Cottage Garden alias

Cabin Home Hannibal

Mo. July 7^th, 1870

My dear Friend

As William wrote in reply to yrs. of ——— enclosing note I have allowed myself to delay. Shall I tell you why? I thought you would acknowledge rec^t of his, and when I should write you would do the same to mine, so we should hear from you twice instead of once. Was I selfish? I must own the fact; But I am reading "Put yourself in his place" and tho' I had believed I knew before something of this method of reasoning and the act of making it practical I find myself taking new lessons in its application. The trouble has always been, & I greatly fear it always will be (till we get beyond the body) that tho' I put myself in another place, I go there

as myself, not as that other. Why is it, what is about me that knowing I would do so & so, I believe another would if they could start from my standpoint (& so they would if they were I) I am always reasoning in this way—"If I had the money such an one has I should be glad to use it so & so," and then with that feeling my impulse is to say frankly will you do such a thing? the truth is, tho' I have felt all my life the want of money (rather the want of what money would bring) it seems always that if I had it, it would seem such a small thing to one for another. and the same with all the physical comforts. They can help and change the affections, and yet not one of them do we want any longer than we have the body, why then do we try to hoard them, & keep them to ourselves?

I don't know what I might have done had I been a man. I think I should have had the capacity to accumulate, but I doubt if I should have kept the results any easier than Wm has. It is easiest for both of us to use whatever we have, be it food for the body or the heart, for the hungry of either sort—well I wonder what has sent me off on this strain? You see I am quite alone in this little house, this aft. only it seems as if you are right here with me & I was talking to you, & with you instead of sending you my reflex (I wonder that is the right expression?) which will go to you when you are quite in a different vein and perhaps indifferent to any & every such thought. But you said "all the good news you can send

me will be welcome! So let me say we have had first the most refreshing rain, that can be imagined—and rain which has strengthened up the Corn & the beans, smoothed out the curling leaves of squash cucumber & grape vines, & "made the little hills rejoice on every side." But the drought had well nigh dried up our berries strawberries, raspberries, & Black—the latter will be helped but the supply much diminished from what it would have been. But Frederick I wish you could see my hens & chickens—From these I hope we shall realize some profit, tho' on the whole we cannot complain of the garden, from all the circumstances ("put yourself in his place") I think WmGreene, William Arnold

really deserves great credit how he has made his salary $25. a week accomplish so much is quite a wonder. We have put in a kitchen for we found the weather intolerable and that is the greatest

comfort imaginable. We do look very cozy and wish oh so many times that were not too far "to have you looking in upon us." Will you not come this summer for all it is so far? Will not the change do you as much good as to go to the Wh. Mountains or rather go to Utah or California via Hannibal—if you can't come for its own sake and make us a visit—I wish I could offer you as nice a room as you gave us two years ago. (Our spare room is out doors but it is easy to find a spot for a cot in the house if the sleeper is willing) I have outgrown all desire for an elegant or spacious house, but I should like one large enough to make my friend comfortable. With the business prospects for Hannibal now almost certain, the increase of value of real estate anywhere about it, & especially in this direction is sure as late. Even this summer had we had accomodations

we could have had all the summer boarders we should have wished, wh. after a while would be enough to pay for the house but oh dear that implies such a heap of care & hard work for poor lazy me. but then in this little hut, and indeed wherever I am in this world it is to be work & No I would not show it but now my head aches too hard to like it, any how.

July 14th—You see my head and other hindrances has again delayed my letter and so little do I find in the above, that I am more than tempted to destroy it, lest it will be alike unsatisfactory to you. however I shall trust to your forbearance as I always do, in such cases. I can see you all in and out of your home this warm weather in my "mind's eye," & I wonder if yr German fr.Assing, Ottilie

Ottilie Assing (1819-84) was born to Rosa Maria Antoinette Pauline Assing, a Christian, and Assur David Assing, a Jew, in Hamburg, Germany. Assing received an accelerated education from her mother and was generally described as bright and vivacious. After the death of her mother in 1840 and father in 1842, Ottilie and younger sister Ludmilla spent time with relatives, but she grew depressed and attempted suicide in 1843. After returning to Hamburg, Assing began writing reviews of local culture. In 1851 she became a correspondent for the German periodical Morganblatt fur gehildete Leser. Assing first met Frederick Douglass when she came to America in 1855, supposedly inspired to make his acquaintance after reading My Bondage and My Freedom. She arrived in Rochester and interviewed him for an article that subsequently appeared in Morganblatt. Thereafter Assing published numerous articles about Douglass for her German readership, and also translated My Bondage and My Freedom into German, contributing an introduction. The two began an intimate friendship in 1856 that lasted twenty-eight years. During that time Douglass and Assing corresponded regularly. When in the United States, Assing was a regular visitor at the Douglass home in Rochester. She was friendly with his children, although his wife, Anna Murray, did not approve of her husband's relationship. Douglass and Assing often appeared in public together, but no contemporary public speculation questioned the propriety of their relationship. Following Anna Murray Douglass's death in 1882, Assing hoped that she might become Mrs. Frederick Douglass. However, in January 1884, while Assing was in Europe, Douglass married his secretary, Helen Pitts. Becoming increasingly more ill, possibly with cancer, and despondent from Douglass's rejection, Assing committed suicide in a Paris park on 21 August 1884. She left her entire estate to Douglass. Christoph Lohmann, ed., Radical Passion: Ottilie Assing's Reports from America and Letters to Frederick Douglass (New York, 1999), 69, 329-62; Diedrich, Love across Color Lines, 7, 23, 38, 56, 184, 368, 371. is with you? The son's wives will of course make you a visit. I should like so much to see them. The Wedding at the Downer's must have been quite an elegant affair. I wonder if the papers made it seem more than it was. These showy Weddings & Funerals seem much of the same piece to me. GertieSherman, Martha Greene "Gertie"

Daughter of Martha Waldo Brown Greene and William Arnold Greene (Finding Aid, Martha Waldo Greene and Frederick Sherman Collection of Frederick Douglass papers, Brown University). She married William F. Sherman in 1872. is having vacation, at one time she thought to go East, and planned to stop over a train in Rochester to see you, but the expense finally deterred her, & decided her to wait another year. I wait with interest to know your decision about yr next lecture subject—how much I wish I could "read up" to you, on whatever you decide. I am sure I have a taste in that direction and think I might have had some capacity, had I not been born to work in another way. I don't see why we might not just as well have been born to work in the way we would like best do you? But ungrateful things that we are I dare say if what we think we want, had been the thing

given as, we should want a different oh here comes the necessity of Immortality to satisfy us. I can't help hoping there is such a fact.

Did I ever write about the publishing of the book? The estimate wh. Mitchell Ebert & Co made upon the cost of the small edition, Life of Frederick D was—so it must retail for 75c. I sent "My Bondage & Freedom," for an estimate on that that you should then decide between the two, but press of business &c has prevented a return. Now is it useless to hope you will come to us this summer? This retired spot would be a nice one to think up yr lecture. It is so far out of the world there is no one to "molest or make a pain" Why not have two homes? Ours is yours, whenever you will allow it to be so. Please remember us both to Mrs Douglass, and to Rosa. I wish she could find a spare moment to tell me herself of her little ones. With much love

Martha W. G.