Transcription: Mott Memoir, Part 8
For previous entries, click here.
"It was a great task to prepare us for such a long voyage. We had to have enough clothes to last five months, without washing. At that time all the sewing was by hand and there was no ready made things, as at present. Anne the woman who lived with us in New Jersey was in New York now taking care of her old mother, she seemed to have a feeling of affection for Evy and myself and sometimes came to see us. As she was a good seamstress as well as a cook. Aunt Clara of ten gave her plain sewing to do, so now she was sent for and given the task of making the underclothes. It was was not decided yet when we were to sail but it would take sometime to make so many things. The dresses were made by a dressmaker. There had to be a variety of these as we would pass through such different climates as the Tropics and Cape Horn.
We spent part of our last Eastern summer in the town of Orange at a boardinghouse where our Grandmother and Aunt Lottie, who had a two month old baby, were staying. Nothing very exciting happened there. Evy and I arranged some tableauxs one evening that seemed to amuse the other boarders.
About the first of October, Captain Brewer in whose care we were to be during the voyage, wrote that the Samoset, the ship we were to sail in would be ready to sail before the end of the month so the packing and all preparations should be finished that we might be ready to start at short notice. I remember well what an excitement there was. There were four large chests to be packed with the clothes for the voyage beside a trunk for the nice dresses we were to wear in Honolulu, a box for the new bonnets and our books, music and all our belongings to be gathered together and packed. I don't remember now who did the work but Aunt Clara had all the responsibility.
We were going to Honolulu first and our mother was to meet us there. Though peace was declared and our father and his family had returned to Mazatlan and there was so much bad feelings against the American he thought it better to send our mother and the children away for awhile.
The days passed, the trunks were all packed, everything was ready. The day before we left we went in a carriage to bid our friends goodbye. We stopped at the school during the lunch hour to see the teachers and girls the last time. Mr. Tappen came to the house that evening and talked to us for awhile in a most kind and friendly way. When leaving he laid his hand on my head and prayed we might be safe on our long journey. People now days might think this affected but no one who knew him could think so, he was a good kind man and I like to remember that benediction.
The ship sailed from Boston so we were obliged to leave New York the day before. We left just after the family were assembled in the parlor, even our grandmother came so early to see us for the last time. Aunt Lottie, Emmy and dear Rosie were all there. My last remembrance of Aunt Clara is of her kissing me with tears running down her face. She had been very kind to us, but I think she must have felt relieved after we were safely gone, we must have been a great responsibility.
Uncle Dymock and Anne accompanied us to Boston. We took our last look at New York from the deck of a steamboat and that chapter of our life was closed. We were most of the night on the boat. I shed many tears on my pillow as I thought of the kind friends I was leaving but most of all I grieved for Rosie as I thought I might never see her again. I never did.
We left the boat so early in the morning it was still dark, and took the steamer cars for the city. By the time we arrived there it was quite light. Uncle Dymock put us with Anne in a carriage and we were taken to the house of Mr. Pierce, one of the owners of the Samoset. His wife a charming lady received us most kindly, took us to a pretty bedroom where we could wash and brush our hair and then conducted us to the dining room where breakfast was ready. We did not expect to sail till late that day but we had hardly finished breakfast when a messenger came to say we must go aboard at once as the ship would leave very soon, so we bid our kind hostess goodbye and were taken to the dock. Uncle Dymock and Anne went on board with us. Uncle Dymock introduced us to Captain Brewer who was to be our guardian for the voyage. Soon came the order "All Ashore" Uncle Dymock and Anne kissed us goodbye and went over the side to the dock where a small crowd had assembled to see the ship leave. There a fluttering of handkerchiefs and waving of the hats as we moved slowly away. Our voyage was begun and an entirely new life lay before us."
"It was a great task to prepare us for such a long voyage. We had to have enough clothes to last five months, without washing. At that time all the sewing was by hand and there was no ready made things, as at present. Anne the woman who lived with us in New Jersey was in New York now taking care of her old mother, she seemed to have a feeling of affection for Evy and myself and sometimes came to see us. As she was a good seamstress as well as a cook. Aunt Clara of ten gave her plain sewing to do, so now she was sent for and given the task of making the underclothes. It was was not decided yet when we were to sail but it would take sometime to make so many things. The dresses were made by a dressmaker. There had to be a variety of these as we would pass through such different climates as the Tropics and Cape Horn.
We spent part of our last Eastern summer in the town of Orange at a boardinghouse where our Grandmother and Aunt Lottie, who had a two month old baby, were staying. Nothing very exciting happened there. Evy and I arranged some tableauxs one evening that seemed to amuse the other boarders.
About the first of October, Captain Brewer in whose care we were to be during the voyage, wrote that the Samoset, the ship we were to sail in would be ready to sail before the end of the month so the packing and all preparations should be finished that we might be ready to start at short notice. I remember well what an excitement there was. There were four large chests to be packed with the clothes for the voyage beside a trunk for the nice dresses we were to wear in Honolulu, a box for the new bonnets and our books, music and all our belongings to be gathered together and packed. I don't remember now who did the work but Aunt Clara had all the responsibility.
We were going to Honolulu first and our mother was to meet us there. Though peace was declared and our father and his family had returned to Mazatlan and there was so much bad feelings against the American he thought it better to send our mother and the children away for awhile.
The days passed, the trunks were all packed, everything was ready. The day before we left we went in a carriage to bid our friends goodbye. We stopped at the school during the lunch hour to see the teachers and girls the last time. Mr. Tappen came to the house that evening and talked to us for awhile in a most kind and friendly way. When leaving he laid his hand on my head and prayed we might be safe on our long journey. People now days might think this affected but no one who knew him could think so, he was a good kind man and I like to remember that benediction.
The ship sailed from Boston so we were obliged to leave New York the day before. We left just after the family were assembled in the parlor, even our grandmother came so early to see us for the last time. Aunt Lottie, Emmy and dear Rosie were all there. My last remembrance of Aunt Clara is of her kissing me with tears running down her face. She had been very kind to us, but I think she must have felt relieved after we were safely gone, we must have been a great responsibility.
Uncle Dymock and Anne accompanied us to Boston. We took our last look at New York from the deck of a steamboat and that chapter of our life was closed. We were most of the night on the boat. I shed many tears on my pillow as I thought of the kind friends I was leaving but most of all I grieved for Rosie as I thought I might never see her again. I never did.
We left the boat so early in the morning it was still dark, and took the steamer cars for the city. By the time we arrived there it was quite light. Uncle Dymock put us with Anne in a carriage and we were taken to the house of Mr. Pierce, one of the owners of the Samoset. His wife a charming lady received us most kindly, took us to a pretty bedroom where we could wash and brush our hair and then conducted us to the dining room where breakfast was ready. We did not expect to sail till late that day but we had hardly finished breakfast when a messenger came to say we must go aboard at once as the ship would leave very soon, so we bid our kind hostess goodbye and were taken to the dock. Uncle Dymock and Anne went on board with us. Uncle Dymock introduced us to Captain Brewer who was to be our guardian for the voyage. Soon came the order "All Ashore" Uncle Dymock and Anne kissed us goodbye and went over the side to the dock where a small crowd had assembled to see the ship leave. There a fluttering of handkerchiefs and waving of the hats as we moved slowly away. Our voyage was begun and an entirely new life lay before us."
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting!