To Mrs. Mary Berry
My dear Sister Pittsburgh
March 5, (no year given)
I received your long expected letter yesterday. The pleasure it gave me is indescribable. I had concluded from your
long silence that I must surely be forgotten by you. Sometimes I thought I would write and remind you of your
promise, put on reflection this I thought unnecessary -- but now as your letter and apology has come I readily excuse you. We are going on pretty much as when you left us. I believe there has nothing transpired worthy of notice except the marriages of some of my friends. Sally Wilbur and Mr. Spenser were married on Yew Year’s Day. She gave us a great wedding. She set off the beginning of this week for Philadelphia. Nancy Gibson was married about two weeks afterwards to Mr. Miller -- hut me and the little man have not made it up yet. The fates seem to be opposed to it. I think I will yet have to go to Huntingdon County to get a Husband, You must speak a good word, Siss, for me, and I will go down in the spring if I can. I am very anxious to go indeed, but not altogether to get married, but oh! how I long to see you all. Nothing I am sure would give me greater pleasure than to again embrace my dear Huntingdon friends. What you said in your letter was some
encouragement. I will take your advice if I can. You say you expect there will be some weddings in your neighborhood this spring. I
conjecture from this that there is some probability of Brother getting married. Is it so? And perhaps my friend, Kitty, too. You must be sure and let me know all about it. How pleased I shall be to see my dear C settled in her own house when I go down. I was a little surprised to hear Mr. Potter was married, but strange things happen sometimes. Martha did not so much astonish me, Ere you receive this you will have been to Penns Valley I suppose and can tell me all about the folks there in your next letter. I wish very much to hear from my dear Aunt Longwill. Write very soon again and tell me everything you know. I intend writing to my dear C soon, but she need not be ceremonious, she need not wait for that before she writes. A great deal of love to her from me and likewise to Eliza and the rest of the family. Kiss George for me, I wrote to Rachel last mail. She has got the letter I suppose before now. I saw Mrs. Rahm this week--she was well and all the family. Louisa has grown to be a sweet, little, fat thing. Mrs. Lambdin sends her love to you. She is somewhat better than when you left us, but can’t walk yet. She is going to live with her son this spring.
Mary Evans was here yesterday. The sends her love to you and C. Farewell, my dear sister, write soon and believe me
Your ever affectionate
Anna
P. S. Excuse this bad writing. I write in great haste. Let no one see it, burn it as soon as you read it.
A.
To Mrs. Mary Berry
Huntingdon Furnace
Huntingdon County, Pennsyla.
Colerain P. 0,
My dear sister July 29, l825
I received your very interesting epistle on Saturday last. As you expected I was a little disappointed at not hearing
from you sooner, but when your letter did come the pleasing intelligence it contained amply compensated for any anxiety I had
previously experienced. When your letter was handed to me I was extremely unwell, which was the cause of my not answering it
immediately. My illness was occasioned by a bad cold which settled in my head and produced an inflammation in one of my eyes. I was in a sad situation for several days. You may he sure I thought so at least. I almost despaired of ever again beholding any of you in the flesh, but (thank Heaven) I now am perfectly restored to health, I feel quite indebted to Kitty for her kindness and attention during my indisposition (though I do not wish for an opportunity of repaying her in the same way). She came every day to console me under my sad affliction. Her health is better than it has heen for a great while. Her appetite is excellent. She thinks she will get quite fat again. Fall
traveling has no doubt been very beneficial to her. She and I are going to be very industrious this summer, we have a great many jobs laid out. This, you know, will keep us from thinking the time ye have yet to stay too tedious. Mr. Rahm has now got his house completed; it is very comfortable indeed, as the air is
much purer there than it is in our part of the city. I intend spending a good deal of my time there during the warm weather. There has been a great many inquiries about you since I came to this place. Mrs. Lamdin inquires very affectionately for
you; she is now attending the bed of a dying son, for in poor Harrison the lamp of life is almost extinguished. And now, my beloved friend, suffer me (as you would not permit ne to do it personally) to express my thanks for the kindness and affection you manifested towards me during my residence with you. Never I assure you shall the recollection of it be obliterated from my heart, and whatever situation I may be placed in I will
always remember it with gratitude. You requested me to let you know what sifs Rachel might say respecting a matter that much interests
me. She had some conversation with Kitty on the subject and afterwards said it met with her entire approbation.
This is indeed pleasing, but was it otherwise, was she even opposeded to my wishes, I assure you I would be unchanged and would act independently. You say Mr. Mc--- intends visiting P. in October, Remember me
affectionately to him and assure him I will be in readiness whenever he is disposed to call on me, only he must write and give me notice what time exactly he purposes being here. In your next give me all the news of the neighborhood
and how you spend your time this summer, how the folks are getting along at Tyrone with their new housekeeper. Does William still go to
Hn? Is George pleased with going to school? All these questions please to answer explicitly very soon. I almost forget to tell you I have received the long promised religious letter from the Priest. He still appears interested in my welfare and gave me some good counsel. I will preserve it and show it to you when we next meet. ln regard to the shawl, I did not see one that I much admired before B-n left here, but since I have procured a very elegant one which I intend presenting you when I see you. I have yet much to say but my paper fails. Give my love to your mother and E. Farewell.
Still, your affectionate,
Anna
Letter Not Dated
To Mrs. Mary Berry Tyrone Forges
Dear Sis
Why have you not sent the veal? I was disappointed
in not getting it on Saturday but I consoled myself with the
hope of surely getting it today. Not having anything fresh to
eat my appetite is failing very fast, consequently my strength must sink. I am not very well today. I have had to keep very
close quarters ever since I came home. I wish I could see my
dear little boy. Write to me and let me know how he is doing.
Come to see me soon, very soon. Farewell,
Yours affectionately,
Anna
Letter Not Dated
To Mrs. Mary Berry Tyrone Forges
Dear Siss
The next time the wagons come over I wish you to send Biddy McKell if she is willing to come. You need not be at all fearful of giving any offense by so doing. My health is so much impaired I find I cannot nurse my babe any longer. I am reduced to such a state of extreme weakness it is with the greatest difficulty I can get upstairs. My appetite is entirely gone. I find my strength is sinking fast daily. If no change takes place for the better I will soon be confined to my bed, indeed I am scarcely able to be up now. Do try and come to see me soon, Farewell dear
Sifs, pray for me,
Anna
Will take one of the small pills every sixth hour commencing today at twelve o’clock – She will also take a small wine glafs-full of the medicine in the large bottle at eight o’clock in the forenoon & another at two & eight in the afternoon and to each glafs she will add twenty drops of the medicine in the vial now left; if disagreeable to the stomach a little peppermint may be added to it – and if any severe sickness of stomach – pain in the head or hiccups should come on the medicine must be laid aside & twenty or thirty drops of laudanum may be taken in a little warm brandy Toddy & repeated occasionally & a bit of flannale dipped in hot brandy applied over the region of the stomach until the sicknefs goes off entirely, when the Medicine must be again resumed and taken as before
J.H. July 3d 1827
To Mrs. Mary Berry
Huntingdon Furnace
Huntingdon, PennsylVa.
c/o Colerain P. 0.
Dear sister Huntinadon
October 10, 1828
I yesterday returned from Pennsvally, and left our connections well. Aunt expects you down soon; she says she has
something particular to communicate to you. I would have returned by
way of the Furnace, had not my engagements rendered it necessary for me to be here last evening. Mifs Nancy Irwin will be at your
place in the course of a week or two. Could you not let me know
at what time she may be confidently expected up, as I promised to
see her then? This, however, you can keep to yourself, and you
will please to write me the information desired, and should I go
up it will be supposed a matter of accident and not of desiqn.
When I next see you I have a joke to tell you. Give my respects
to your father’s family, my love to George, and except for yourself the assurance of my affectionate esteem.
Yours
Benjamin J. Berry
To Mrs. Mary Berry
c/o Mr. Thomas
Huntingdon Furnace
Huntingdon Pennsylva.
Dear sister Huntingdon
December 30, 1828
I a few days since returned from Pennsvally and left
Uncle and Aunt Longwell both well. You have been expected down
for some time, but they have been so repeatedly disappointed they
have given up almost every expectation of seeing you. I would
advise you to go down soon. Probably it would be a profitable
visit. My last visit you will doubtless hear of with surprise,
as I understood I was expected to go by the Furnace, but my
engagements here precluded the possibility of doing it. My object in going down you are at liberty to conjecture. There is
no news in town. My respects to the family and love to George,
Affectionately yours,
B. J. Berry
To Mrs. Mary Berry
Huntingdon Furnace
Huntingdon County, Pennsyla.
Colerain P. O.
Dear aunt Pittsburgh
January 1, 1829
I wish you all a happy New Year. I am just now going to
fulfill my promise by writing to you but you must excuse me for
neglecting it so long. I began to think that I would never get a
letter from you until I would write I have nothing particular to
write but to let you know that Eliza Rahm is sick. She has an
attack of the Bilious Fever She takes medicine and eats nothing
but after seeinct William so low as he was I think there is hopes
while theres life no person that saw him while he was sick thought
he would see the first of January. I do suppose that no child ever
suffered more than he did to be restored to his health he has got
quite well again. I am flattering myself with the hopes of getting
down to see all in the spring if Aunt comes out to Pittsburgh this
winter tell Alfred he need not be sorry that he is not home for
you may depend that it is the dullest Christmas and New Year ever
I spent Christmas was a beautiful day but today is cloudy and rainy
you know how Pittsburgh looks in such weather Aunt I have a great
deal of fun to tell you about going up to the wedding of Mr. Reppert and much more if I don’t forget it before I see you. I am
going to take music lefsons one quarter more I will commence next
week. I do wish you were out here to take them too. We are looking for Mr Garret out here every day. I do wish one of you could
make it convenient to come along with him. If Kitty has them to
watch papers I painted for her when i was at the Furnace i wish she
would send them out to me by Mr Garret i wanted them for a pattern I will take
good care of them until I send them to her again nothing
more at present save my New Years gift until I come down to see you
give my love to all my relations and acquaintances
Your niece
M Anshutz
write by Mr Garret
Dear Aunt Zielienople
November 27, 1834
I received your letter last Sunday and was very happy
to hear that you were all well. I am very well at present last week I had a bad cold. I am pleased so far, the provissions are
verry good we have as much milk as we can drink. I have such
large lessons in History, Geography, Grammar and Dictionary that
it keeps me verry busy to learn them and work two hours every
day. Since I wrote my last letter to you my work was to hall
wood with the Oxen.
We have to speak a speech and wright composition every
week there are several persons sick in Zielienople with the fever.
This is all I have to say at present. If you knew how well it
pleased me to hear from home you would write longer letters tell
Edward to write and all that can write as we have no postage to
pay. Give my love to all my friends and don’t forget my Grandparents.
Your affectionate friend
G. A. Berry