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63 letter 23  To Richard Henry Stoddard [Late November 1861] [Kennett Square, Pennsylvania] Thursday Am Dear Love, I did not send you a letter this morning because we were away yesterday all day until 10 O’Clock at night, and the night before not hearing from you—I put it off. I got a note from George B.1 saying he would see me going through Phila—. He said he heard from you—but if you had not wanted something you would have seen him damned before you would have written.2 You resemble our late lamented friend T Buchanan Read3 in that respect. Em4 & Willy and all will be at home Thursday—we leave here at 4 & Philadelphia at 12 am. Wednesday night we want to see the Wide Awakes.5 Will you ask Wilse6 if we can go to his office, dont forget. Will you have Jeanette, the black woman or Mrs Wheeler there, with a fire in our back room if it is cold—and let her get a Meal for us of some sort (NB no salt provisions of any kind wanted) several peaches or pears for Bayard. He is going to write his lecture in New York—Marie may come on too— I believe I have nothing more to say in the way of directions. At any rate—have a woman there to help me. I am never going to do any more housework if I can help it, I am an aUtHor.7 I shall be so thankful to get home so glad—it is so cold in the bed! I want a man’s love— Your own EDBS Willy seems to be well now. It is dark & cold today—fallish— Manuscript: Ripley Hitchcock Collection, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University 64 notes 1. George Boker was born in Philadelphia and lived there throughout most of his life. 2. Richard Stoddard’s friends often complained about his failure to respond to their letters; Elizabeth was often left with the responsibility of maintaining correspondences for both of them. 3. Thomas Buchanan Read (1822–1872), American poet and portrait painter. AlthoughtheStoddardswereoncefriendswithRead,theirrelationshiphadsoured more than a year earlier. 4. Emma Taylor (Lamborn). See biographical note. 5. The “Wide Awakes” were a paramilitary organization affiliated with the Republican Party who marched in support of Lincoln during the 1860 campaign. Following the beginning of the war in April 1861, many Wide Awakes enlisted in the Union Army. It is not clear to what event Stoddard is referring here, but she seems to think they will be able to see it from Wilson’s office in the city. 6. Probably Wilson Barstow Jr. 7. On November 7, 1861, Richard Stoddard signed the publication contract with Rudd and Carleton for The Morgesons. ...

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