Nettleton Civil War Collection: Letter from Adelaide E. Case to
Charles N. Tenney, 1861, June 23. | ||
Letter, June 23, 1861, from Adelaide E. Case to Charles Tenney
After receiving your very
welcome letter last evening, I seal
myself to comply with your request
to
write you. Your letter gave some
very pleasant
feelings and again it
some feelings amounting almost
to pain. because I thought there
was
a little considerable,, of flattery min-
gled with it. Perhaps if you had
been in
the room when I read your
letter, you might have seen me
indulge a very little in that
feminine weakness of
blushing
for indeed I was surprised. There is always
some thing so
disgusting to flattery
in any form and especially when it
endering name of friend that for the
moment it creates within my heart a
strange sensation that is hard to conquer
I do not say this as a reproof. but that I
may be understood. you may not have meant
it for flattery but I took it as such,
so if you value my friendship please do
avoid flattery in every form towards me.
Although our acquaintance has been very
short it has been. to me, very
pleasant. I shall
ever remember with
feelings of gratitude your
short visit at our home and I sincerely
hope that sometime in the future it
will be
repeated. Thus it is with life.
Today we form some agreeable andprof-
itable acquaintance that perchance
tomorrow
may sever forever. When I think of this
cast a gloom upon my feelings, that is
that I would form no more acquaintances. but
a desire for sympathy obliges me to succumb.
As I opened youryour letter, my eye
rested
upon the portrait of Col Elsworth. For a short
time I sat spell
bound. and gazed with
admiration. then almost unconsciously I
exclamed.—Oh! that he should die. and such
a death. Cousin Jennie
Case who was with
me immediately sprang to my side and
inquired what
was the matter. thinking only
of my brother Hallie or Brig. but when I
showed her the portrait, she too was possessed
with the same feelings. Me
dear friend
how shall I ever thank you for that
portrait. there was nothing that I could
have wished for more. but
let us turn
to something else.
You spoke in very glowing
for in my opinion he merits it all
You say that you dare not hope that I
think more of you than a common
friend.
No, I do not. how could you expect me to,
to be sure there are
those I have known for years
that I have no kinder feelings
for them
nor as kind asI have for you and have denied
them the request that to you I
granted
still I wish for no nearer tie
outside
of my home. than a true and warm-
hearted friends. perhaps you
will ask me
why it is if you do I will answer you.
You also ask if I
have objections to our
changing ambrotypes? I most assuredly
have.
That was one of the sentences which
gave me pain. You may think me a
queer girl—but I have several reasons
for
refusing that request. one is this.
But do not think that I deem that
a sufficient reason. far from it. If you
had heard the low vulgar expressions I
once heard uttered by a youth while
gazing at a likeness of a pure minded
noble girl. you would not wonder that
I then made a vow to never let my
portrait go into the hands of a gentleman
when he was nothing more than a
common friend. Do not imagine that
I think you would be guilty of such a
base act. no. never If I did Addie would
be the wrong one to be writing to you now
But that vow is made and cannot be
broken. I think that where a gantleman
and lady are engaged, then they should
change portraits. for then it is a sacred
my reasons in full In your letter you
spoke of that insurrection. and of your being
the second man in line. It would do no
good for me to praise you. but there was a
feeling of pride kindled in my bosom
when I read it. You asked if Laura knew
that you corresponded with me? Yes she does
there are but few things or secrets of mine
that she does not know. she sends her
respects to you and says tell him to
always do what he knows to be right. Is not
that godd advice? I understood that the 7th
had left Camp therefore I hardly
know where to send this. But my letter
is getting some what lengthy so I will
close with the request to write soon (what
a miserable pen this is) Yours in friendship
Nettleton Civil War Collection: Letter from Adelaide E. Case to
Charles N. Tenney, 1861, June 23. | ||