85
and Houston Streets during Cahill s residence,
show the girl in a more favorable light than their
recipient. The chirography is rather boyish than
womanish, (the writer being self taught,) the spelling
and grammar faulty and feminine. Some of
the letters are written in pencil, for which apology
is made. Cahill apostrophized as Dear Frank
My own dear Frank, and sometimes as Baby ,
receives professions of extreme affection and endearment
which glance off into reproach and complaint of his
neglecting to visit her, of his getting tight in spite of
repeated promises to the contrary, of his inconstancy
and general loose-souledness. All of this is curiously
blended with artless allusions to her wretched vocation,
which seems to be regarded as quite apart from the
feeling she entertains for him. She writes of coming
to see him (at Houston St) only she had no boots : she
went as far as Jenine s in her parlor slippers but
her feet got so wet and cold that she proceeded no fur-
ther. Times are so hard with us poor girls she
says, that indeed I don t know what I will do this
winter. She will come to see him as soon as her
cape is out of pledge. She is constantly hearing of
his being tight; it is so unkind after she begged him
not and he promised. She hopes she has more
pride and senses than to be jealous of some other
girl. She complains of his telling her so many
falsehoods. She writes from Philadelphia, inviting
| Page |
| Title: | Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries, Volume Eleven: page ninety-three |
| Description: | Describes letters sent to Frank Cahill from prostitute Isabella Clemo. |
| Date: | 1859-08-22 |
| Subject: | Cahill, Frank; Clemo, Isabella; Gunn, Thomas Butler; Prostitutes; Women |
| Coverage (City/State): | [New York, New York] |
| Coverage (Street): | Houston Street |
| Scan Date: | 2011-01-31 |
| Volume |
| Title: | Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries, Volume Eleven |
| Description: | Includes descriptions of boarding house living at 132 Bleecker Street, his freelance writing and drawing work, the antics of New York literary Bohemians, Fanny Fern and James Parton's marriage, visits to the Edwards family, a Fourth of July excursion with the Edwards family and other friends, letters from Frank Cahill and Bob Gun's mistresses, Jesse Haney's proposal of marriage to Sally Edwards and rejection, Charles Damoreau's return from Boston to live in New York, and attending the Edwards family's 1859 Christmas party. |
| Subject: | Boardinghouses; Bohemians; Christmas; Gunn, Thomas Butler; Marriage; Publishers and publishing; Women |
| Coverage (City/State): | New York, New York |
| Note: | Thomas Butler Gunn was born February 15, 1826, in Banbury, England, and came to New York in 1849. During the Civil War he worked as a correspondent for the New York Tribune and the New York Evening Post. He returned to England in 1863, and died in Birmingham in April 1903. The collection includes twenty-one volumes of his diaries, including newspaper clippings, letters, photographs, sketches, and various other items inserted by Gunn. Diary entries date from July 7, 1849, to April 7, 1863, and include his experiences with the New York publishing and literary world, his descriptions of boarding houses, his travels throughout the United States, and his experiences traveling with the Federal army as a Civil War correspondent. |
| Publisher: | Missouri History Museum |
| Rights: | Copyright 2011 Missouri History Museum. |
| Source: | Page images, transcriptions, and metadata of the Thomas Butler Gunn diaries have been provided by the Missouri History Museum. |
