Louisa Wylie Boisen to Susan Emma Dennis, 23 January 1881

Louisa W. Boisen, Williamstown, Mass to Miss Emma S. Dennis, Bloomington, Monroe Co, Indiana

Williamstown, Mass

Jan. 23, 1881

My dear Aunt Emma,

            I commenced a letter to you some time ago, but Anton got hold of it and used it for making cars and I have never had time since to begin another. For this is only a beginning you know. I can never tell how long it will take me to finish. Now the baby is pulling my dress and fretting so that I suppose I shall have to stop. She seems unusually fretful this morning. I think she is cutting some more teeth. I have not weaned her yet, but want to do so as soon as I can or the warm weather will be here before I know it.

            I had a letter from Pa on Friday and he says Aunt Adelaide is with them now. I have wondered very often how you managed when she was with you. I suppose you had to send some of your boarders away. And how very hard it must have been for you and Aunt Lizzie. I don’t see how you stood it. Poor Aunt Addie, I suppose her mental suffering is great as well as her bodily suffering. I have never yet heard what her trouble is, but even if it is not so great as I imagine, it must be a sore trial to her to be away from her children and home, sick.

Monday p.m.

            I will try again today to write some to you but fear I won’t be able to finish. I suppose you hear of me often enough for I write home about once a week and have so far written very long letters. I don’t know whether you will be very glad to get a letter from me, as I know you don’t have much time for answering. But I thought I must write to you just because I love you and want to write. I would love to get one of your good long letters. They don’t write me half enough from home. Sometimes they let me go two weeks without a letter, but I ought not to complain, for I know how hard it is for Ma to write. But I do get so homesick, Aunt Em. I don’t believe I ever shall get over this longing for home and the feeling that that is the only place I can feel quite happy. I suppose it is really wrong for me to be so homesick but I can’t help the feeling that as long as my parents live, I ought to be near them. I often wish that I had such longing after heaven. I have been rejoicing with trembling for the last few days because Hermann has said that we may go home before going to Germany. I say with trembling because so many things may happen to prevent my going that I am afraid I shall not get there and then I want to go about the first of April and I am afraid Hermann won’t be willing for me to go so soon. I have not yet asked him anything about the time, but I shall really need that much as I will have a good deal of sewing to be done and I’m afraid I shall have to get some teeth. And how glad I shall be to see you all again! How often and often have I wished that we were back in our old house and that I could see you every day. I do not believe that outside of Prof Dodd’s family I shall ever have any warm friends here. The people seem kind and friendly, still there is a crust and well, I can hardly tell you how it is. This is strictly a College town. There are 10 or 11 College buildings. We attend church in the College Chapel and the Professors and their families are the only ones who attend services there, besides the students. As soon as services are over the families pass out with formal greeting and then the students follow. There don’t seem to be any lectures or any gatherings where the people of the village meet, so that I see very little beyond the College society and not much of that. Two of the Profs wives have not yet called on me. I have had tho’ quite a number of calls. I believe there are, at present, only six professors and the President here. The town is very quiet. There is very little business done here. Hermann is delighted, thinks the quiet is just the thing for the students and perhaps it is. Lessons go on all day. I believe it is 5 o’clock before Hermann’s last class is done, and then they have prayers at 5 p.m. as well as at 9 a.m. In the Summer, I imagine it will not be so pleasant to have a class at 5, that is from 5-6. I believe they do not like to have all the recitations in the morning because then the students might go to Adams or Troy in the afternoon and so neglect their studies. Christian does not seem to like it so well here as in Kansas. He was very much pleased there.

            And so Anna intends to go to Germany next Summer! Prof. Jordan writes Hermann that he has had a great many applications. I am glad Anna is going. It is most likely that I shall go from B with the party instead of waiting for Hermann as he wants me to take the children to their Grandparents and then if they can stay with them, I may make part of the “tramp.” But who knows?

            Baby is somewhat fretful in these last days. I think she is cutting her eye teeth. She is as a general thing as sweet and good as ever and just as fat. She walks everywhere and tries to say everything. Can say Papa and Alice and one or two other words quite plainly, but she has not learned to talk as fast as I thought she would. She has not been able to wear the beautiful sacque you and Anna gave her very much. It has been so cold that whenever we take her out we have to wrap her up very warm. We have had sleighing for eight weeks now, but the thermometer has not been as low as with you. 11º below zero is the lowest. But the wind blows and it has been cold enough. Anton seems to bear the cold very well. He goes out every day and I hope he is getting quite healthy and strong. Hermann is still troubled with nervousness and sleeplessness, but he thinks he will get over it by the end of the year. He needs a bed to himself where the children can not disturb him, but there is no room for him here. I have been quite well myself, except that sometimes I have that old pain in my side which has not troubled me for so many years. This is a beautiful place and if I only had my dear B friends around me, I would admire it still more. These “everlasting hills” are grand, there is no doubt of that. It is very pleasant for us to be here at Prof Dodd’s. They are all so kind. Mrs. D is not well. She suffers from sick headache. Just now Mr. Latham, her father, is quite sick with pneumonia I fear. He is quite old, 86, and we feel quite uneasy about him.

            Now, dear Aunt Emma, I have written you a long, tho very poor letter. The children annoy me so that I can scarcely write connectedly. I do hope you will find time before I come home to write me a good long letter telling me about everybody. How do you and Aunt Lizzie stand the cold weather, and has Anna entirely recovered? Give them both my love and also give love to Anna B. Tell her that if ever I can get time to write a decent letter, I will write to her, but I wish she would write to me and not wait for me. How is Mrs. Richardson, and what do they hear from Mary and from Will’s wonderful boy? How is Mrs. Fee and how are they all? Just as good as ever I suppose. Anton owes Ruby a letter and I want to have him write this week if possible. And how is Mrs. Seward? How are they both? Mrs. Ed promised to write me but I have looked in vain for the letter. Anton often talks of her. Have you become acquainted with the people in our old house? And how is Cousin Lizzie? I would like so much to hear from her and her good husband and Mollie. Are they well? Give my best love to Cousin Lizzie when you see her. Has Mr. Bollmann finished his house, and brought out his wife and his boy yet? I ask a hundred questions when I write home but they don’t answer the half. Please write me all about yourself and tell me about Aunt Addie. And about everybody and everything. It is getting so dark I can hardly see. I may add more if I do not get this off tonight but my letter is already too long. Write soon if you can

Tuesday morning

We have a bright day, tho’ some snow is falling. I have not said half I would like to, but if I get home won’t we talk? Dear Aunt Em, did you not promise me your picture? I left in such a hurry after all that I did not get it. I want it so much. Give love to Aunt Lizzie and Anna. How are the Bowers? Please write soon if you can. Had a letter yesterday from Maggie W. She says her healthy is so poor she will not be able to go on the Tramp. She don’t give any news of the family.

With greatest love to you and to all friends

Lou

Theophilus Adam Wylie Family Correspondence, 1806 - 1930, (bulk 1850 - 1930), Collection 2005.003.2849, Wylie House Museum, Indiana University, Bloomington.