<hi rend="bold">Letter from Cornelia Phillips Spencer to Laura Caroline Phillips, May 26, 1869:</hi> Electronic Edition. Spencer, Cornelia Phillips, 1825-1908 Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title. Text transcribed by Bari Helms Images scanned by Bari Helms Text encoded by Sarah Ficke First Edition, 2005 ca. 16K The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2005

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 Cornelia Phillips Spencer Papers (#683), Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Letter from Cornelia Phillips Spencer to Laura Caroline Phillips, May 26, 1869 Cornelia Phillips Spencer 4 pages, 6 page images 1869 Call number 683 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.

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 </bibl> </taxonomy> </classDecl> </encodingDesc> <profileDesc> <langUsage> <language id="eng">English</language> </langUsage> <textClass> <keywords scheme="unc_history"> <list> <item> Any special keywords assigned for this project </item> </list> </keywords> </textClass> </profileDesc> <revisionDesc> <change> <date>2005-08-05,</date> <respStmt> <name>Sarah Ficke</name> <resp/> </respStmt> <item>finished TEI/XML encoding.</item> </change> </revisionDesc> </teiHeader> <text id="unc09-34"> <body> <div1 type="letter"> <pb id="unc09-34-p01" n="1"/> <head>Letter from <name key="pn0001592" reg="Spencer, Cornelia (née Phillips)" type="person">Cornelia Phillips Spencer</name> to <name key="pn0001362" reg="Phillips, Laura Caroline (née Battle)" type="person" rend="yes">Laura Caroline Phillips</name>, May 26, 1869</head> <opener> <dateline><date>Wed. May 26, 1869</date><lb/><name key="name0000165" reg="Chapel Hill, NC" type="place">Chapel Hill</name></dateline> <salute>Dear <name reg="Phillips, Laura Caroline (née Battle)" key="pn0001362" type="person">Laura</name></salute> </opener> <p>I know <name key="pn0001361" reg="Phillips, Judith (née Vermeule)" type="person">Ma</name> wrote you all such a long letter on Monday, that I would not be writing to you now if I had not just got yours & <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Alex's</name>. I was in the parlor entertaining (or being entertained by) <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Mr. Jule Carr</name>, just returned from <name key="name0000041" reg="Arkansas" type="place">Ark.</name> when the mail arrived from the P.O. & coming upstairs after my visitor had left, I found <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">June</name> & <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Nora</name> busy together deciphering <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Alex's</name> letter. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">June</name> cannot read your writing or she w<hi rend="sup">d</hi> have finished that too. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Mr. Carr</name> is very pleasant. Had much to say about his travels. Did not see a pretty woman in <name key="name0000041" reg="Arkansas" type="place">Ark.</name>, though they out-dress <name key="name0000745" reg="North Carolina" type="place">N.C.</name> women. He stopped in <name key="name0000443" reg="Greensboro, NC" type="place">G.</name> to see <name key="pn0003157" reg="Morehead, Eugene Lindsay" type="person" rend="yes">E. Morehead</name> whose health is failing again decidedly. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Carr</name> is going back to <name key="name0000599" reg="Little Rock, AR" type="place">Little Rock</name> to settle, unless he can make some arrangements to suit him in <name key="name0000443" reg="Greensboro, NC" type="place">G.</name> He looks very well. I walked through the early moonlight last evening with the children — moon rising red in the east, sun setting gold in the west — to see <name key="pn0000795" reg="Hubbard, Fordyce Mitchell" type="person">D<hi rend="sup">r</hi> Hubbard</name>.<pb id="unc09-34-p02" n="2"/>Found him just lighting his pipe, looking so natural, so pleasant, so cordial. I had a very agreeable hour with them all. He mentioned a pleasant letter from bro <name key="pn0001357" reg="Phillips, Charles" type="person">C.</name> lately. Arrived in <name key="name0000934" reg="Raleigh, NC" type="place">R.</name> last Friday, saw all the brethren at Con. Called on <name key="pn0001640" reg="Swain, Eleanor (née White)" type="person">Mrs Swain</name>, <name key="x" reg="x" type="person" rend="yes">Mrs Battle</name>, &c. &c. I did not ask him any questions as to his future movements. He appeared so glad to be back here. And <name key="pn0000796" reg="Hubbard, Martha Henshaw (née Bates)" type="person">Mrs H.</name> <hi rend="underscore">so glad</hi> to have him. <name key="pn0001364" reg="Phillips, Samuel Field (2)" type="person">Bro Sam</name> was with us only a couple or so hours last Friday & those hours interrupted by clients. <name key="pn0001070" reg="Mallett, William Peter" type="person">D<hi rend="sup">r</hi> Mallett</name> says his speech on the <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Purefoy</name> Divorce case was "splendid". <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Miss Ann Watson</name> had given me to understand so previously. <name key="pn0001364" reg="Phillips, Samuel Field (2)" type="person">Sam</name> looked <hi rend="underscore">very</hi> well. I took the children & rode down with him to Closs' creek, there <hi rend="underscore">we</hi> got out & walked down the creek to the "Lake". Thence to the strawberry patch. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Fred Hargrave's</name> establishment looks sluttish & tumble down. I told him it needed a mistress. <hi rend="underscore">We three</hi> & the Malletts went on Monday afternoon to get ivy, aiming for <name key="x" reg="x" type="place">Ivy Hill</name>, but we could not get there. So we wandered & meandered over <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Purefoy's</name> plantation, the children & <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Patty M.</name> wading to their heart's content</p> <pb id="unc09-34-p03" n="3"/> <p>I think we got more & a greater variety of fine flowers than I ever saw at once before. I like the Mallett girls mightily. They are very agreeable companions. I have been to see <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Miss Ann Craig</name> several times. She is getting well. Last Sunday evening I found her reading a little old dingy, dilapidated Testament, the type of which tried my eyes sorely when I went to read it to her. Next day I sent her a large copy (with the Psalms). You never saw anyone more grateful than she was yesterday morning when I called in for a minute. I had been the other side of her, to <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Sam Burbee's</name> to see if I couldn't get his daughter <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Caroline</name> (my cook <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Dilsy's</name> daughter) to go to <name key="name0000934" reg="Raleigh, NC" type="place">R.</name> as nurse for <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">F.</name> Don't you remember that little child who with her mother lived at our house, the year you & <name key="pn0001357" reg="Phillips, Charles" type="person">C.</name> did! This is she, now a respectable young woman of 22 or 23. She wants to go to <name key="name0000934" reg="Raleigh, NC" type="place">R.</name> & her mother <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Dilsy</name> wishes it. But <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Sam B.</name> claims her & she is useful to him & <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">aunt Amy</name> while <hi rend="underscore">their</hi> two girls go to school. I am vexed about it. She would suit <name key="pn000" reg="F" type="person">F.</name> & it is a good chance for her.</p> <pb id="unc09-34-p04" n="4"/> <p>So I had a long hot walk for nothing, stopping to see <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Miss Ann</name> who sends you & <name key="pn0001357" reg="Phillips, Charles" type="person">bro C.</name> much love & a good long message which you will have to do with as I did — <hi rend="underscore">guess at it</hi>.</p> <p>I wish I could send you a new Brussels too & everything else you want. If I was rich I w<hi rend="sup">d</hi> send <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Mary</name> a Piano, first thing I did. It w<hi rend="sup">d</hi> be the one thing she could do without injuring her eyes. <name key="pn0001070" reg="Mallett, William Peter" type="person">D<hi rend="sup">r</hi> Mallett</name> said the other day she could not do a worse thing than <hi rend="underscore">write</hi>. Which has been my opinion all along.</p> <p>Yes <hi rend="underscore">they say</hi>, a commencement is to be gotten up. Out of what material does not appear. The grounds have been put in beautiful order round college. I never saw it look nicer. There are only three students — two Pools & <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Guthrie</name>. The rest are preps. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">M<hi rend="sup">c</hi>Iver</name> has gone to work reading law. He proposed to <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Argo</name> last week they should read together. At R.R. meeting Sat. <name key="pn0001135" reg="McIver, Alexander" type="person">McI.</name> voted against <name key="pn0001385" reg="Pool, Solomon (b. 1832)" type="person">Mr. Pool</name> on every measure. </p> <p><name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Carr</name> told me just now as he came down street he stopped to talk to <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Lurdon</name> about the college &c. <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Lurdon</name> said if they didn't belong to his party he would not countenance 'em. They wouldn't have students enough here in 19 years to make mile posts to <name key="name0000300" reg="Durham, NC" type="place">Durham</name>. Which is a neat way of expressing it.</p> <p>I am so sorry about your cow. How do you get along with so many children & no milk. And what will you do at Com? I hope you will enjoy <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Margaret's</name> visit. The <hi rend="underscore">secret</hi> you impart does not surprise me. All right. I feel worried too about <name key="pn0000119" reg="Battle, William H." type="person">Judge B.</name> from all I hear. <name key="pn0000795" reg="Hubbard, Fordyce Mitchell" type="person">Dr Hubbard</name> says <name key="x" reg="x" type="person" rend="yes">Miss Lucy</name> is looking well. What should make <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Nora</name> so liable to a cough? Every time the weather gets warm enough for her to take off her flannel she begins to cough & coughs all night. It is really hot today but she is coughing so, I must make her put it on again.</p> <pb id="unc09-34-p05" n="5"/> <p>She & <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">June</name> send you all much love, especially to <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Lucy</name>. Thank <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">A.</name> for his letter. I am glad to see he can write so well. Love to all.</p> <closer> <salute>Yours as ever</salute> <signed> <name key="pn0001592" reg="Spencer, Cornelia (née Phillips)" type="person"><hi rend="underscore">C.P.S.</hi></name> </signed> </closer> </div1> <div1 type="postscript"> <pb id="unc09-34-p06" n="6"/> <p>I thought Billy Barlow <hi rend="underscore">No. 2</hi> was very good. Everybody enjoys it here. <hi rend="underscore"> <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Mr. Argo</name> </hi> <hi rend="underscore">is the man</hi>! I heard it was <name key="x" type="person" reg="x">Dr. Moore</name> of Company shop. Very few know who it is. People at <name key="name0000300" reg="Durham, NC" type="place">Durham</name> <name key="x" reg="x" type="person">Mr Watson</name> tells me think it is <name key="pn0001592" reg="Spencer, Cornelia (née Phillips)" type="person"> <hi rend="underscore">Mrs Spencer</hi> </name>. I wonder if you recognized me in Monday's Sentinel. </p> </div1> </body> </text> </TEI.2>