The Selected Letters of Elizabeth Stoddard

Letter 84. To [Constance Lodge Gardner?], July 2, [1902]

240 letter 84 To [Constance Lodge Gardner?] July 2, [1902] New York City, New York 2nd July My Dear It is a year ago that we started for the Loomis1 happy in expecting Lorry was going to get well. In a few minutes the blow struck,2 and the arrow is still in me. On April 22nd I was suddenly seized with double pneumonia, and was near to death as the Dr’s and all, thought, but the lungs cleared, leaving all sorts of feeble misery and pains, attack after attack, I can sit up now a while each day—Mr Stoddard is down stairs with his nurse,3 and I am up here with mine. He is better than when you were here, but feeble yet. I made ready a little package for your earlier in April, and I believe I wrote you of it— the last letter I had from you got lost in the confusion of the collapse which took hold of Stoddard that we thought he would die. Make sure that you will see me in July then I can give it to you. Tell Constance4 that I made up a tiny pot of shells, which Lorry played with when he was as small as herself. I will tell her about them. I have thought so much here of you in my silent watches, when I thought it quite likely, that my strength could not hold out against the terrible shock. I have had a wonderful experience of the mind astray—an [illegible] so real which concerned nothing I ever knew of my past or present life—It will seem like a miracle when I do get well, that I did. Mrs Kimball5 I heard through Mrs [McCrea?] our nurse that she lived in 44th, but that was in April—Upon which bough is she swinging now? How near are you to Salem where some of my people’s haughty souls lived.6 I cannot write easealy forget how to spell, and every thing wrong but by heart. Stoddard who loves you would send love if he were near. Ever yours Elizabeth S 241 Manuscript: Allison-Shelley Collection, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Pennsylvania State University Libraries notes 1. The Loomis Sanitarium. See Letter 80, note 1. 2. The Stoddards found Lorry terminally ill. At Lorry’s request, they took him to Sag Harbor, where he died on September 1, 1901. 3. Pedro Nicolas Piedra. See Letter 83, note 2. 4. Potentially Gardner’s daughter, also named Constance Gardner (1894–??). 5. Unidentified. 6. The Gardners lived in Hamilton, Massachusetts, ten miles from Salem. Stoddard based several of the characters in The Morgesons on her Salem relatives. ...