The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

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Title

[FB003AAB], Letter from Elizabeth F Earl to Mina Miller (Mrs Thomas A.) Edison, August 13th, 1889

Editor's Notes

[Dresden] I had hoped to get to Paris again by the last of this month and see you there but the family I came with here about concluded to go to Italy before going to Paris and that will delay us until October. I fear by that time, you may be gone home and I write this in care of [herr Heintzelman, knowing it will not reach you--I should have written to your steamer had I known by which one you were coming--I had a talk with Mrs. Miller about taking her in this Autumn and asked her to tell you what I said--I feel much [confused?] to seem to be [heking?] our engagement but the circumstances of the case are such that I shall have to ask you to make some [other ?] arrangement for the present for Marion--In the first place I know she would never be happy or contented with us for next winter, we shall have to practice great economy and live very plainly--then Mrs. McCarthy has to return this Autumnto finish her suit which was again first [planned?] for several months when it was half ended--she is very anxious to have me go home with her and I want very much indeed to do so for several reasons--I have been very [havesids?] the first few months and I think if I could go there and see my friends, I [would then?] feel difficulty and could be quite contented to come back and spend several months or a year--Besides which it would give me a chance to attend to some pressing business matters--I feel certain from what I have seen of Marion that she would be much happier and all would go better were I to have her alone or if she were alone with the person who has her in charge--when Mrs. McCarthy is ready to give [me? Her?] up I should be delighted to take charge of her here for travel and study for I like her very much indeed and feel we'd get on well together--If till time [?] comes, you would take her home or leave her here with some competent person, I will then do it gladlym, unless some thing I cannot now forsee happens to prevent--I would pay all this [frankly? Family?] to have McCarthy and ask her to release her now but I feel that in honor I owe her some months or a year, since she feels that she wants me so badly--I spent eight months in Europe at her expense, enjoying myself, while she was so unhappy and miserable in [Utica?] and getting no good of me--you will wonder that the case was first [planned?] again she could not come before October, that I might put Halsted with a friend of mine who lived near Paris and accept one of the many offers I had to travel for the [steamer?] [hearing?] and your sisters were already provided for and I telegraphed her friend that I would join them on July 20th and go with them then I receieved a cable to day that she was coming--She reached Paris five days before I left and calling in she felt badly to have me come and I equally so to leave her, I felt I MUST come the more that the [travels?] had already waited some days, for me and would have been [mine inescapably?] [rican?] received by my failure to come at the last moment--A lady friend of Mrs. McCarthy happened to be in the same house with us who was glad to join her for a couple of months and Mademoiselle [Chafuis?] who is a friend of her brothers promised to take good care of her so she will await my return there--this is a long and I fear not a very lucid explanation but I hope you will understand but I decide as I do because it seems to me best for all concerned--it is not at all that I do not wish to take Marion--I think her an interesting girl and feel sure I should enjoy being with her--I hope it will come later but I know under the circumstances she would not be happy or comfortable with us and if she were not happy, we should not be--if Marion likes Miss Brigham and Miss Brigham would keep her, I think you would not place her in better hands--Miss Brigham is a LADY, of culture and refinement, high privileged, gentle, patient, wise, affectionate, and [--- pathetic?]--I think Mrs. Miss Miller misjudged her in the matter of the English trip--Miss Brigham--Miss Brigham said to Marion from the first."Even if you know your parents would be perfectly willing to have you go, I would [not?] go one step without their consent in advance--not to London or anywhere else"--she has said to me often in [pearman's?] presence that she never read such letters as yours to Marion, that you were her best friend and that you must be a woman of superior [puidment? Judgment?]-- very [Miss?] such thing--always her conversation was in such a vein--it may be that Marion would not wish to go with Miss Brigham for Miss B--is going to spend the winter in Munich where she has lovely friends and Marion has a very strong prejudice against Germany and does not wish to learn the language, prefers French--still of course, if you thought best for her to do so, she might see the matter in a better light---I would gladly place my daughter, had I one, in Miss Brigham's care, and feel that she was one of the two or three people I had ever seen of whom I could affirm that--I seen a great deal of her last winter and Spring--the more I saw her, the more highly I esteemed her--I have been writing in silent haste--but hope I have made myself intelligible--Please give my love to Marionif she is with you--I hope she will not feel hardly towards me in the matter--I am certain could I [lately?] with you both, you would see the reasonableneses of my arguments--things sound or rather look ugly when written that when said can be explained and cause no hard feelings--I should be sorry to lose Marion's affection, for I [know?] we were congenial and agreeable to each other--hoping soon to hear from you and also to see you if you are to be in Paris in October, I am yours most cordially, Elizabeth F. Earl ## A letter sent 1r 30 rue Dronot Paris, will always reach me

Author

Earl, Elizabeth F

Recipient

Edison, Mina Miller (Mrs Thomas A.)

Mentioned

Brigham, Sarah W

Edison, Marion Estelle

Miller, Jane Eliza

Date

1889-08-13

Type

Letter

Subject

Edison-Miller family

Travel (TAE and family)

Folder ID

FB003-F

Microfilm ID

161:49

Document ID

FB003AAB

URL

https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/FB003AAB

Rights

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Publisher

Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University

Has Version

Archive.org Viewer, Microfilm Series Reel 161

Item sets

[FB003-F] Edison, Marion E. (1889-1893)