Letters to, from cousin Emily H. "Lilly" Morris Wood, n.d.

Note: “Solitude” is Emily H. Morris’ residence in Philadelphia. Emily H. Morris Wood vacations during the summer in Newport, Rhode Island. The most common day-to-day activities as reported in the letters generally consist in sewing, horseback riding, letter writing, visiting and receiving friends. Somewhat frequent discussions of shopping, fashion, and art, often at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts.

Some highlights include:

Philadelphia, April 8. [“Sixth day evening Nell and I were invited to spend the evening at Elizabeth Howell’s in 3rd St. she is a very accomplished and agreeable lady whose husband has been dead for some years. There we met…Mr. and Mrs. Mott. Mrs. Mott looked too lovely for anything she was dressed in a black satin skirt with a heavy bore plaiting of velvet around the bottom and a black velvet zouave jacket trimmed with white and black cord the inside body was of Swiss muslin with Valenciennes lace and a crimson velvet ribbon run through it. Her hair was waved and arranged in a French twist very low behind. Altogether she looked like a vision of beauty…Please sister Katie don’t tell Aunt Jane that we met Mrs. Mott or she will be raging.”]