Uncle
John and Uncle Samuel are just the intelligent, sociable, free, and
hospitable sort of folk that everybody likes and everybody feels at
home with.
"The folks are very anxious to have a school on our plan set on foot
here. We can have fine rooms in the city college building, which is
now unoccupied, and everybody is ready to lend a helping hand. As to
father, I never saw such a field of usefulness and influence as is
offered to him here."
This, then, was the field of labor in which the next eighteen years of
the life of Mrs. Stowe were to be passed. At this time her sister Mary
was married and living in Hartford, her brothers Henry Ward and
Charles were in college, while William and Edward, already licensed to
preach, were preparing to follow their father to the West.
Mr. Beecher's preliminary journey to Cincinnati was undertaken in the
early spring of 1832, but he was not ready to remove his family until
October of that year. An interesting account of this westward journey
is given by Mrs. Stowe in a letter sent back to Hartford from
Cincinnati, as follows:--
"Well, my dear, the great sheet is out and the letter is begun. All
our family are here (in New York), and in good health.
"Father is to perform to-night in the Chatham Theatre! 'positively for
the _last_ time this season!' I don't know, I'm sure, as we shall
ever get to Pittsburgh. Father is staying here begging money for the
Biblical Literature professorship; the incumbent is to be C.
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