Sarah Ann Goodrich

These two letters addressed to Augusta are from her sister, Sarah Ann Goodrich. At the time these letters were written, Sarah was living with her Aunt in Owego, approximately two miles from the Goodrich family farmstead in Tioga County, New York. The first was written before the death of her brother-in-law James S. Griffing. The second was written after his death but before word had reached her. The remainder of the letters follow news of his death.

Owego [New York]
March 31, 1882

Dear Sister Augusta,

I have just received your letter telling about poor James. My heart is full. What can I say to comfort you? I will hope he will get over it & be himself again. If he can have rest & quiet, & his mind soothed of its trouble, he may get better. What is the trouble he has worried over? You wrote something about a paper. What was it? He is so good & kind to everyone. It seems as if he need not have such trouble. I am so anxious to hear more. Is he sick in bed & who has taken care of him? And [your son] Willie is sick too? How do you get along? I wish I could have been there to help you. [Our brother Ralph’s daughter,] Jennie screamed and cried when I told her. She remembers [her] Uncle James being so good to her. I hope he will get well. I have felt some trouble was coming to us. There is so much sickness & death in the land.

If it is best for him to go to an [Insane] Asylum, it is well that he can be at Topeka near [your son] John, and you can be there some of the time. So much better than if he had to go farther away. I hope you will keep up for your children’s sake. Take care of yourself. Has Willie been sick long? I am so sorry he is troubled with rheumatism. Has James been as well as usual this winter? It seems too dreadful but I pray he may get over it. You have [your daughter] Mary to help you. It is not like being alone & she can be a comfort to you. I hope Willie will get well soon but he will have to be very careful for a long time. How is your back now?

[Our brother] Steve has not been well since he was sick in February. He has bad spells about breathing & keeps very weak. Mary Horton is having a bad time with her stomach. I think it is indigestion or dyspepsia. She seems to be miserable all the time, but will not see a Doctor to try & get help.

[Our sister Mary’s daughter,] Fanny [Horton] has been staying to [Uncle] Ephraim’s since Charlie died. She is going home next week to do some sewing before she commences school again. Fanny stayed here Wednesday night. She said they had a letter from you but she did not bring it over.

I will write in a few days again & I hope I shall hear better news from you.

Yours with much love,
Sister Sarah [Goodrich]

Owego [New York]
April 6, 1882

Dear Sister Augusta,

I am so worried about you all the time. It seems weeks since I first got the news. I wish I could know how it is with [your husband] James. Why could he not be taken to the Asylum at Topeka? And where is Ossawattomi? I cannot think in what part of the State it is. Can you hear often from him or about him? I am so anxious to hear as we all are.

I had a letter from [our brother] Ralph last night. He had got [your son] John’s letter & felt very bad to hear such news & asked me if it is going to be very expensive to have him in the Asylum & if there is anything he can do to help you he will.

I have been sick with a cold & as soon as I could go out, I went to Sammy [Griffing’s] to see what John wrote him. He feels very bad indeed [about his brother]. He has been quite sick too with a cold. It was Tuesday I went up & he had been downtown that day for the first time [in quite awhile]. He told me John wrote a good letter. He sent it to [his sister] Mary [Horton] and wrote her to have her send it to [his sister] Permelia [after that].

Mrs. [Eliza] Pound wrote that [your daughter] Mary was a comfort & help, taking charge of the house. I know the children all will be [a help] in this time of trial. Poor Will. I am so sorry for him. I hope he is better. I hope you are not grieving yourself sick. We all feel so much for you. When you can, I wish you would write more particular about his trouble & sickness.

[Our brother] Steve’s folks have not been here this week. They have been over but did not come up. Nellie & Frankie walked over yesterday to get the mail & stayed here two or three hours & then walked back again.

I received a letter from [cousin] Lucy [Fiddis] last night. She will be home the middle of June & wants me to stay in the house till then. She says the spot on her mother’s face troubles her at times. It looks red & inflamed. She cannot bear to have it noticed.

A Hartford [Connecticut] paper came from Aunt Lucy last night with a notice of Mrs. Henry Tryon’s death. She died the 22nd of March – age 61[6?] years – I thought she was older.

Fanny has gone home this week to do some sewing before she begins school. Tell Mrs. [Eliza] Pound I thank her for writing. I will answer.

We are having cold disagreeable weather & a good deal of sickness. So many have colds & are so strangely weak. Does Willie’s rheumatism move around from one limb to another as when he was sick here? I wish I could hear how you all are tonight.

With much love,
Sister Sarah [Goodrich]

Owego [New York]
April 6, 1882

Dear Sister Augusta,

It is almost night but I want to write if it is only a short letter to send with the shawl & veil which I have done up & want to send tonight. I could not get over home till last Sunday to get them. The shawl was our mother’s & I thought it would do for you to wear this summer. You will see it is worn & [with] moth holes but I think it can be folded so as not to show them. The veil is not so nice as I thought it was. I think it will do well enough & save getting one. What bonnet have you?

I have had a letter from Aunt Lucy & will send it for you to read. I shall look for her next week. I hope you are feeling better. It will be so much pleasanter to have [your son] John’s folks there with you. Does [your son] Willie get better? Some say eating lemons is good for rheumatism. I was glad to hear of Belle’s good fortune. It must please her mother. Will she go back to Colorado now? I shall write to her soon.

Did you receive [our sister] Mary Horton's letter? She wrote to you after James' death. She thinks you have not. It is very cold here yet. We have had no warm weather, but things grow somehow. I don't see how they can. It freezes every night. I will write again soon. I hope those lilies will grow.

With much love & affection,
Sister Sarah [Goodrich]

Owego [New York]
April 14, 1882

Dear Sister Augusta,

I was so glad to get your letter yesterday.

Wednesday – 19th. I had just commenced writing Friday when Fanny Horton came to stay a day or two, and since then I have had so much to do. I have not been well for two or three weeks & the work has got all behind. I have been out in the yard today & have taken up the white lilies Aunt Lucy gave me & will send them with this. I wish you would set some of them on James’ grave. If I can get home before it is too late, will send the Fringe bush. I was so glad to get your letter.

It must be some comfort to you to have so many friends that sympathize with you & that James was loved & respected. But oh! It does seem so hard that he must die in such a way. Did he know you at all when he was taken away? And did he come to himself before he died? I see by the paper, [your son] John is coming home to [Manhattan to] live. It will be such a comfort & help to you to have them right there with you. Will he run the farm at Topeka?

Everyone asks if you are not coming here to live now. I hope you can come see us next fall, & [your daughter] Mary [too]. Is [your son] Willie getting better? The paper says he is very sick yet. Am glad Mrs. Winans could be with you. How is Belle [Failyer]? I feel anxious to hear [if she has had her baby].

I think [John’s wife] Lizzie is a noble woman. I hope she is doing well & the baby too. Have they named it yet? Of course its name will be James – at least I think it will. How old was James? I don’t think [his brother] Sammy [Griffing] knows exactly. I sent them your letter to read. He has been quite sick with a cold.

Fanny [Horton] commenced teaching again Monday. She will board at home or stay to her Uncle Ephraim’s.

It has been very cold all this spring until this week. It has been warmer & seemed something like spring. It is raining today & the grass is freshening up considerable. I am beginning to want to see my home. Am getting homesick I guess. I like it here in Owego for the winter. It has been so pleasant & convenient for us, but I would not like to live here all the time. Lucy wants us to stay until she comes the middle of June. If her mother comes before then, they do not want her to stay alone. She must not do anything to heat her blood. Her face has had another spell of looking inflamed & bad. She cannot bear to have them notice it at all.

There was a notice of James’ death in the Gazette but I have not seen it. I hope [our brother] Steve will send it to you. [Our brother Ralph’s daughter, Jennie – who has been living with me –] had a bad cold. A good many are sick. One of her schoolmates has been very sick with inflammatory rheumatism. One day they did not think she would live, but is better.

Last Saturday night Horace Jones’ house was burned down. He lived in the old Deacon Jones’ house. They did not save anything scarcely.

Give my love to Mrs. [Eliza] Pound. I hope you are not sick & your eyes are better. You must try & bear up under this great trouble for your children's sake, and what should I do without my sister Augusta.

Yours with much love,
Sister Sarah [Goodrich]