Part 17 (1/2)

BOSTON, 23 Feb

My dear Miss Ca Mrs

Careatly indebted to you for re me on an occasion of soto offer you ratulations

Greatly would it rejoice me to be able to avail myself of your invitation to be present at your nuptials

But the state of my health and of my family makes this impossible But I shall certainly be with you in spirit, and with cordial wishes for your happiness

Praying my kindest remembrance to your mother and sisters, I remain,

my dear Miss Campbell,

Sincerely your friend,

EDWARD EVERETT

PS I suppose you saw in the papers a day or two ago that poor Miss Russell is gone

The Miss Russell referred to by Mr Everett was Miss Ida Russell, one of three handsome and brilliant sisters prominent in Boston in the society of the day

Soon after e my husband and I made a round of visits to his numerous family connections It is with more than usual pleasure that I recall the beautiful old home of Mr Gouverneur's aunt, Mrs Thomas Cadwalader, near Trenton, which a few years later was destroyed by fire

A guest of the Cadwaladers at the same time with ourselves was ston Tillotson of New York, who studied for the Episcopal ministry and subsequently entered the Roman Catholic priesthood

From Trenton, we journeyed to Yonkers, New York, to visit the Van Cortlandt family at the historic manor-house in that vicinity It was then owned and occupied by Mr Gouverneur's relatives, Dr Edward N

Bibby and his son, Augustus, the latter of whoed his name from Bibby to Van Cortlandt, as a consideration for the inheritance of this fine old estate Dr Bibby usta White of the Van Cortlandt descent, and for many years was a prominent physician in New York City When I visited the fa a serene old age surrounded by his children and grandchildren Henry Warburton Bibby, the Doctor's second son, was also one of this household at the time of our visit He never married but retained his social tastes until his death a few years ago

In the drawing-room of the Van Cortlandt home stood a superb pair of brass andirons in the forustus Van Cortlandt by ht by James Monroe upon his return from France, where he had been sent upon his historic diploton The style of life led by the Van Cortlandt fa toto many of the old family customs inherited froe of Willia to an old and fae into the Gouverneur family added another link in the chain of friendshi+p attaching me to the members of the Kemble family, as they were relatives of my husband I was entertained while there by the whole family connection, and I recall with especial pleasure the dinner parties at Gouverneur Kemble's and at Mrs Robert P Parrott's Martin Van Buren was visiting ”Uncle Gouv” at the tiain, as his presence not only revivedmy father's lifeti the entertainhtful

Froe, near Garrison's, another homestead familiar to me in former days, and the residence of Frederick Philipse, where I renewed reeted me as a relative At this beautiful home I saw a pair of andirons even handsomer than those at the Van Cortlandt h and represented trumpeters The historic house was replete with ancestral furniture and fine old portraits, one of which was attributed to Vandyke

The whole Philipse and Gouverneur connection at Garrison's were devoted Episcopalians and were largely instru a fine church at Garrison's, which they naation of pro others, the Fishes, Ardens, Livingstons, Osborns and Sloanes For many years the beloved rector of this church was the Rev Dr Charles F

Hoffreat wealth and much scholarly ability He and his brother, the late Rev Dr Eugene A Hoffical Seminary in New York, devoted their lives and fortunes to the cause of religion Residents of New York are faels Church, built by the late Rev Dr Charles F Hoffman on West End Avenue, of which he was rector for a nu his life at Garrison's, both Dr and Mrs Hoffman were very acceptable to my husband's relatives, especially as the Doctor was connected with the faht of descent from a Gouverneur forbear Charles F Hoffhter of David M Vail of New Brunswick, New Jersey, who in every way proved herself an able helpmeet to him Mrs Hoffman was educated at Miss Hannah Hoyt's school in New Brunswick, a fashi+onable institution of the day, and at a reunion of the scholars held in recent years, she wasappropriate o, in the well-known Miss Hoyt's school, was Eleanor Louisa Vail as noted for her good lessons and considerate ways towards all She never overlooked those ere less fortunate than herself, but gave aid to any who needed it, either in their lessons or in a more substantial form In the wider circle of New York the benevolent Mrs Hoffels Church, but fulfilled the proirl of forhter, Mrs J Van Vechten Olcott, is as beloved in her generation as her an Warburton Gouverneur, a younger brother of Frederick Philipse, was living at The Grange at the time of my visit Sohborhood which he called ”Eagle's Rest,” and resided there with his sister, Miss Mary Marston Gouverneur After his death, the place was sold to the late Louis Fitzgerald, who made it his hoions of Maryland, not far from cumberland, on property owned by my husband's faton and began our married life in my hter was born The death of my sister, Mrs Alexandre Gau, from typhoid fever soon followed It was naturally a terrible shock to us all and especially to e and our lives had been side by side froreat affliction, broke up her home and Mr Gouverneur and I rented a house on Twelfth Street, near N Street, a locality then regarded as quite suburban Here I endeavored to live in the closest retire with friends of for my sorrow more keenly before irl e had named Maud Campbell, and who, of course, had become ”part and parcel” ofmember of his family in theto htercharacteristic letter from Mr Gouverneur's aunt, Mrs David Johnstone Verplanck, who before her ifted woman whose home was in New York:

THURSDAY, April 10th

My dear Sam,

In return for your kind recollections I hasten to offer ratulations to yourself and Mrs G As husband and father you have now realized all the romance of life, the pleasures of which I have little doubt you already begin to feel deeply interled with many anxious hours

It is wisest and best to enjoy all that good fortune sends and fortify ourselves to meet and endure the trials to which our Destiny has allotted

Tell Mrs G that we enie She had a succession of seven sons, and requested her to wear it for luck As it was very dirty the royal lady sent it back Itinfluence of water All I can say at present to console your disappointment I hope a son will soon consummate all your joys and wishes You know it rests with you to keep the na It is nearly extinct and you its only salvation