UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL
ROBERT C. AND ARLEEN STYKERMAN
COLLECTION1
WRITTEN TO ORILLA VARNEY 2
BY CAROLINE MARIA VARNEY RICHARDSON3
Miss Orrilla Varney
Upper Jay
NY
Lowell4 Sept. 17. 1847
Dear cousin Orrilla
It is with the greatest degree of pleasure that I grasp my pen to
address you feeling myself a negligent creature for not attempting
to
write to you before but I will ask your pardon and [unclear] enough
in
this to attone for the past. The first thing is health for my part
I do not feel very well - I have a dreadful [unclear] my head aches
and
I feel rather down, the rest are all well I believe.
I saw Charlotte5 yesterday
she is well and a making well. I think
in the month of June has made eight dollars and twenty five cent.
July thirteen and twenty five, August fifteen thirty nine so you
see she is doing pretty well better than I can do and she has
to work harder to. I make about three dollars a week that is not
bad wages. I wish you was here we would be happy then to be
all of us together. We talk of going and make Ezra6
a visit this
winter and I shall want to go and see you but I cannot tell when
it will be about it. I want you to write to me as soon as you
get this for I shall want to hear from you very much. Jasper
1Photocopies donated by Robert
C. and Arlene Stykerman;
Transcribed by University
of Massachusetts Lowell,
Center for Lowell
History.
2Cousin Orilla Varney b: 1828,
NY d: 1861, NY; parents:
Ezra G. Varney and
Charlotte Slater; married 1850: James Owen.
3Caroline Maria Varney b: 15 May
1828, Lincoln, VT d: probably,
Lawrence, MA; parents:
Moses Varney and Eleanor Dow Gore;
married: Jasper Richardson
b: 26 Nov 1822, Woodstock, VT
d: 1904, Lawrence,
MA; children: Edgar Eugene Richardson.
4Lowell, Massachusetts.
5Cousin Charlotte Ann Varney
b: 1825, Peru, NY d: 8 Feb 1848,
Lowell, MA Typhoid
Fever; parents: Ezra G. Varney and Charlotte
Slater; employed:
Lowell woolen mill.
6Cousin Ezra Varney b: 1812,
VT; married: Artenesia; residence
1850: Lewis,
NY.
has gone to see his mother this evening she is quite unwell and I
feel rather lonely and homesick. When I feel so unwell I
want a mothers care but I cannot have it now I find if I
was with mother I should call myself sick enough to have a
docter but I am here and I must do as long as I can. I
have thought today that I would start for home and then I
think I do not care whether I live or die, I have heard
from home quite often they are all well up there a was
when last I heard. I must tell you of the births and
weddings. Lydia Butterfield7
has got a boy Mary Sterling has
a boy John Varney is married and I expect any day that
I shall hear that Stephen is married and I dont know
but I shall hear that you are married. How is it cousin shall
I or not. I feel rather tired and my hand trembles so bad that
I will not try to scribble any more tonight for I fear your pastime
will weary trying to read what I have scratched out now,
it is the 20th and I thought I must try to finish this
letter but it will be a doubtful case for I feel rather down.
last Saturday I was sick Charlotte was here with me all day.
she was here yesterday. All that I can think of is I wish I
was at home. Sometimes I almost think I will start and go but I
hait to leave Charlotte and Jasper8
they will be lonesome. I
cannot think of any more to write this all I have to
say is be a good girl and mind your marm write as
soon as you get this without fail so good bye this
from your friend and cousin till death C. A. Richardson
7Lydia B. b: 1825, VT; married:
William Butterfield; residence
1850: Lincoln, VT.
8Husband Jasper Richardson b:
26 Nov 1822, Woodstock, VT
d: 1904, Lawrence,
MA.
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