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The Philander Chase letters were written in the 18th and 19th century and therefore may contain language that we understand today as harmful or offensive. You may encounter paternalist descriptions of Native Americans, racial slurs, or sexism. For more information, see our policy page.
Description
Philander Chase urges his granddaughter Mary Olivia to visit Jubilee College over the summer, and offers her money for the travel. He then discusses the winter weather.
Date
2-24-1848
Keywords
Philander Chase, Mary Olivia Chase, Mary Ohio, Jubilee College, Illinois, illness, sickness, affliction, tic doloureux, ague, quinine, medicine, health, gardening, garden, farming, asparagus, rhubarb, fruit, agriculture, harvest, planting
Recommended Citation
Chase, Philander, "Letter to Mary Olivia Chase" (1848). Philander Chase Letters. 1321.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/1321
Rights Statement
Transcript
Jubilee College Feb 24 1848
Dear Mary O!
Dudley was sating this morning that he feared you would not come and see us this summer by reason of the expensiveness of traveling.
Well said Philander if that be all I will send Mary $5: and I dare say others will do more than that to see our Dear Mary Ohio once more here on Jubilee Hill.
I will ten-- said your Grand Father and then your dear Grand Mother said she would give five more --- So you see we have 20 Dollars, before we have spoken to another soul about the matter
By all which you may be assured it will cost you nothing just to come along with your dear Parents and once more make us very happy here at Jubilee --
As to other motives inducing you to come they are many and worthy of your most serious indulgence. I can not enumerate them for my head aches and must defer to finish this letter till another time.
25 of Feb. I am a little better this morning. My head ache continues all night as it has done for several nights: It goes off in the morning; by which intermissions I am inclined to think that it may be cured by tonics like the ague. Accordingly my dear wife is preparing some Quinine pills.
I sometimes think it partakes of the nature of the Tick dolereux[sic] and that I shall be affected as Mrs Denison my sister has been for years: for which sufferings I pray the Good God to prepare me by his heavenly grace. I find that good company if it do not care always serves to alleviate my pain; so, you may be sure of doing a work of beneficence by coming to see me. You see by the date of my letter that the winter is nearly over -- yet the cold is as intense almost as at any time past this winter season. We are thankful for this: as the fruit will be preserved from a premature advance in the blossom.
Cold as it is my man Patrick is preparing the ground for the coming up of the Rhubarb and Asparagus roots and plants. As our great difficulty here in the west is keeping down the weeds. I have concluded to sow all our garden seeds and plant all our culinary roots in Drills -- 10 inches a part and to keep a small plough 5 or 6 inches wide always to work among or between the rows. It will be drawn by a mule and managed by a patient plodding fellow fit for nothing else but to look to the plough drawn by the steady paced Mule.
If you say this is too much for a Bishop to attend to: I reply that I wa of the same mind myself but have changed it lately: for this simple reason viz that if the Bishop do not attend to it no one else will. For many years past I have tried to throw this duty onto the backs of others: but have always been disappointed. The Weeds have always had the upper hand of us and our finely planted gardens have given us but poor returns for our labour.
If you still think I might have chosen a graver subject for this my letter -- I apologise by saying that I am an invalid & think myself allowed to write on temporal subjects if the same be no worse than gardening.
Your loving Grand Father P. Chase