Willis, Mary W Kirby. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Willis, Mary W Kirby. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Willis, Mary W Kirby

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Date

1845-04-01

Description

Handwritten letter from Mary W Kirby Willis to Amy Kirby Post, April 1, 1845.

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

630

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

Dear Sister Jericho 4^th Mo 1^st 1845

I felt gratified with the reception of thy affection^ate^

letter and ^had^ considered the time very long since you had remem

bered us, having mingled (mentally) with you for some time

past and in a particular manner since the reception of little

Matildas illness, and death. how solemn, but believing that she

is removed to a better inheritance that we are enabled to give

her up, and even bear up under grief, even in great weakness

and can adopt the language with thee “And though human strength be weak^ness^

Thou canst suffer, thou canst bear,

I noticed them in the standard and was particularly struck, I intend

to copy them, as we do not take the paper, I took thy letter to Fathers

and read to them, mother was considerably affected by the intelligence

and cannot converse on the subject but with tearful eyes, and

father too feels it sensibly and said he thought you had better stay

from meeting awhile, and see what that would do. I also read it to

mother Willis, she likewise look’d sorrowful and said I am very sorry

it is so, but I have met it with a lighter heart, why it is so

I cannot tell, I cannot think my affection is lessened in the least,

but while we believe in the principle and I trust fully believe

with me that it is good and expedient for us to meet together

for the purpose of divine worship, and for the encouragement and

preservation one of another that we may walk by the same rule

and mind the same thing, agreeable to the precept “one is your master

even Christ and all ye are brethren” but as things appear among you

the usefulness of these meetings must be lessened, and I can exclaim with

mother that I feel exceeding sorry that it is so, and that you should [obliterated]

(Page 2)

not be members of our Society I cannot realize, hoping that it will not

prove so, there may be some little thing yet that will turn the scale

remember the day of small things, your trials are great I have not a doubt

and know not what to say, but our sympathies are extended towards

you, a party spirit is indeed dreadful I can see no justice in it.

I often feel suspicious of myself it is so easy to slide with the current

rather than [stern?] it, that it requires a daily watch over our ownselves [sic]

I admire the character thee gave of Mary UP… another said she was

sorry to hear thy health is so poor. suppose thee should give up to remain

quietly at home a while and attend strictly to thyself and try to get the disease

removed I fear it will not be quite as well for thee to go out much by (here

mu pen was laid aside for company) mother desired me say that she felt

resigned to sister Sarahs continuance with you on account of thy

health and that she should feel more anxious about thee if Sarah left

father and mother came here with aunt Maria Kirby she said she

come up to stay awhile thinking that she might feel better, she

sais [sic] she feels poorly but she thinks it is her mind, but that she

cannot help it. she sais [sic] that nothing looks pleasant to her any where

I ask’d her if the ride in the cars did not seem a little pleasant

she said not at all she sat with a news paper in her hand most of the

time here looking and turning it over, yet she answers questions sensibly

she sais [sic] she never recieved [sic] any benefit by being in the assulum [sic] although

she took a good deal of medicine. she remembers thee but does not reccolle^ct^ [sic]

Sarah there seems a great change in her since I saw her she is

now quite small and her spirits gone: she reminds me of aunt

Phebe some we heard the latter calculates to leave Pleasant Valley

in fifth month I believe it is expected she will go to James C Haviland

I should like to know very much how aunt P feels whether she would

like to go to fathers I expect it would seem more like home there

(Page 3)

Cousin Tommy Willis had a lump on his cheek near the nose which

increased fast he came here to show mother and ask’d if it look’d like

fathers we thought it did not. he however had it operated on and removed

on getting to the bottom of the lump they said they found it to be carious

it was done about a week since and he is comfortable foes out and it

is healing. they said it was about the size of a Robins egg,. Mary F is better

of her Rheumatic affection so that she has been here and can walk about

but she is not well she has a great deal of pain yet, she sais [sic] she is

trying cold water daily I expect some more medicine will be necessary

aunt Esther Lawrence continues to gain. I called Joseph in and read

the most of thy letter to him he seemed pleased to hear it and made some

remarks which I do not just now recollect but he told me that he

thought of going home pretty soon with EPW. but that he felt willing

to return he grows nicely is more fleshy considerable he took his books

home 7^th day and said he was going to stay home and work, I ask’d him

if he got along pleasantly to school he said O yes there was no difficulty

Mary Underhill is in delicate health she has not been out but a few times

this winter has had a cough and I think a little dyspeptic. Sarah Weeks

calculated to move back to Cedarswamp to day. it appears her sons are

not competent to the management of a farm. Sarah is ^a^ very indulgent

mother, probably to the injury of her sons. I do not know what ^business^ she will

find for herself. that has been a difficulty with her to find employment

and places for her sons, but has succeeded in getting places for two of them

the eldest one will go with her. little Sarah is a coming a crying by the

way and sais [sic] little grandmother aunt Mary has hurt me I wanted to

fold clothes and she would not let me. I have felt a hope that sister Sarah

would be willing to put pen to paper and let us here [sic] from her I do not

feel satisfied with her way it may get us to feel distant. she can write

a great deal easier than I can. I often feel it to be a great [expense?] [obliterated]

and yet feel that it is better to do it. it brings us near to each other

(Page 4)

I read thy letter to Isaac and Samuel Hicks. Isaac said aunt Amy

is a nice writer Samuel said yes I love to read her letters Mary F said

yes she writes just what we want here. I ask’d Isaac he had thought

of writing to her he said he had thought of it but [thought] guess’d he should not.

Mary Underwood has engaged to teach school to Westbury and they are fixing

the school house making a new one of it almost their [sic] was something

said about Caroline Post taking it but that failed, and north Side folks

have applied for her. my paper is full nearly, my love extends to all as if named

and remain thy affectionate sister M.W.W.

William Thurston was affected with paralysis some weeks since so that

they despaired of his recovery but the last we heard he was recovering Joseph

not been here this winter I expected John would have written he talked of it. I told

him I had left a space he said he was busy and that I had better go on, perhaps

he will answer the next letter Phebe Ketcham spent the day with us very satis

factoryly [sic] she is very much engaged this week with a mantuamaker Hannah Sherman

[obliterated] I hope Thomas will get here in time and Edmund I should think Samuel

[obliterated] E place with Hannah as report tells of Edmund and julia.

(Page 1)

[Text sideways in left margin]

I expect EPW. will be a little here with us in relation to his prospects of marriage although

you are entirely shut up on the subject I have considered him pretty free with us in things that we were interested

[Text upside-down in top margin]

Joseph said he is expecting Jacob to come with Cousin Edmund he hoped

his leg would be well enough I expect he would send his love if he was here he thought

he would have some message to send but has not been to deliver it.

(Page 2)

[Text sideways in left margin]

father and mother wished me to enquire what you would do about going to meetings for worship whether

you would feel like going

(Page 4)

Jericho N.Y. 18

Ap 2^nd

Isaac Post

for Amy Post

Rochester

Monroe County N.Y.

Tags

Family

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Willis, Mary W Kirby, “Willis, Mary W Kirby. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 22, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2922.

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