TO MRS. HAWTHORNE

 TO MRS. HAWTHORNE

 

New York, Sunday morng., April 17th, 1853

 

Dearest,

 

I arrived here in good condition Thursday night at ? past 12. Every moment of my time has been so taken up with calls and engagements¹ that I really could not put pen to paper until now, when I am writing before going down to breakfast.

 

It is almost as difficult to see O'Sullivan here as if he were a hundred miles off. I rode three miles to his home on Friday, and found him not at home. However, he came yesterday, and we talked together until other people came between.

 

I do wish I could be let alone, to follow my own ideas of what is agreeable². To-day, I am to dine³ with a college-professor of mathematics, to meet Miss Lynch!! Why did I ever leave thee, my own dearest wife? Now, thou seest, I am to be lynched.

 

We have an ugly storm here to-day. I intend 222 to leave New York for Philadelphia tomorrow, and shall probably reach Washington on Wednesday.

 

I am homesick for thee. The children, too, seem very good and beautiful. I hope Una will be very kind and sweet. As for Julian, let Ellen make him a pandowdy. Does Rosebud⁴ still remember me? It seems an age since I left home.

 

No words can tell how I love thee. I will write again as soon as possible.

 

Thine Ownest Husband.

1 engagements   

订婚( engagement的名词复数 )； 婚约； 约会； 约定

参考例句：

• I have numerous engagements next week. 下星期我有许多约会。
• Broadway was full of loafing thespians in search of next season's engagements. 百老汇大街上挤满了闲荡的演员，在寻找下个季度的演出机会。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

2 agreeable   

adj.符合的，一致的，欣然同意的，令人愉快的

参考例句：

• He was quite agreeable to accepting the plan.他乐意接受这项计划。
• I enjoyed an agreeable holiday this summer.今年夏天我度过了一个愉快的假期。

3 dine   

vi.吃饭，进餐；vt.宴请

参考例句：

• I wish I could afford to dine off fresh meat every day.我要是能天天吃到新鲜的肉就好了。
• Let's dine out tonight，I'm too tired to cook.我太累了，不想做饭，今晚咱们到外面吃吧。

4 rosebud   

n.蔷薇花蕾，妙龄少女

参考例句：

• At West Ham he was thought of as the rosebud that never properly flowered.在西汉姆他被认为是一个尚未开放的花蕾。
• Unlike the Rosebud salve,this stuff is actually worth the money.跟玫瑰花蕾膏不一样，这个更值的买。