January 1, 1837 New Year letter from H. D. Crocker to her cousin Fanny Ayer, care of R. Woodman, in West Bradford, Massachusetts.  Excellent letter about H D moving to Boston to start a career there. Below is an excerpt from the start of the letter. 

“I wish you a happy new year Fanny, ay, very many of them, if it may so please the great Arbiter of fate. Another year has fled; fled with all its joys, and sorrows, hopes and fears. Yes cuz, the past year has sped on with the velocity of an arrow and with it countless myriads of beings, who with us began the year of 1886, full of life & joy have sped their into an untried region—into an unknown eternity. How should the flight of time admonish us to be in readiness for our departure hence; and yet how careless we are of its repeated warning. May we Fanny respond to the prayer of the pious David, ‘Lo teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom’.

Cousin Fanny, if you would like to know how I got here and what sort of a time I had; well sir, I left Andover in a very short time after you did; Mr. Helton went with me to the depot, at the ticket office he introduced me to Mr. Clark and commended me to his special care. The said conductor very politely assisted me into the car, bade me take the buck seat, ahem dc, as it was the pleasantest. There were about a dozen passengers popped in one after another. In a few minutes the bell rang and then all’s ready and off flew a cloud of smoke and whine whine went the engine and off we all went in the twinkling of a bedpost. When we got under the bridge, Fanny, I thought of all you told me, must be a good good girl; about 4 o’clock we reached the teapot in Boston. Mr. Clark was again on hand to help me out. Took my baggage. He told a boy where I wanted to go. I was then put on board a coach which was in waiting, and before dark I was landed safe and sound at brother Hill’s. I liked riding on the railroad much better than I expected. On the whole I had a very pleasant time so you see it is not worth while to borrow so much trouble, for I could not ask to get along any better than I did, and what’s better met with a cordial welcome when I got here.

In addition, the letter she tells of her family introducing her to Dorchester and Boston. She says: “I walked about so much that I have been so lame ever since that I could scarcely crawl around. I liked the looks of the city very well. Saw a thousand five things which I should like very much but bought nothing.” She is looking for a room but her family told her not to rush. She also asks about some young men from Andover, but notes: “Tell your father I haven’t found any young man yet, but I think likely I may before spring.”  

As mentioned above, this letter is well written by a young woman setting out on her own in Boston.  You can read the excitement in her words. That she is attractive is obvious from the special care afforded her at the train station and by the earlier comment by Fanny’s father.

Letter is in brown ink and has faded a little, but still easy reading.  Tear where seal was broken affects a couple words but is minor.