[Letter of 1869 November 27]

[Letter of 1869 November 27]

1869-11-27

Betrothal

African American families

Wiley, Edward A. [recipient]

image/jp2

Correspondence

This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. For access to the original letter, or high-resolution reproduction, please contact the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection (blockson@temple.edu; 215-204-6632).

Temple University Libraries, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection

William Still Collection

Blockson manuscripts

William Still Collection

Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Libraries

blockson@temple.edu

BMS010X0056

Oberlin Nov.27/69/ My Dear Edward:/ I am safe, safe/ at home and having just eaten my/ dinner I thought I could do no better/ than write you. We arrived yesterday/ morning bringing with us a little rain/ the afternoon however was a very fine/ one and today has been a lovely one/ for this time of the year. Well no/ doubt you are by this time well content/ to spend your Winter in O. and have/ me spend mine at home at all events/ so it must be. Of course the ring has/ attracted some little notice and some/ questions have been asked but as I/ was not quite prepared for them. I/ made no lenthy[sic] replies. To the question/ are you and Mr. Wiley engaged I replied/ yes. Again is that your engagement ring/ I said yes. I shall however/ have a long talk with father & mother/ about it before long Pa asked me/ if I thought I had done right to en=/gage myself without their consent I/ never once thought of their being any/ thing out of the way in so doing; he/ said you had never written him/ anything about it &c. I told him he/ had not answered your [last?] letter/ he said there was nothing about/ this matter in it. I am not in the least frightened however I hardly/ believe he means to do more than/ plague me a little; I am quite/ tired yet not having rested more than/ an ordinary night's sleep. When I/ arrived in Cleveland my trunk/ was burst open. I had to purchase/ a [shape?] for it. Oh I have got so/ much work to do I dont know/ what to do [first?] hardly. Enclosed/ please find four dolls, for Ms. Davis/ $4.00 and $2.90 go for yourself. Ask her/ if that amount agrees with her bill./ all the folks are well and all/ asked for you; they would all/ send their love perhaps if I had/ time to [?] [them?] up, but I/ have not. My thing[s?] out of my/ trunk were lying on the floor/ My mother wanted to know what/ that new piece of unbleached/ [muryrylin?] was I told her Mr. Wiley's/ shirts she laughed out right and/ clapped her hands I expect she/ thought matters had gone [pretty?]/ far. Well so be it. Study as/ hard as your heart will allow/ hurry and get through and perhaps/ some day Carrie and Edward/ will be happy together, no telling/ what may [?] up./ Love to all friends/ Go to the boarding Hall inquire for/ miss Drew and ask her to give you/ my umbrella out of my closet. She/ has my key. Dont ask anyone/ else for the key [nor?] tell them she/ has it./ Affectionately/ Carrie./ In haste as I must do an [errand?]/ this afternoon./