Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.

Title

Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.

Creator

Post, Mary Robbins

Contributor

Post, Isaac, 1798-1872

Description

Handwritten letter from Mary Robbins Post to Isaac Post, n.d.

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

217

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

Dearly Beloved                       Westbury 6 month 15^thI have retired for a few moments from
the business and care's of the morning to hold a few min-
utes converse with you not that any thing presents which
is interesting to note down but simply to commence a sheet
and as my last was written in such a hurry not time to
look over it and not even to sign it I do not remember
much what I wrote so if I chance to write the same you
must attribute it to this cause and not to any importance of the
subject       Brother's love token was duly received [sic] and appreciated and
many thanks to thim for it as it was a long time since we had rece-
ived [sic] a line from his pen _ he says he was disappointed in not viewing
an account of our Aniversary [sic] meeting which I as [was] fully expected to
do but it was deferred from time to time then a brief report of it
in the paper's and the fact of Henry Bush's being there and the prob
ability was he had filled up the deficiency of the reports you had
had made me feel like not saying much in that hastily written
scrawl suffice it to say it was the most deeply interesting one we
ever attended there as great unanimity of feeling and a solemn
-ity pervaded every mind (except some rowdies might not) in contempl
-ating the present state of the country and the position the society
was bound to adapt to carry out their convictions of the right altho
it probably would lead to much suffering yet in view of all this
there was a spirit of self sacrifice and devotion worthy the cause
yes a willingness to suffer all things if need be for the Truth
I felt truly it was good to be there and I think it left an im-
pression on many minds which cannot be effaced I mean not abolition^ists^
the cause is onward for truth is mighty and will prevail     The notice
of the yearly meeting of orthodox Friends in the last week's standard is char
acteristic and might with as much force be applied to our side friends
It occurred to me very forcibly the little while I was at the yearly M
what great good is done by coming so great distance; to be sure the quri^es^ [sic]
were read and answered as also Epistles yet in the replys [sic] not one word on
the great and crying sin's of the age war, intemperance and slavery
_ much was said on our being the favoured people of the Highest

(Page 2)

whether we really deserve as much as is said the title of the
chosen   I leave but it seems to me we are weighed in the balan^c^e
and found wanting in the weightier matters justice, money, and
truth. There is a short sentence in the notes which pleased me
"Let them ask themselves whether God requires a people of high professions
a people favoured of Heaven literally to keep in the quest"
We too have been very much pleased win reading George Thompsons
                                               ^of our English and American friends in Britain^
speeches and in all the doings, and my heart responded to the
tribute He bore to the noble and uncompromising Garrison
that a few begin to appreciate him is cheering and so long as he
remains true to principle and is faithful in rebuking sin
in high places I think there is little danger of his being "elated"
even tho he is eulogized by a few, for the majority are prepared
to condemn and hiss him and probably will do it but [positively?]
will do him justice       Suppose John and Mary will make you
a good visit I was glad to hear they had gone I hope they will en-
joy it a much as we did a year a ago      Ah one short year how
little we thought would number the most gifted one ^of our number^ with the silent
dead her removal has left a great blank which cannot be filled we feel
lonely in the fullest sense of the word and how often do we feel the
need of her sympathy and council in the various trials and dif-
-ficulties by which we are surrounded in five years how many of
our loved one's have gone home [four?] ^I^ have missed mother this summer
very much, more than I could think so long time has elapsed since
her removal from us and dear cousin William too and our beloved
sister Lydia all have left a vacum [sic] which cannot again be filled
but they have each gone to their reward which is I doubt not perfec^t^
in happiness 7 month 6 thus far I wrote some weeks since little
thinking when I was called off so long time would pass ever it
was on its way and still less of the tidings it is destined to
bear you afflictive indeed and painful as it even is to my feel
-ings to be the first to communicate such inteligence [sic] yet in
complyance [sic] to the request of Aunt Mary I resume my pen
James and Elizabeth Mott are suddenly bereft of their little dar-
-ling Amy Ann which has fallen havily [sic] indeed upon them

(Page 3)

still they are sustained in a remarkable degree and bear with chr-
-istian fortitude the blow which has fallen so heavily upon them
on the 4 she went to the factory with one of the boys (they liked to
have her there) after being out a little while Elizabeth saw her stand
ing on the steps of the dove and soon took her bonnet and went
^and not seeing her^
out for her inquired for her they said she had just gone out they
all ran out to look for her E looked in the pond but did not see her
ran to the dye house some in other places Elizabeth and a man
went to the pond again and then they discovered her near the
middle of it but the vital spark had flew they tried what they
could to reanimate her little form but all their efforts were una
vailing they sent for the doctor and he tried with all his skill Jamie
had gone to Carle Place for Ann and met the messenger with the sad#
[Continues below with line beginning “#news Elizabeth thinks]

[Text in middle third of the page, vertical, upwards]
and he thinks Margaret will not be more
poorly and hopes Marthas fever will
be broke soon they were more comfortable
yesterday— Mother too is very feeble more
so this summer than ever and the want
of suitable help adds thereto they have
tried to get so[me?]one but it really seems
impossible to [get?] any thingWilliam
Ketcham rode much to find some one to
assist them but did not succeed in getting
any body - When I left this little space
I thought it was the outside and wrote
accordingly and I did not see any better
way than to do as I have May Lewis
is an invalid too she is under the care
of Dr Vandevere of Flat Bush go once a
week to see him she has been very mis-
-erable a long time he thinks he can help
her and she is some better so bettween [sic]
all the invalids I felnd I have as much
as I can get along with to take some
care of my family and a little of my
self (I have not been well this summer)
and a little of them to fill all my
time I thought I would take this
to the store and see Mary this evening
it is now 3^rd day and the mail for tomor
row goes to the rail road to night so
I must leave much unsaid for two
reasons want of time and paper
why is the world do not Sarah W
and Mary and Edmund and Julia write
us a letter now and then I am aware
they would get very little in return
therefor [sic] but the consciousness of giving
pleasure to Friends who love them might
be almost enough [in?] itself – our love to
all our relative[s a?]nd friends who
care to have it[ from?]us and Rhoda too

[Text normal]
#news Elisabeth thinks she had probably gone down when she first
looked in the pond—she had gone with the boys sometimes to see them
sail their little boats and they think likely she went near the edge
and slipped in as the ground was wet there having been much wet wea
ther for several days we did not hear of it until morning it occured [sic]
about 6 in the afternoon I went up and spent the forepart of
the day with them and felt then as well as at many other
times the truth of that passage of scripture "It is better to go to the
house of mourning than to that of feasting &c" and also that I was more
in the way of my duty than to have gone with others to our accosto-
med [sic] place of worship the funeral took place this afternoon
at 3 oclock had a long meeting Rachel broke the silence and

(Page 4)

[Text in top margin, written vertically upwards]
Lydia
Willets
has a son
Amelia
Willets
is engaged
to Edward
Merrit son
of Nathaniel
very pleasing
they are
coming to
Westbury
soon
Samuel
Catharine
and Isaac
spent the
4^thwith
us are
well as
usual
Catharine
and Isaac
have been
to N Y a
few days
[Hygram?]
pills have
made I
was well
as he was
last fall
they ap
-pear to
be the
pancea [sic]
for him
Farewell Mary

[Text normal]
this passage Think not in your heart the men on whom the
tower of Siloam fell were sinners alone others I tell you may
but on the contrary if there was any partiality in the Divine Being
which she did not believe there was it was those who were most
deeply afflicted and had the greatest share of bereavements and
spoke of Job's many trials and provings and his acknowledgeme [sic]
that it was good for him that he was so proved wished them
to improve thereby and to remember there was a an Omnicient [sic]
omnipresent God that he had permitted this sore trial to come up
on them that they could not reflect on themselves for want of care
and &c &c and desired they might in sincerity adopt this language
the Lord has given and the Lord has taken away blessed be his name
I do not know how it felt to them but I am not a believer that

[Text aligned vertically across center of Page 4]

5^th                    North Hempsted

                    Isaac Post

                        Rochester
                                    NY

[Text normal]
trials and afflictions are the necessary attendants upon sanctified spirit
or are the medium by and through which souls are purified and brought
nearer to Divine communion They may be instrumentalities but are
not necessarily so John Plummer followed in a long doctrinal service
explaining his Belief also his views of the old testament among other
things of Abraham and of his offering his son that once he could
not believe it was ever required of him but he had by much reflec
tion and the light made manifest became convinced he said many
truths and considerable I could not approve then Rachel Wain-
wright in a short communication I intend going over in a day or
two to see them if you were here to sympathise [sic] with them it
would be grateful indeed uncle and aunt Kirby came first day and
returned ^home^ after the funeral they are all well - - -
Margaret and Martha are quite sick and been so Margaret a week
Martha not as long probably in part caused by own exertion Lucretia
Sherman who is in very poor health and very nervous had been there a
week also her child and her sister Lucretia required nursing and she
liked to have Margaret do for her which she did faithfully as long as
she could she was taken with a child followed by fever in a few
days Martha S was attacked similarly John went for a Thompsonian Dr
[Continues on Page 3 with line beginning “and he thinks”]

Tags

Domestic Servants; Family; Medicine; Quakers

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Post, Mary Robbins, “Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2518.

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