Catharine Maria Sedgwick to Thaddeus Pomeroy and Frances Susan Pomeroy Transcribed by Rhys WhittemoreTranscribed on Primary Source Cooperative2025

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Available under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-SA Attribution--NonCommercial--ShareAlike. CMSOLPatricia Kalayjian, Lucinda Damon-Bach, Deborah Gussman 13 Mar 1830sedgwick-catharine pomeroy-thaddeus; pomeroy-frances2 Catharine Maria Sedgwick to Thaddeus Pomeroy and Frances Susan Pomeroy Massachusetts Historical Society Catharine Maria Sedgwick Papers I

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 Family Relations (Sedgwick Family) Fatherhood Childcare Authorship Bible Religion Morality and Ethics Social Life and Networks Domestic Life and Duties Gender Roles Death Motherhood
NewYork 13 March 1830My dear Brother

I cannot bear that my whole winter's campaign should pass away without any communication with you -- I am not satisfied with contriving fictitious happiness & fictitious misery -- My heart reverts to the real and bitter sorrows that cloud our life -- and my thoughts to the happy homes, where goodness & love & intelligence mock the brightest tints of my pencil -- and then my characters! -- What can my brain manufacture to compare with the father who has the spirit of five & twenty, with the virtue of a more advanced age -- who with the resolution of the old Roman & the fire of Bunker hill illegible is contentedly caring for his flocks & herds -- giving the tenderness of his heart to his little Benjamin1 -- and is the stay and staff of his children, when most mean lean on them for support -- -- and what to that excellent Aunt & Sister who truly loving the praise of God more than the praise of men, illegible & loving & serving others more 2 than herself is still blessing all around her with her kindness -- her examples & diffusing a light -- full of gentleness and promise like the serenest setting sun? -- I say nothing of the vines that separated from the parent stalk & flourishing and fruitful still turn their faces homeward, as plants at a window always turn towards the light -- or of that sweet image of her sainted mothers virtue & loveliness our blessed Sue -- -- Nor of the bright-eyed Sisters full of promise & hope -- nor of our noisy good-hearted honest Charles -- nor even yet of our little Benjamin -- but they all shame my manufactures, and are as the Magnus Apollo to the waxen image of a Country show --

-- What shall I tell you of Eliza -- that she is lovely & useful & a comfort & blessing to us all you know -- but you perhaps do not know that I heard a lady tell her to day with a very expressive wink that a bachelor friend of ours was under great concern of mind lest she had taken cold at his house 3

-- My dear Doctor I hope we shall see you this spring -- Only think how many friends you have here -- Besides your brother & sisters -- there is your charming niece -- and a most lovely woman she is -- Laura -- -- & the Major & many more who I am afraid you have forgotten -- 2

Remember me aff'ly to all & beleive me as ever

My dear Sue I have borrowed a little piece of your father's letter to assure you under my own hand that I really am the land of the living -- that I have recd one sweet letter from you -- thanked you for it from the bottom of my heart -- & not the less that I have not answered it -- -- that I do love you most tenderly and think of you sometimes with an anxiety that makes my heart ache -- --

My love to all -- tell dear Molly she ought to write to me -- -- Julia I know has no writing propensities -- though Abby Wood 4 has turned out an author -- I should be surprised to see Julia in print -- Oh the enterprise of New Engd -- Every one runs to a new manufacture -- I should like to know the real measure of Miss Abby's genius -- the pieces I have seen have not astonished me tho' the fact of her writing at all has --

I hear your Aunt Susan has written a splendid panegyric for her, from which I presume that I have a very inadequate notion of her powers -- -- do give my love to Sarah Ashburner -- and thro' her to her family -- I am delighted to hear that she often visits you -- life cannot be very dull where she is --

My best love to your Aunt Susan -- & Uncle -- if he is at home --

We are now hourly expecting T S Junrs arrival & T S P --

My love to Huldah Pamela Mrs W & all

truly yoursYours truly --CMSCMS

Letter

Massachusetts Historical Society

Catharine Maria Sedgwick Papers I

Wax blot and tears; there is some wear on edges, especially on the bottom of page 4.

Doctor Thaddeus Pomeroy --/Post-Master/Stockbridge/Masstts

C M Sedgwick to Dr Pomeroy/March 13, 1830/Copy 1st page & a illegible?

Possibly a reference to the Genesis story of Jacob and his twelve sons, the youngest of whom was named Benjamin. Thaddeus Pomeroy and his late wife Eliza (Sedgwick's eldest sister) also had twelve children, the youngest of whom was a son named Thaddeus Jr. In 1830, Thaddeus Sr. was a widower, raising his younger children with the help of his sister and older daughters.

Because Thaddeus Pomeroy had numerous nieces, we cannot identify to whom Sedgwick refers. Laura may be Laura Sage, a Stockbridge neighbor who was, like Pomeroy, a member of the Stockbridge Congregational Church.

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