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

239

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                       Dearly Beloved we have been looking for inteligence [sic]
from you daily for some weeks but as we hear nothing still am
ready to think it must have miscarried and I see Elizabeth has
a letter commenced to Jacob will put a few lines in her envelope to
you as I find but little time to devote to writing and perchance my
anxiety would nearly disqualify me for it had I the time Willet S
is I suppose in a very critical condition if appearances are true
and suffering very much with his head such extreme pain by turns
and considerable all the time so much as nearly to prevent his
enjoying any conversation or indeed any thing and the last two
weeks has been more poorly we feel ourselves very much straighter
^after a^
to know what course to pursue he had an Alopathic [sic] and Homopath [sic]
Dr in N Y and did not find their treatment to do much for him
perhaps some of our Spirit Dr friends can direct in what way to
proceed I am very much discouraged but occasionally feel a little
hope that he may be restored by the simple remedys [sic] used blessed be
^ragement^
hope if it were not for it were not for it I should long ago have sunk with discou
Drora and children have been up 2 weeks on a visit it made me
sad at their return home to know he was so diseased and quite
unable to do any thing or even to return with them but I thought
they bore it admirably but I must not fill all my little space with
my sad feelings Father has his chills again and William and 2 or 3 children
Elizabeth the asthma so that she had not lain in bed for some weeks but I have
not heard in some days so it is we are having trials of one kind and another
without thinking any thing new or strange in happening unto us Matilda
is not very smart but busies herself in her household affairs as tho she was
I wish she could leave all the nice fixings and arrangements & take care of ^herself^

(Page 2)

10^th – 4     A week has passed and this lays here unfinished
and still no letter from you hope you have not forgotten
us entirely and I see Joseph scribbled a word to you some
days ago so I will claim a wifes privilege of his envelope
W S has been a little smarter for the last week but
whether it is any thing permanent I have my fears but
try to hope he is on the gain      Joseph and self went
to Henrys yesterday to see Edmund and Sarah but they
had gone to Oyster bay so we have not seen them yet Henry
said Edmund was improving fast    Cousin Lydia Seaman is
up on a visit called due to day looks very smart more
fleshey [sic] and as usual cheerful      Rhuamy Healy is released from
her trials and I dont know but all are satisfied her particu
-lar friends feel she had little to make life desirable and are
satisfied that it is great gain for her some others felt her
I fear a burden and treated her harshly hence her life
was filled with trails and crosses enough to make a christi^an^
and some think them necessary to perfect us in all
that is pure and lovely    At the funeral Elizabeth Leedon
said a little James Haviland and Rachel and we thought
Rachel done well not lengthy and I thought she was carefu^l^
in not expressing any thing that would offend but I was
mistaken for Hannah was in great pertubation told Rachel
how very much she had hurt her feelings Hannah rode
to the meeting house with us and talked very fast some
times would almost think it might be William preaching
the tone and sentiments were almost identical but how
sad it is to feel that the life may be made so discorden^t^ [sic]

(Page 3)

and sorrowful but un governd [sic] passions strengthened by
begotted sectarianism when there is so much around
indeed all in nature would teach harmony and
progress I must leave to get supper the girls have gone
to uncle Jamess and our woman is away being doctored
I fear for a cancer but we have a little hope it may be
a scrofulous nature she wishes us to wait she hopes she
can come back soon but I begin to tire so much
requires attention that we cannot wait long poor thing
she feels very badly and I can scarcely ask her to do any
thing when here    Evening The labors of the day are nearly
ended and several have sought their beds while my eyes admoni^sh^
me from trying to write as I have been at work on dark mate
-rial and they feel the effect The girls say Phebe Rushmore
is pleased with the attentions shown by Isaac & Jacob they wer [sic]
so kind in taking them around William Ketcham has
made his visit shorter than they hoped John & Rebecca hoped
he would accompany them to Canarada [sic] but he cannot spare
the time Phebe will be much disappointed I am glad
for John and Rebecca to go to see Phebe again though
mother will miss her or them I might say they are so kind
to step in and while away a tedious hour I feel very
grateful to them for many other acts of genuine
benevolence which sparkle very brightly small thoug^h^
they may be in themselves yet they manifest so
genial and loving a spirit that they are very beautiful
truly we have a sphere in which to move and
happy are we if we can move in it without obstruct^ion^
not only blessing others but enriching our own spirits by such me^ans^

(Page 4)

Henrietta Willets is making a visit to kindred and
friends has not been here yet Have lately had a visit
from Aidon and Elisa he feels somewhat encouraged with
society from what he saw and felt in Penn^a and N Jersey
Rachel is in N Y attended M M and suppose other meetings
Abraham son of E S Willets is going out with W Ketcham to
Wisconsin to seek a home    Isaac E Haviland they think
is improving some    Have lately had a visit from Lydia Cox
she is a lovely girl and I should think ^might^ make some of our
nephews an agreeable wife but I dont know but Nicholas
Hallock may think she might suit him (it is suppositius [sic])
Have just got a letter from Cynthia she wished to be remem
-bered to you affectionately she has lost a sister lately the one
that had moved out to Ioway leaving 7 little ones to battle
with life Oh the battle is often a hard one to the motherless
especially when a step mother ^comes in and^ is every thing a mother should
not be it is truly deplorable then Jacob Conklin has
got comfortable and returned home Ann looks very feeble
has been to her fathers awhile to recruit Aunt Sarah
is stepping around -    Morning I dont know whether
there will be any chance to send this over to the store
but will stop so that it may be ready if there is
I see Joseph has expressed a wish to visit you I see
no way for it and so long as W S is as he is I
feel my place is to try to care for him duty
before pleasure   he is not quite as well
this morning poor night so it is one day
more comfortable then not as well but I will
tire you with the repetition with a fullness
of sisterly affection your Mary love to all W and
    M I visit is remembered with satisfaction tho far too short
[Text upward from bottom right corner]
now and then a pleasant reunion long a coming soon away

Tags

Medicine; Quakers; Spiritualism

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/2540.

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