Letter, Catherine S. Tone to Sumner LaRue and Blanche Tone, Jan 23 1893

Catherine D. Spafford (1836-1916) writes to Sumner Larue Tone (1864-1942) and Emma Blanche Torrence (1868-1925) a month after their wedding (Dec 28, 1892).

Bergen, Jan 23, 1893

Our dear son and daughter,
I have just finished a letter to Florence. As I did not write you last week I must not shirk the pleasure this week surely, but I thought you would hardly miss the weekly budget [?]. La Rue: as you have some one now to take up the leisure time and pass it with, it makes me feel very happy too to think you have. After so many years of boarding house life. I am sure you will appreciate it, and will try to be a very loving devoted husband. We are again settled down into the same monotonous sound of daily life. Those four weeks of getting Ready, going, enjoying returning and receiving, passed so quickly and pleasantly that they are like a lovely dream, all realized but too soon over. They were very eventful weeks. I cannot tell you how pleasant they were to us, nor how much we enjoyed them. Our anticipations were more than we could think of their being on realization. I amd sure you will not wonder that we felt very lonely here for many days, and do not yet feel quite able to overcome the temptation to have a fine day, even while we are so happy on thinking of you. For we love you both very very deeply-- when i think of the happiness that is yours. If your lives are spared to each other, it fills my unreadable with gratitude. God grant that as the years come and go, you will find love's young unreadable opening more and more beautiful, never forgetting that this precious love is God given, and with grateful heart recognize his leading guiding hand.

We still keep receiving letters of congratulation, which we very much enjoy. Pa had a business letter from Mr. De Long [Leong?] the other day. I said I would send the congratulating part to you. Pa said tell them that if they meet the expectations of esteem that the friends of each express they will be a "wonderful couple". I think they are now. I suppose you have heard of Florence's day of tribulation getting back to college, and then to think of unreadable beginning on Saturday quite a change from the heights of dissipation [?] to unreadable reality and hard work. The extreme cold weather seems to have had its back broken. It began to moderate last Friday and to-day it has thawed quite a little.

We were a little disappointed not seeing you, La Rue last week but we did not set our hearts upon it. I did make some biscuit for supper. When I asked the man if Pa had gone to B as he came to do the chores, and he said no. So you can see what you lost-- maple syrup and warm biscuit. Doesn't it make your mouth water. I am glad you found the cake good. I know Blanche will do what is right. I shall not unreadable on your behalf. I do not think I thanked you for your gift you left for me. I will wear it is very pretty, but I wish you had kept it to adorn your own home. Do not think I do not appreciate it or the love that prompted it, for I do. You left the pencil [?] Mr. Brice [?] gave you on the sitting-room table. We had better keep it till we are sending something, hadn't we? Blanche will you please give me the length of those pillows. I thought I had it but cannot find it. Remember us with much love to your brother and sister. With a heart full of the choicest unreadable you both. I will say good night. Ever

Very longingly, Ma