Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.

Title

Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to Isaac Post.

Creator

Post, Mary Robbins

Contributor

Post, Isaac, 1798-1872

Date

1843-09-14

Description

Handwritten letter from Mary Robbins Post to Isaac Post, n.d. Mary writes of the attendance of some liberal ministers at her meeting and tells of an argument about the reputation of George F White, also gives some news about acquaintances.

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

224

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)
[Text in top margin, written upward]
It appears by
the Standard
that C Marriots
is gone to rest
how he will
be missed I
think the NY
friends must
regret the course
they have
taken toward
him I think
their concinces [sic]
must become
heardened [sic] if
they are not
condemned
How do you
like S M Jann^ey^
review in the
We hear that
Martha Hopper
is teaching scho^ol^
in Penn and
we also
hear that
application
was made
to the Chan
=celor [sic] for
a certificate
of clearance
from him
which is
probably
granted
I am glad
C Colt has
found a
place of
refuge we
had heard
[Continues in top margin of page 2 with line beginning "she was desirous"]

[Text normal]
Dearly Beloved             Westbury 9 month 14
As our kindsman [sic] Samuel Willis
has found it in his heart to visit you I send this Epistle to you
greeting wishing above all things that ye may prosper, and be in
health, and that ye receive, him, as becometh you, for truly ye have
been helpers unto many and unto myself also   And touching
your last epistle it was very cordial to our feelings as also the
one sent to aunt Mary which we had the perusal of and I have
desired long ago to have answered ours but giving way to procrastinati^on^
I have felt less and less ability to do it which is ever the case when
yielded to so that ye may expect a meager scrawl at this time
I have but little that is new that is worth communicating but
if you were only here enough to occupy many days
                   Rachel has returned from her visit to the North I have
not seen her except at meeting and have heard very little relative to
it I inquired of a friend who had seen her what report she made
of her visit he said rather significantly the committee thought it best
not to say much about that now before Y M. We have heard there
was no public opposition that there was a person went to meeting with
intention to oppose them but did not, I think it was at Perue [sic] or Ferrisburg
one, Abraham Orvis and wife sent in their resignations to the monthly
meeting the committee was at I suppose they would like it if we would
all of us do it I think there are some would rejoice
   We have had several strangers at our meetings most of whom
  have been on the liberal order (though none of them abolitionist)
which has been comforting to many who are tired of denunciation
       Thomas Farrington from Purchace [sic] Qr has been over he was
for many years a drunkard finally was enabled to make a stand and
is now a recommended minister a real good preacher he was ^when^ at our M
Abel Hull too as well as some others   After the monthly meeting that
T Farrington was here Martha Coles came to me saying see what Truth
can do and without signing any pledge ^too^ just look at it she thought by
Friends advocating the pledge was doing much harm as it seemed to place
more power to reclaim in that than God &c &c after a while George F
Whites objectionable sermon was brought up she said what could be better
than the most of it why I felt like saying amen to it I told her I had heard
[Continues on page 2 with line beginning "she approved"]

(Page 2)

EDITED TO HERE

[Text in top margin, written upwards]
she was
desirous
of doing
something
for herself
she has
conducted
herself
very well
while at
Purchace [sic]
and did
not seem
concious [sic]
of the
prejudice
that was
felt toward
her she
is quite
young not
20 has
been im-
proving
herself
in literature
while there
thanks to
L M Child
for her
benevolent
efforts to
the poor
and the
outcast
surely the
blessing of
those ready
to finish
will rest
on her
____
we have
been looking
for some
[Continues in top margin of page 3 with line beginning "of Henrys folks"]

[Text normal]
she approved that sermon which I could scarcely believe any friend could
do Rebecca Hawxhurst stept [sic] up saying I do not wish to take sides with
either but just want to tell you what a man said to G F White on
taking his hand and expressing with tears his great unity with every sen=
tence he had uttered that it was the Truth (a stranger) I told them
I had no doubt many would approve such doctrine that I had heard some
of the noted rum sellers sayi^ng^ it was the greatest sermon they had ever heard
that I believed such doctrine as he held up that time was calculated to
do much harm that I had no unity with it whatever that he’s advocating
war and the right and the justifiableness of taking life in self defence
saying “ it was truly the first law of nature that a man might kill
thousands and not be condemned in his heart” &c after quite a talk
we parted with her giving me a caution not to let the Old Fellow get
in I believe we wrote about this extra specimen of quaker preaching in the
time of it                      our next monthly meetings will be adjourned to
accommodate the committee just before the Qr 7 day NY M M 2 day here
3 day at Jericho 4 day morning at Flushing probably they will come en masse
there were but few that went to Ferrisburg Rachel M Farringon Ruth Spencer
John Powel and Caleb Shepherd think there would be a greater willingness
to go to some other places         We have just had a visit from Uncle Hen^ry^
Lydia Cornelia nurse and child of a week made this their home Cornelia
is expecting Rowland next month Clayton is expected to return before long
Cornelia would like to stay to witness the event which they anticipate
with so much pleasure she is also pleasing herself with a little prospec^t^
of Minturns selecting from among his numerous acquaintance a Miss King
of Albany as a particular friend, Henry Post is to be married on the 11 his girl
is a stranger to Henrys friends generally we were at Marys last 3 day evening
and John Wood came there it appeared Henry knew he was coming up
to be at this meeting and to their house but did not tell of it it was rather
embarresing [sic] all around at first, it seemed to ware [sic] off after a while
John Titus has been to Hempstead to engage Judge Rushmore to assist them
in binding or acknowledging their contract on the 27 of this month
Isaac Willets and Mary Cromwell will probably be married this fall as
also Phebe J Powel to a young man by name - Hoyt of NY Matilda has
a nice little girl call her Lydia she is a favourite with them all and
will cheer many a lonely home which Isaac has and will probably even know
[Continues on page 3 with line beginning "as it is"]

(Page 3)

[Text in top margin, written vertically, upwards]
of Henrys
folks here
as we hear
they were
coming before
Samuel went
I hope
he has
not slipt [sic]
off and
left all
our letters
for they
are not
worth payin^g^
postage
for and
more
dont put
North
Hempstead
on your
letters
for the
last one
got there
and they
of course
charged
double
postage
and we
hear they
say it was
intended
to go to
the Harbor
but it got
there and
they will
repost if
glad of it
I expect
we are
going to see
if Samuel
is gone

[Text normal]
as it is almost ^quite^ impossible for any one [sic] to fill the place one filled by
his and our dear Lydia but may this little L live to be a comfort to them all
But oh what a blank there is, it oft times feels as tho time which general
ly blunts every event had failed to in this case nor do I wish it too I love
to [reem?] to the past to her generous affection ^to^ all that was lovely and pure
in the human character and which shone so conspicuously through her
whole life and oh how I desire to emulate her virtues but I find that
I am frail and that truly of myself I can do nothing but I did not
intend to pen all that comes up before me on the for you to know full well
my great frailty
Mary Underwood has felt very deeply the death of her sister it was
a severe blow she was on a visit to Shrewsbury when the sad intelig
ence [sic] reached them they had heard of her being comfortable and nothing
of her increased illness untill [sic] her death Mary said she could scarcely
stay so much did she want to go to Rochester altho [sic] she said I know I
know it will do no good to go but it felt as tho it would be a sat=
=isfaction and there is the poor little babe what will become of that
she said,   And how are they getting along? Mary is approved as a teacher
where she is How very lonely John Searing and Martha Louis must feel
I have felt much for them in their affliction Uncle David continues
to suffer probably your Jericho friends will give particulars he is an
example of patience worth of imitation Elijah’s Cathy has been
very poorly but is now quite comfortable there are a number
of color’d people that are ill round about here and oft times I
contrast when visiting such their want of comfort with our comfort^t^
and see how much we have to be grateful and accountable for too
Andre’s Seaman is gone has been ill with consumption a long while
(used to live at uncle James) Joseph Browne has been around having
meetings         I could respond to Amys wish that we could have
mingled with you in your conventions it would have been
most gratifing [sic]to have done so We have not had any lecture^s^
here but remain in the same way no enquiry no interest
in any of the reform movements and I fear some of us
who profess to love the cause are very lukewarm or we mig
=ht possibly see some little effect from our zeal The letter
of Nathaniel Barney in the standard I have hoped would do some

(Page 4)

good his liberality too shows that he feels that ^it^ is not all profess^ion^
Some are grieved that there is so great a cry for funds in the Stan
hard but what other way is there to get funds    Stephen Treadwels [sic]
death you have seen published what a great loss to society ^and to mankind^ I can scarcely
realise the truth that we shall see him no more Charles Marriott too
was very ill the last account we had from him thus it is the faithful^l^
are one after another are called from their works to rewards “Then
let our reflections on death have a weighty immediate influence on
our minds and characters and stimulate us to pursue with alacrity
the path of duty regardless of the opinions of men remembering
that the present is the time for us to labor that in the end there
will be no condemnation
What a sad affair Josiah and Martha Hopper have made of
living together and parting We have not heard particulars but it is
[Continues below with line beginning “bad enough how”]

[Text in center of page, vertical, upwards]
Isaac and Amy Post

            Rochester
            NY

[Text just below, written upward and curving to the right]
Care of Samuel Willis

[Text in center of page, to the right of above, upside-down ]
Don’t you like N P Rodgers manner
of writing his description of the North
Hampton community I liked and the
conclusion he come to that his sphere
of usefulness was in the world and
how even pleasing the contemplation
of a community living as they do
and how ever much I desire their success
I am unable to see so great advantage
as some contemplate to result from it
but rather think it may finally disappoint
them and in the end prove that individual
action and responsibility is quite as good.
Well how do you get along with Magnetism
it is quite still here, has been a nine
days wonder Do you contemplate visiting
Michigan or have you contended to take
Josephs advice? I think he generally
gives good advice with the salutation
of love to the members of your household
[Jeffries?] . . and to all our fellow labourers [sic]
in the cause I am heretofore assured by
your attached Sister Mary

[Text normal]
bad enough how I regret it the whole family must suffer from it
and surely they had enough to bear before I think Isaac in speaking
of J A Collins course is quite correct and it appears some others
think the same from some remarks published with which I fully
agree it really seemed to me last spring that he felt more interest
in the reform meetings than in the antislavery S H Gay and E Fussils
account of their reception meetings &c are quite animating Fussil’s remar^ks^
of the Friends treatment of H. Clay, is to the point, and ^will^ doubtless shew that
they prefer to honor the politician in preferance [sic] to the philanthropist
Cornelia Mittchel said I find there are a number of different kinds
of abolitionists around here They say they are, but you are a new fashioned kind

Tags

Abolitionism; Family; 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/2525.

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