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

License

CC0 1.0 Universal

Has Version

Archive.org Viewer, Microfilm Series Reel 161

Item sets

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