[Undated fragment, Mary Louisa Mitchell/Michel Binckley to John Milton Binckley. Textual evidence suggests the date to fall somewhere in a range from 1866 to early 1868, but it could date a year earlier, or slightly later. Locale seems to be in the vicinity of Washington City; Abingdon, Virginia, is another possibility].
. . . started. There were 20 of us grown folks and 8 children, 2 darkies, and 11 o'clock found us all at the mill unloading the wagon. The children wild with delight, a detachment of gentlemen filing along the race-path laden with baskets, shawls, &c. Harvey in a trance of wonder at the waving trees and rushing water.
When we went round to the meadow, you ought to have seen Nellie. One screech of delight and she was off up the cliff life a deer. In five minutes had scrambled down to show me a great handful of wild-flowers only to rush back for more.
It did my heart good to see the poor children enjoy themselves. I very believe Annie Sawyer never saw a wild-flower before.
Harvey was so good & sweet that every body admired him to my heart[']s content.
[connected fragment, may precede first part]:
The neighbors had commenced preparations for the Pic-nic, but it was so cold and wet that we could not decide when to go. I forgot to tell you there was a terrible storm Tuesday night after you went -- hail and rain. But Wednesday evening they concluded to go Friday.
The gentlemen hired an ambulance to take out the baskets and (Mrs. Jenkins suggestion) the children.
Mother Binckley consented to go, tho' with a sigh at thought of leaving her beloved Chronicle. So I determined to take Harvey as Mary [nurse] was crazy to go and take him. So all day Thursday we were busy cooking, tho' it was still cold and windy. I invited Helen and Jim last night, . . . Campbell and Erskine Dow, and had every arrangement to make myself, as Sue had accepted . . .
[John Milton Binckley (1821-1878)
Mary Louisa Mitchell/Michel Binckley (1838-1930)
Nellie = Nella Fontaine Binckley (September 1, 1860-April 27, 1951)
Harvey = Harvey Mitchell Binckley (December 10, 1864-1928)
Charlotte/Charlotta Stoker/Stocker Binckley = "Mother B." (1788-1877)
Erskine Dow = possibly a son of Jesse Erskine Dow (1809-1850), editor and poet
Sue = Sue Henry Mitchell Taliaferro (1845-1940)]
Original manuscript in the John Milton Binckley Papers, 1816-1943. Library of Congress Manuscript Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. This is my rough transcription.
Many thanks to William Myers for sending scanned copies of the documents from the Binckley papers, and also to Mary Davy and Sally Young for their assistance.
. . . started. There were 20 of us grown folks and 8 children, 2 darkies, and 11 o'clock found us all at the mill unloading the wagon. The children wild with delight, a detachment of gentlemen filing along the race-path laden with baskets, shawls, &c. Harvey in a trance of wonder at the waving trees and rushing water.
When we went round to the meadow, you ought to have seen Nellie. One screech of delight and she was off up the cliff life a deer. In five minutes had scrambled down to show me a great handful of wild-flowers only to rush back for more.
It did my heart good to see the poor children enjoy themselves. I very believe Annie Sawyer never saw a wild-flower before.
Harvey was so good & sweet that every body admired him to my heart[']s content.
[connected fragment, may precede first part]:
The neighbors had commenced preparations for the Pic-nic, but it was so cold and wet that we could not decide when to go. I forgot to tell you there was a terrible storm Tuesday night after you went -- hail and rain. But Wednesday evening they concluded to go Friday.
The gentlemen hired an ambulance to take out the baskets and (Mrs. Jenkins suggestion) the children.
Mother Binckley consented to go, tho' with a sigh at thought of leaving her beloved Chronicle. So I determined to take Harvey as Mary [nurse] was crazy to go and take him. So all day Thursday we were busy cooking, tho' it was still cold and windy. I invited Helen and Jim last night, . . . Campbell and Erskine Dow, and had every arrangement to make myself, as Sue had accepted . . .
[John Milton Binckley (1821-1878)
Mary Louisa Mitchell/Michel Binckley (1838-1930)
Nellie = Nella Fontaine Binckley (September 1, 1860-April 27, 1951)
Harvey = Harvey Mitchell Binckley (December 10, 1864-1928)
Charlotte/Charlotta Stoker/Stocker Binckley = "Mother B." (1788-1877)
Erskine Dow = possibly a son of Jesse Erskine Dow (1809-1850), editor and poet
Sue = Sue Henry Mitchell Taliaferro (1845-1940)]
Original manuscript in the John Milton Binckley Papers, 1816-1943. Library of Congress Manuscript Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. This is my rough transcription.
Many thanks to William Myers for sending scanned copies of the documents from the Binckley papers, and also to Mary Davy and Sally Young for their assistance.
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