Numbered pages 171-176.

 

Hotel Clarendon                                             Belvidere N.J.                  Aug. 8  1899

Note at the top:  “Please excuse this hastily written blotted letter.  I am writing in a hurry so it will go out in the early morning mail.                  N.H.”

Cousin Henry J.:

Your good letter of the 1st inst., as well as the one of the 2nd inst., have been received and read with pleasure.

As I said before you are certainly a history hunter, and best of all,—a history finder.

I am pleased to know that you think of coming out here again this summer.

I will try on my part to have the family reunion a pleasant

gathering.

Dr. Thompson writes me that he with some others (whose names he will report later) expect to attend the reunion.  About his preaching here I have seen the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church and he says they have arranged for the supplies for the pulpit on Aug 20th but will be pleased to try and arrange for some other date.

As you no doubt know

the gathering is to be held in N.J. just across the river from the old Aten family burying ground.  There will be boats there for any who desire to go over to view this old historic spot,--to do so.

Cousin Henry you must of course come and visit us again in our plain home, and if Mrs. A comes with

you, she must also be our guest, or the daughters, or either who may come must also visit us---

Mrs. Hay has said more than once that there are so many things she ought to have told you but she could not bring them to her mind when you was here.—

She has written to Mrs. Babcock to come out here this year. She has not heard from Mrs. B., up to this date.  I have written to Rev. Wm. Aten and asked him to be sure to attend this

reunion, but have not heard from him yet.  I hope he will attend. Henry of Hope is quite sick.  I am afraid he will not be able to attend this year.

I send you a slip in reference to the Great Exposition that is to open in Philadelphia on Sept. 14th.—You must arrange your matters at home so you can stay and see the opening of this Exposition. If it was

only possible for many of the descendants of these two old families who live in the west to attend, what a pleasure it would be—What an army of Kinsfolk we could see.—I rec’d a nice letter from P.H. Bousquet of Pella Iowa saying it would be impossible for him to attend this year.

We are all well at this time and sincerely hope you are well at your home. —  

The nearest R.R.Station to our reunion is Manunka—Chunk Junction,—you must remember the place where the tunnel is.—

We all send love and kind regards to you all.  Yours very respectfully         Nicholas Harris