as there was no hurry and get Freds off when the carrier would come along. After he had taken it I sat down to finish Sallie’s when I discovered that I had mailed to Fred the first sheet of Sallie’s and the last of his. I had heard of the like being done but never happened to me before. I then had to mail the rest of Fred’s to him and write a beginning to Sallie’s.
I wrote to Will - sent it this morning that I could leave here at any time now as far as the wet nurse is concerned.
Margaret only nurses twice now in the twenty-four hours once at night and once during the day and she would not take it if she could get the bottle. She is too cunning for anything. She nurses a little bit and then looks around at me, then Mrs. A. will try to get her to “eat” as she calls it but Margaret won’t eat any more than she can possibly help. The other day Mrs. Allario said “Margaret look, she watch, she like her grandma.” I thought I knew what Margaret wanted if she didn’t. I gave her the bottle as soon as I could get it ready and she took several ounces. She did the same thing today at two o’clock. That is the time she nurses in daytime once it went until five so it made fifteen hours without her. She is getting along splendidly, weighed ten pounds and thirteen ounces today. I told Will I had not heard from Mrs. Morten and if she was not going I would leave as soon as he would send the money for my ticket. I would go to Canton and stay there awhile and then on to South Hadley.
In Alma’s last she said she would like to go to Chicago for a six weeks term and I think she ought by all means to do that. It would do her a lot of good after being in South Hadley for so long without going any place of that kind. It would all depend on Will’s leave - if he gets one - when she would go. I would like to get home about the time the College closes. If you have no other plans for the summer why not come up to South Hadley for a part of the summer. I wouldn’t want to go to the seashore without the rest of the family. Alma thought Will would want to have Margaret somewhere on the Jersey coast so he could go to see her occasionally. I shall be willing to do whatever he wants, the dear boy, for I know he is lonesome and passionately fond of this dear child. She is so dear to me too, I believe I am the making of a foolish grandma but I will try hard not to spoil her.
She will need a cloak I think before we go. If you have any suggestions about one send it on, I don’t know anything about what I should get. Cloak and bonnet are the only things that she needs. Laura wanted to know what she could get for her and I wrote to her that was all she needed and I thought I could get them here as she would not know the size of bonnet. I thought that could be likely what she would get. I would like to leave here in two weeks if I can. I don’t know whether I shall get the visit in San Francisco or not, Miss McKenzie wanted me to go to their home but her sister-in-law is expecting the stork and if that shd happen about the time it suits me to go I think I would have to go right on to Canton. If she would be at home she would take me to see all the sights. She has always lived in San Francisco and never was away from it until she came here. The weather here has been very changeable lately. Last week we had three very hot days. The people said it was very unusual for this season of year. Saturday it turned cold and last night there was a frost some places. When I went out to get my peas this morning the vegetable peddlar told me his tomato vines had been hurt also his beans by the frost. He had the telephone pea today a very large excellent pea. I wonder if I will ever get tired of them. I get enough for several meals and cook them all at once so I just have to warm them.
I think too there is something in Christian Science have thought so for a long time or there would not be so many of them in such a few years. And since Will has taken to it, I think if there were not something real in it he would have given it up after Margaret’s death thinking she was a victim in not admitting to herself that she was not well. But he seems to have faith in it. He left some literature for me to read but I do not have much time for reading. I have read some when I was at Alliance I read some there after Mrs. Hanlin commenced to take Christian Science treatments. There is a church here, I don’t know just where it is but saw the picture of it. I would like to go to a lecture on the subject at the Opera house on the 2nd of May. I saw a notice in the paper, but I don’t know where the Opera house is. I am surrounded by Catholics so could get no one to go with me. There are a great many Christian Scientists in California. I saw in some magazine that they have four large churches in Los Angeles.
Wednesday April 30.
I will now try to finish this before the post man comes. I do wish I could hear from Mrs. Morten whether she is going. I think if she were anxious to go with us she would write. I will try to get all ready to go but will not leave as I have some places until I am ready. So don’t stop writing. I have gotten over my real lonesome feeling but even then I had a lot of company in my precious darling never lost interest in her so you must not lose interest in your work. I hope they will increase your salary next year but you must always keep up a big interest in your work.
Margaret has had her two o’clock repast and is out in the yard again. It is warmer today - was cold last night. She weighed 10-14 oz today.
Did Alma receive the nuts and fruit that Will sent?
I will be sorry to leave the Bengord family - they have been so nice to me.
With lots of love
Mother
How often does Frank get home? Remember me to Mrs. Burns Mrs. Hall and Noah and any other people.
1913-04-28: tour stops---images---audio---transcript---~NOTES~---links---site navigation
1.
Your letter with Fred’s enclosed came this morning. Wasn’t it too bad that he had that delay in Lisbon. He must have been disappointed and Mabel would be too.
Fred was on his way to become a medical missionary in Angola, known at that time as Portuguese East Africa. His fiancée Mabel was already there. But the Portuguese government required that missionaries in their portion of Africa know some Portuguese, so Fred had to spend some time in Portugal before going to Angola. I don't know if Mama Margaret was talking about just the delay involved in going to Portugal first, or if there was some additional unforeseen delay, possibly due to issues with ships. If I remember correctly, it wasn't until May that Fred finally arrived in Angola, where the first thing he did (more or less) was to marry Mabel.
2.
I was writing to Sallie and had one ready to send to Fred and thought I would better leave hers as there was no hurry and get Freds off when the carrier would come along.
Sallie must be Mama Margaret's sister, Sallie Provines Ballard.
3.
I told Will I had not heard from Mrs. Morten and if she was not going I would leave as soon as he would send the money for my ticket.
Mrs. Morten had been a friend of Will's wife Margaret (if I remember correctly) whom Mama Margaret had met.
4.
Miss McKenzie wanted me to go to their home but her sister-in-law is expecting the stork and if that shd happen about the time it suits me to go I think I would have to go right on to Canton.
Miss McKenzie was the nurse who took care of baby Margaret other than the wet nursing.
5.
I think too there is something in Christian Science have thought so for a long time or there would not be so many of them in such a few years. And since Will has taken to it, I think if there were not something real in it he would have given it up after Margaret’s death thinking she was a victim in not admitting to herself that she was not well. But he seems to have faith in it. He left some literature for me to read but I do not have much time for reading. I have read some when I was at Alliance I read some there after Mrs. Hanlin commenced to take Christian Science treatments.
Will had suggested to Eva that if she took up Christian Science, it might help her marriage - see: So Margaret was not admitting to herself that she was not well? I don't think that would be how Margaret herself saw it. I think her thought would be more like, "Yes, I am not well, but that is because of Error. I should consult with a Christian Science practitioner." But anyway, this is an indication that all was not well with Margaret's pregnancy.
6.
There are a great many Christian Scientists in California.
Ah, then no wonder Margaret found Christian Science in California.
7.
How often does Frank get home? Remember me to Mrs. Burns Mrs. Hall and Noah and any other people.
So Eva and Frank have not yet separated. It sounds to me as though Eva is teaching in Philadelphia - see and I guess Frank found a touring job that kept him away from home. And eventually, maybe, he found it easier not to come home.
Your letter with Fred’s enclosed came this morning. Wasn’t it too bad that he had that delay in Lisbon. He must have been disappointed and Mabel would be too.
Fred was on his way to become a medical missionary in Angola, known at that time as Portuguese East Africa. His fiancée Mabel was already there. But the Portuguese government required that missionaries in their portion of Africa know some Portuguese, so Fred had to spend some time in Portugal before going to Angola. I don't know if Mama Margaret was talking about just the delay involved in going to Portugal first, or if there was some additional unforeseen delay, possibly due to issues with ships. If I remember correctly, it wasn't until May that Fred finally arrived in Angola, where the first thing he did (more or less) was to marry Mabel.
2.
I was writing to Sallie and had one ready to send to Fred and thought I would better leave hers as there was no hurry and get Freds off when the carrier would come along.
Sallie must be Mama Margaret's sister, Sallie Provines Ballard.
3.
I told Will I had not heard from Mrs. Morten and if she was not going I would leave as soon as he would send the money for my ticket.
Mrs. Morten had been a friend of Will's wife Margaret (if I remember correctly) whom Mama Margaret had met.
4.
Miss McKenzie wanted me to go to their home but her sister-in-law is expecting the stork and if that shd happen about the time it suits me to go I think I would have to go right on to Canton.
Miss McKenzie was the nurse who took care of baby Margaret other than the wet nursing.
5.
I think too there is something in Christian Science have thought so for a long time or there would not be so many of them in such a few years. And since Will has taken to it, I think if there were not something real in it he would have given it up after Margaret’s death thinking she was a victim in not admitting to herself that she was not well. But he seems to have faith in it. He left some literature for me to read but I do not have much time for reading. I have read some when I was at Alliance I read some there after Mrs. Hanlin commenced to take Christian Science treatments.
Will had suggested to Eva that if she took up Christian Science, it might help her marriage - see: So Margaret was not admitting to herself that she was not well? I don't think that would be how Margaret herself saw it. I think her thought would be more like, "Yes, I am not well, but that is because of Error. I should consult with a Christian Science practitioner." But anyway, this is an indication that all was not well with Margaret's pregnancy.
6.
There are a great many Christian Scientists in California.
Ah, then no wonder Margaret found Christian Science in California.
7.
How often does Frank get home? Remember me to Mrs. Burns Mrs. Hall and Noah and any other people.
So Eva and Frank have not yet separated. It sounds to me as though Eva is teaching in Philadelphia - see and I guess Frank found a touring job that kept him away from home. And eventually, maybe, he found it easier not to come home.
1913-04-28: tour stops---images---audio---transcript---notes---~LINKS~---site navigation
DOCUMENT LISTS FOR PEOPLE:
- WILL: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- ALMA: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- FRED: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- LAURA: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- EVA: DOCUMENTS ----- Incoming
- MAMA MARGARET: DOCUMENTS ----- Outgoing
- MARGARET: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- MABEL: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- FRANK EVANS: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- THE NEXT GENERATION: DOCUMENTS ----- Maggie
- PROVINESES & GRACEYS: DOCUMENTS ----- Sallie Provines Ballard
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