Surname File – Tilton

The original handwritten letter is misfiled/mislocated.  This is an OCRed version of a 1970’s typed copy of the letter. Below is a plain text copy of the letter.

15 Dec. 1845
Dear children;
We have been well drenched with rain in this section
which was succeeded after a few days of mild weather with
snow and very cold winds, sleighing for about 10 days has
been excellent. But yesterday after a light fall of snow,
Mr. Tomson came again, and as he continues his visitation
today also, and as I have not been to Portland to look up
mg umbrella, I am compelled to stay within doors, a favor-
able moment, therefore, to advise you of our continued
health and comfort. Mother has not since she returned from
Bangor, exposed herself abroad, or made a somerset at home.
Mary can do such things with a better grace, as she is
comparatively young and spry, but perhaps not with much less
personal injury. We presume, how ever she felt no ambition
to experiment alone, with no one to witness her feat and
therefore it must go into the chapter of accidents. We are
for the event and sympathise and “weep with those who
“weep. The earth bears no tree more beautiful than the
weeping willow. But ye deep flowing current yt is constantly
undermining its foundation emphatically reminds us of its
destiny – as well as our duty to prepare to transplant it in
a happier clime.
Your Uncle of Ex. passed a night with us, having been to
Portland. I carried to Saco next day, that he might reach
home for N. Hamp. Thanksgiving ye day following. He and Mrs.
Stevens were at Delaware in June did not call on Mr. Furniss
while in N. York as he understood they were at Bloom. We recd.
a letter last week from Mr. F. inclosing the same. This we
almost feared to expect or hope for, after your statement of
his attributing Mrs. Furniss ill health to her jaunt to
Bangor and your influence. It is not uncommon for strong
attachments to result in antipathies. I therefore have always
considered it a good Maxim not to love overmuch. I think no
pecuniary favor, especially those justly earned, an adequate
compensation for loss of personal independence, Besides, there
are some minds that can never flow equally and uniformaly in
a liberal channel. He speke of his family as all well, except
Mrs. F. whose health also he hoped would be improved by the
cooler weather. Winter has set in with them seriously. We
wrote a lengty return in the best style we could, but with
no allusion to yourselves except that you were as usual. I
left yt field perfectly open and clear for you to exonerate
yourselves from unjust imputations, which I believe you are
able to do with good spirit and good conscience and which
I should feel ready and willing to back, if done with modera-
tion and prudence.
We just dropped a slight joke about Mrs. Fur. limiting her
excursions Last to Boston and Quincy, that your mother with
Merry Pegge might visit her at Blooming, next season, such
a feat would bo no greater, in ye new mode of traveling, than
yt. of your grandmother who rode with me in chaise from Portland
to Scar, at 80 years. What think you of it. Mother says “Age is
“nothing”. I never anticipated such an excursion for her, but
shall not wonder if it is effected.
You are all rejuvenating – transplanting sending off ye
young shoot to indoctrinate him in melody and harmony – listen-
ing to moral reports of father away up, down east, opening and
displaying elegant brick houses ( where I was gratified to learn
my own remembrance by Gov. Kent if it was not at a great dearth
of subjects) all these and a long catalogue of other things
mentioned in your very brief episle are doing and acting in
yout midst. Surely then we ought not to be idle – nor have
we been – ye shed, as you suppose, is a great convenience, it
reaches from house to barn and needs only a door to enter ye
barn without going outdoors. Our pigs came up one to 214 the
other to 221 lbs. Henry’s weighed 317 lbs. Cow over 300. We
had a quarter, to be returned next year.
Turkies are on hand quite ready for market. School closed
last Saturday. Cousin John came out with flying colours and
many tickets of merit. He has done himself great honor. I hope
my two eldest grandsons will continue to shine in all they
undertake. The next and last two I know but little of.
We hear nothing from Pittsfield. Flabby is better than in my
last.We expected Nabby a guest thanksgiving day, but ye weather
was too severe, and we imparted of our dinner to her. Was your
table filled as expected? Not much visiting frliends in Me. nor
N.Hamp, such stormy thanksg. It storms too bad to go 1 :and one
half mile to ye office of course this must lie over one mail as
also ye N.York letter. M. has not advised me of Dr. Gallup’s
bill nor do we know with whom Mrs. Frost left umbrella. If
W. Haines has not found it when I go in, I shall call at W.
Moulton’s and if not with either I shall give it over. Our kind
regards to enquiring friends, and love to yourselves, one and all.
Your affectionate parents
N. and M. Tilton
P.S. Tuesday.
Mother wishes to know if tulips must be transplanted in ye
spring and I now recollect your omission of ye subject of
pairs scions. I hope your disappointment of ye farmer will
not imbue your minds with any illegitimate inferences, like some frie
friends farther off. It was out of my power to effect ye object.
We did not know Ruth had emigrated east till you mentioned it.
I suspect Dr. Gallupe too sanguine in expecting an entire cure
of my complaint. Exposure to cold which I can in no wise avoid
will produce a recurrence. Having used ye two first lists of
powders I took one of Dulcamara – nearly a week since. After
two successive nights of Bry. I took Dul. 3 nights and have
been quite well since unto this present. Mother is quite off
from powders not considering perhaps yt her complaints can
only be alleviated not cured.

Surname File – Tilton

The original handwritten letter is misfiled/mislocated.  This is an OCRed version of a 1970’s typed copy of the letter. Below is a plain text copy of the letter.

19 July 1846
Dear Children,
In anticipation of finding ye box, aoout wh. you had previously Written,
1 called at Saco a epot yesterday, but came near a disappointment, as
there is no expressman, nor ex. office at Saco ana ye captain of
affairs nad nothing to do with articles entrusted to an express. While
talking quite loudly a young man arrived in waggon, an 1 said ye box
haa come ana was a own town at bank’s tavern, i do nt understand now
ye express is connected with boat and cars, ana yet distinct and
separate, must inquire una inform myseif. 1 returned to banks ana re cd.
ye box safe ana sound ana paia for. Rather better lack than with
umbrella of old. Of urn. it may be wise to speak no more, as it and
ye inquiries are worn equally threadbare ere y-s. You understand well
now to make ye hearts bo ana with joy ana gratitude. Muy ye best of
blessings fall to your lot in return for your generous and affectionate
contribution to remember ana make ha~.-py pour mother* s /approaching 80tn
natal .-Anniversary. on ye coming Wednesday you will nave ys. before you,
together with a specimen, we hope, of similar articles as yse. forwarded
to us for ye day, while our thots are mutually fixed on her, uho,
under providence, has been ye head ana arm, stay and life of us axl
nearly half a century , ana who, the often suffering, from pain and
debility, seems to lose nothing of mental brightness, animation and
activity.
Mrs. Storer enquired aoout you la st week, of ye senior’s health in
particular, 1 replied, si ck ana well alternately, ana wishing us “to
live out a green o la age” . She that your wish wonderfully gratified
in your mother’s deep green. Reflecting on ye scenes thro whi ch she
has past ana on what she now sustains, we have no little reason to be
thankful to a heavenly Fath er who rias watched over her ana ail of us
ana permits as still to rejoice together in ye enjoyment of his manifold
mercies on earth. Ana yet it behooves us often to aavert to such
reflections as in your WO psalm by hawkesworth “Yet a few years or
aays perhaps-or moments pap in silent lapse ana time with me snail be
no more” etc.
On Friday lust Uro. Hat ch, of whom we had bo th drehmpt y e aay ana
night previous called and passed ye aay, said sue came on purpose to
wash for us, but Hrs. Finney had washed on Monday previous and your
mo tn er was una erway for a no small ironing but was overtaken by a
severe attack of colic, no thing like it ya summer. Mrs. Hatch’s
coming was verj opportune, uer attention to your mother was like a
mother’s to her child, aid all ironing and every tiling eiae necessary,
was remarkably ..kina ana offered to come ana take cure of mother any
time if sick, or come and wash. The circumstance fairly excl tea
mother’s gratituae ana rendered ola impress tons quite oblivious. The
w man has faults, wm nas not? But she uas judgment, capacity, industry
and ability for business fauna only in a precious few, yt go out to
service. 1 carried her nearly home in chaise not only thinked her
for aer kindness, but lamented her faults wh. deprived your mother of
ye very assistance she most needed. She said sue was sensible of ym.
ana were she to return next season, believed she siiouia yield less to
feelings of ye moment. She de siren, me to say she toot much of you
“th<3 sue naa run away”.
irr to aTMcL 7/19/46
Hi tn er to we have continued co mi Ik our two cows and take cure of ye
milk but finding it of kittle or no use Co enslave ourselves thus,
we gave ye whole concern to Lan ice for Z- ye butter, do ;ou perceive
1 am ridding myself of a task not ye less irksome by cunfingi me to
ye pail ano your mother to ye routine of puns. .No twit a st anal ng 1
cieared ye fields at hoeing. i cannot willingly abandon ym in haying
especially as henry is disappointed in a man to whom he had paid $8 in
advance to assist in mowing. We are letting a part in shares. Mr.
Me L. was taro before we commenced. Ha a we as heavy a crop in proper tn.
we snoulu despair of ye end till a snowfall, hut as our fields were
much winter killed we nope to get thro in summer and in season to puss
a little time ut Hitts. Xou point us to y e curs for conveyance, of
course, if mother goes, aitno we have exchanged our ofc. chaise for
another ana remarkably easy one and own yes, own and .possess a very
good family norse. The full strength of all your old invites to Bangor
1 perceive, is presented anew, ana with, fresh ana addi tional vigor
in your last. We thank you most cordially for so kiiia arid urgent
invitations ana sincerely regret it is not compatible with our circum-
stances to gratify our ow and your wisn.es ye present season. Say , with
our compliments to Mrs. Perham, Hr®. Strickland ana anna yt they
must compensate you for our unavoidable absence. How unfortunate your
neighbor Mr. . Smith*. And how wonderful yt similar casualties are not
more frequent. What do we not owe to ye author and, preserver of life!
Our neighborhood has been not a little alarmed ana agitated till within
10 or 12 days past. Sidney Burnham in ye wigwam opposite us commenced
a high handed career, first killing nis father’s swine ana next at
attempt ut our hens, which leu to a skirmish with myself, it being in
ye daeryard, next nis father’s hens ana endsu in taking away bars and
fences to let creatures into corn etc. etc. Complaint was at length
made to H. and Lsq. Bonnell, and tney directed ye officer to arrest
him- They ha a to break in ye windows ana with, long poles make him
ar op his ax, wh. tney seized and then grabbed and dragged him out ye
winaow and carried him to ye house of correction at Bor tian a wnere he
now is to ye great relief of ye neighborhood.
he nave had a good supply; of strawberries whr la st eo till yesterday,
quite a supply of currants, ana gooseberries for 2 pies. Yes, Henry ,
ail ye Bangor trees are doing well ana we hope you mil yet eat from
ym. us g„od plums in Scar, as grandpapa has at Bangor. The little
folks here are all well, ye measles have been at Hrs. Chases out not
yet reached here.
Cariosity co ala not oe suppressed till ye box was opeinea. Henry had
seen ye letter but could not imagine its contents. While 1 was dining
1 directed him remove ye cover ana open ye oox ana i cl did me as much
good to see all both great ana small gratified with a look ana a taste
as it does Mr. McjL. to see nis friends eat ye fruit or his garden. You
are tnot to be dreadful good folks down at Bangor, wish you lived
nearer. Weather is variable here as with you, rather dry of late.
Mo trier’s ill turn ‘Friday Shrunk her cm; sider ably, out today she is
quite revived. 1 can’t ride so often us she needs, anu dare not trust
ner alone. Hope to be more at leisure soon. reter Wiggin’s saltriver
letters were nuts H. ilxed to crack. You see some funny stories yt
fl I to ATMcli 7/19/46
aont reacn ns arid vice versa probably. When you take up ye pen you
hold on to it like stags. Write on then, we will read, but expect
not an idea in return till Sep. united love and friendly affection to
all ye liousenola ana friends of ye same.
Your affectionate parents
h. ana M. Tilton
P. S. ioaise wi sues me to say now thankful the is hunt Mary for ye
basket and books. 1 think myself they will awaken attention to her
grandma wn. had began to flag.

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