Ogden Codman Jr. to Sarah Bradlee Codman, 1895

Transcription of a letter from Ogden Codman Jr. to Sarah Bradlee Codman dated March 5, 1895. Codman often dispensed with punctuation, as reflected here. Given how abruptly Codman changes topic, moreover, the exact order for any page beginning with a new sentence is not entirely clear. The quotation used in exhibition label is in BOLD. 

[PAGE 1] 

March 5, 1895. 

[signed at top, alongside the lefthand margin: “Your affect. / Son Ogden.”]  

5 WEST SIXTEENTH STREET 

Dear Mère Cot 

I enclose two cuttings / that may amuse you / in return for those you / sent me. I shall put / the view of Old Tremont / St in my scrap book / I am very glad to have / it. Think of F. J. trying / to smuggle clothing in such quantities!! 

I wonder if that was / on [?] Col. Drury Lane [?] / I went to Boston Saturday / Mrs. Van Renselaer Cruger / was on the train going to   

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Southboro to see her little / nephew who is at school / there. She was quite / amusing. I went to stay / with Julian who is alone / at 57 Marlboro St all the / others having gone South / for 6 weeks. I dined / at the Edward Codmans / and heard all about / Lalie Abbotts insanity / It came on both times / her engagements were / broken off.  She was / at St. Margarets in / Louisburg Sq and / travelled with a keeper / I forget which time. / One way each time 

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it was called nervous prostration / Sunday I went to lunch with Mrs / John Gray & sat between her & Isabel / Perkins (15000000$)  It was quite / fun, I went to see Annie Warren / and dined at the Skinners & went / to the Apthorps afterwards. Monday / I dined with Aunt Kitty lunched / with Berkeley Updike did my / business all up and came here / Tuesday – in the 10 am train / getting here at 3. It is cold again  

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which is a nuisance / Mrs. Cochrane having got / her daughter Charlotte engaged to / a common sort of Loring / has let George Blake / out of his engagement to / May who is permanently / insane. Aunt Kitty / thinks the Duncans / (Blanchard née Dove) / might like Lincoln / and are looking for a / house in the Country / I shall set the house agents / after her as soon as possible / Having Mrs Wharton at / home in summer & she / seems to be coming, will / be better than having / her in winter      

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Bronson Winthrop is a son / of Egerton, & he is dull / but respectable. 

The Lil Cods say Dr. Mure [?] / was told she was crazy.  

I hope you are better / how bad the grippe seems / to have been in Paris / you had better try Rome / next winter 

I havent read Lewis Ames / I will get it   I have been / reading Daudet’s / La Petite Paroisse / and rather like it / & “Lil Cods Ma” gave me / “Poppea” Mrs Crugers / last book which I also / like. I am 96 on / the Somerset list / it will take four years 

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I know Ned Boit gambles / but I doubt if he does to / a very great extent. / Where did you find that / funny old cutting of Tremont St? 

Frank Crowninshield & others / tell me that the men in / Boston think the worst / of Charley Gibson. Poor Rossie / they have had a hard / time this winter. All / Boston has been talking / about them in a horrid way / The Ned Codmans stand / up for them tremendously / Charley is just like / Mary Hammond so / everybody says – / I saw Alice Pratt &  

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her mother at the Apthorps Sunday / Emma Eames [?] was there and several / others, Ancona sang and Mlle / Heller. Its funny but I cannot think / of any more gossip. Rosita & her / husband were there and little Herbert / Brown who was running around like / some queer little animal with / its tail between its legs in a timid / way –  It was awfully hot and the / rooms seemed tiny and sort of cheap / & dirty – I thought it was rather squalid / Mrs Skinners dinner was nice 

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the house is rather pretty / but dear me I could / have made it so much / prettier if I had had / the choosing of the / things there is not quite / enough uniformity / about it “too scrappy” / yet better than most and comme il faut / The Charleses is squalid / they must be very poor / and can never have had / any taste, it is sad to / see those shabby little / cells, I am glad to / get back to these big / comfortable pretty / rooms after all – / space is the great luxury   

[Codman closes the letter along the lefthand margin of PAGE 1]