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84 letter 29  To James Lorimer Graham September 14, 1862 New York City, New York Sept 14th 1862 My dear Mr. Graham, Stoddard is drawing towards being ready to write you, and I have a word to say, which I will say now. I send you a copy of the medallion head, the dearest thing I can send.1 I do not think it is like Willy, it lacks his delicacy of face. The more I look at his photograph, and at this, the less it is like his sweet noble face. I also send you a carte de visite of Wilson who is Capt. now.2 He has been home on sick leave, and we enjoyed his visit so much. He has met and meets all the generals and powers that be and writes home capital letters, with private information which interests us much.3 To Josie I send with love and sympathy a carte de visite which I hope will please her better than the “woman in white.”4 To both again, I send a copy of The Morgesons. I do not understand you well enough to guess whether it will please you. In a literary point of view it is a success. No American novel has been better noticed, with perhaps the exception of Mrs. Stowe’s Log Cabin.5 But the times are too bad and too sad for it to do well in a money point of view. I suppose you heard of my long illness. The last break down with me began on the 11th of May four days after the Taylors sailed, and it is only within a month that I feel like my old self. While I was at the worst, the book was published, and I was so thankful for it—for the excitement of it kept up poor Stoddard, who was suffering with me from sympathy. He took the book more to heart, than anything he ever published for himself. If a word was said against it he was enraged. It will be of no use for you to tell him that you do not like it—he will rail at you, and tell you you are mistaken.6 We were much pleased at your letter of introduction to the Booths we have already spent three evenings together.7 Booth and Stoddard fraternize both of them seem to have the same neuralgia pains. Booth 85 is enthusiastic on your behalf. Your health has been drank by us, and how we have wished you were here! It strikes me that Booth is a man of genius. His bearing and his manners affirm it at once. What a countenance he has! We like Mrs. Booth too—she looks very delicate indeed and complains of not being well. He begins playing on the 24th and we are going to see him often.8 Stoddard and I went to Mass. the other day, and on the boat met Harry Porter,9 who was going to Newport. He never looked better, nor appeared so well. Stansbury10 we do not see often, he is in a state of fume respecting McClellan and the behavior of the administration. We staid in his house two weeks in July. I went there to get a hilly atmosphere. Otherwise, we do not meet people who know you. It is just as well. You are silent in our minds, but firm and stedfast. Now that we see the Booths however we talk about you. Mrs. Booth says Josie is as industrious abroad as she was at home. I am glad you like Germany. You will say with Byron by the time you return. “I’ve taught me other tongues—and in strange eyes Have made me not a stranger; to the mind Which is itself, no changes bring surprise; Nor is it harsh to make, nor hard to find A country with—ay, or without mankind.”11 Stoddard will write you about the book of German poems which he was delighted to get, and about other things which I may have omitted to mention. Believe me yours and Josie’s affectionate friend. Elizabeth DBS Manuscript: Allison-Shelley Collection, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Pennsylvania State University Libraries notes 1. The medallion of Willy Stoddard’s face was done by Launt Thompson. See Letter 24, note 3. 2. Wilson Barstow Jr. was promoted to captain on June 20, 1862. 3. Stoddard used some of the “private information” in Wilson’s letters in her...

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