The Andrew Wylie Family Letters - Indiana University Bloomington

the wilderness (see Deut VIII.2)—a pleasing, humbling theme. Would! You & Carry & Andrew
were here to enlarge the company & the interest. In spirit you will be. God Almighty comfort,
bless, & guide you & yours & be your God as he is, I think, the God of your affectionate,
sympathizing father
A.W.
Samuel T. Wylie to Elizabeth Wylie, Bloomington, Indiana
Cincinnati Sept 13 th 1849
Dear Liz
In the hope of getting one of your long epistles in answer, I shall scribble a few lines of no
particular applicability to any one & hack them to you.
I saw John McC[alla] for a very few minutes before he started for the East, as I was not
in my office when he first called & he remained but a short time in town. I have not yet taken the
letter out to Maud which he brought, & am so not informed of the family secrets & news which it
contains--if any. I learned from McC that father had started for Louisville when he left B[loomington].
I have just returned from L[ouisville] myself, where I had been spending three or four
days on a pleasure trip. I suppose I would have seen father if I could have remained a day or two
longer.
My trip was a very unexpected one to myself as well as others.
Bell was going down on business and I went down to the river to see him off. When I got
there I found there was an opposition line of boats running & that the fare was reduced to one
dollar -- B. proposed that I should be so extravagant as to raise the wind to that amount & take the
ride. No sooner said than done & I was off in a twinkling.
I went with the intention of returning the next day, as did Mr. Bell, but I met some of my Bear
Grass acquaintances & of course had to go out in the country.
I spent three or four days visiting Mr Bullitt’s, Brow’s & Miller’s family & a most
delightful visit it was.
It almost made me regret that I had not married & settled on Bear Grass as a teacher--all of which
I could have done—especially the marrying part. Nothing but sisterly considerations prevented
my doing so, i.e. I was afraid & thought what would sister Betsy say? Thus it was I drew back
from the awful step let the pretty little gal slip through my fingers & now with some, enjoy the
reputation of having knocked & in reply being asked the affectionate question “O who’s dat
knockin at de door”? & being told “you can’t come in.”
Old Warrick Miller is the same old Coon--as full of fun as ever. He sends a cordial invitation to
John to spend the fall with him. He says that he has scarcely known a case of consumption in the
Pond settlement -- it is very healthy there this fall & that if he will come he himself will knock all
ailings into a fit & that he is death on fits.
McCalla told me that John looked almost as well as he ever saw him & that he expected to return
to Richmond soon to settle up his business. I should think it would be better for him to appoint
some one as an agent for him to settle his business there & spend the Fall in accordance with
Miller’s invitation.
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T. B. Bryan, a brother of Carry, arrived in our city last week. He comes to make
C[incinnati] his home. He is a graduate of Harvard University law school; which by the way
he represents as one of the most contemptible humbugs of the law. He will remain in Mr Fox’s
office as a student for a year and then hang out his sign as a lawyer. He is a young fellow of
energy and talent and could succeed any where. He speaks and writes the German language
fluently and under his instruction I hope to do the same myself in the course of a year or two.
We are rooming together in a German house, where we expect to derive some advan tage from
occasional conversations with the natives. He surpass es all the persons I have ever known in the
facility with which he forms acquaintances. He has been in the city about one week and now
knows more persons than I who have been here more than a year & a half. In the course of time I
suppose we will be to gether in the profession. He represents Carry’s health as still very wretched
-- She has gone to Phila[delphia] to consult some eminent physicians. You have no doubt heard
of the death of her last child.
Sept. 15th
Uncle John & Aunt Ellen are now boarding in town. They are looking for Lib and Nalle in a
day or two. They all go to New Orleans this winter again. Last night I spent on the Hill. Maud’s
health appears to be considerably improved, but she still looks badly enough. She handed me (a
month or two since) a pair of shoes for aunt Abby--some money &c. Since I have had them in my
possession, I have had but one opportunity of sending them— by Irene. She was here so short a
time that I forgot all about them, for which I got a good scolding from Maud, so Aunt A may omit
hers, as it has been attended to by proxy.
Samuel T. Wylie to Elizabeth Wylie, Bloomington, Indiana
Cincinnati Dec r 17 th --49
Dear Liz,
I was over the other evening taking supper with Mrs McGuffey and she gave me the
forty ninth lecture on collars--rolling and standing. She insists that the rollers are proscribed
by re spectable people & that I must follow the fashion or I will be proscribed also. And when
I informed her that you were making me a set of shirts with the aforesaid rollers, she exacted
a promise from me to send you written instructions to make them upright. So please consider
yourself under such instructions. I have tried on the last one you sent me (the first one I can’t
wear standing (the collar, not myself) at all) and it fit very well with two exceptions. 1st. The
collar (nirabile dictu) is not high enough—my handkerchief covers it all up. -- 2nd. It comes
round too far in front & I may add 3d sits too close to the neck.
John’s health appears to be improving if that can be said to improve which is already so
good. I cant see that there is anything the matter with him. He has however determined not to
settle in C[incinnati] at present at least. -- Does not like the idea of undergoing a second probate.
I did not advise him in the matter at all, as it might require some time for him to succeed and he
might thereupon get the blues. He might however succeed from the first.
He will return to Richmond about Christmas and resume his prac tice in connection I suppose with
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