Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to William R Hallowell.

Title

Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to William R Hallowell.

Creator

Post, Mary Robbins

Contributor

William R Hallowell

Date

1850-09-10

Description

Handwritten letter from Mary Robbins Post to William R Hallowell, September 10, 1850.

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

857

Location

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

Transcription

(Page 1)

                                                      Westbury 9 Mo^th 16^th 1850
           Dear William & Mary
                                                I hope you will excuse me for not hav
-ing acknowledged ere this the reception of Williams much valued
testimonial or remembrance it was most grateful to our feelings please
accept our thanks for the favor     I commenced a sheet and partly filled
it many weeks ago but from various excuses it was not quite finished
and now it is quite too stale to think of sending I regret the circu
-mstance as there is at present but little news to communicate in
the way but very much which it would be delightful to talk over toge
-ther among other things let me say your father and mother have told
us so many wonderful things that if not fully convinced we have certain
-ly become much ^more^ ready to hear and if in our way to examine into these mis
-terious [sic] sounds which they hear and which they prize so highly   but still I
cannot see any great good to come from it "but wait a little longer" perhaps
I shall in time understand better _ _ they made us a very pleasant
visit we enjoyed it greatly but they are gone and distance has set its
barrier between us it quite difficult to feel satisfied to have so
many of ^our^ dear one's located so far away it would be so pleasant to
form a little community where there would be no discordant feelings
and interests to mar the harmony and love which I should want to cem
-ent all together   I fear few are prepared to carry out this idea even on
a limited plan which of us have not witnessed the estrangement of friends
once very dear in whose stedfast [sic] integrity and generous affection we had
garnered up our hearts I feel sad to think that friendship does not prove
more enduring that a difference of sentiment so generally weakens the
bond of union and in many cases an opposite feeling takes possession
of the breast         The last week New York and parts adjacent have been in

(Page 2)

quite an excited state on account of Jenny Lind first advint [sic] at Castle
Garden she is winning golden opinions and then how generously giving
it back to charitable institutions she must understand the feelings of the
world pretty well for it is probably no other course would have made her
so great a favourite I hope she will remember the slave and their friends next
time Dont you regret Frederick Bremer's position that she whome we all
delighted and loved to honor should in any way falter is cause of the dee
-pest regret we have allways [sic] xpected [sic] to find her on side of the oppressed
and never as an eulogist of a slaveholder      Suppose you have seen Rebecc^a^
Capon's [sic] address we were quite pleased with it _ it was sent us from
Pennysylvania it was published in the Westchester Register & Examiner and
by the by dont you think of being at the meeting to be held at West Cheste [sic]
I should think you would like it        Rowland Johnson has been up
and made us a delightful visit we took him to Cow Neck meeting he
came out reformer like against many things held as sacred against the
veneration for the bible for Jesus &c &c that a conformity to the dicipline [sic]
the wearing a broad brimed [sic] hat and a plain coat were too often substituted
for justice mercy and truth that there was danger of being too spiritual on
the whole it was a first rate sermon spoke up was slavery and intemperance
and cautioned against censuring and condemning those whose ideas of
some things differed from the poplar beleif [sic] they were called infidels
that among this class were to be found some of the purest minds &c
it is weeks ago and I do not remember particularly enough to give any
kind of an idea it was of such a character as I thought required consider
-able moral courage to face the opposition which will be arroused [sic]
against him    what will be done with him is more than I can tell
one thing is certain the New York Monthly Meeting are creating a large
number of elders and nearly all are of the illiberal order William
C White who is quite tolerant has not been brought forward I think

(Page 3)

I have heard there was about twenty proposed     this looks like doing
something to keep order      I will now lay this aside and take a ride
to Isaac Rushmore's have written this in the room with company who
are talking and I must join in with the talk sometimes so I have made
many mistakes they have just gone and I must say good night
17 I am just in from a walk this bright and beautiful morning how invigor
-ating to the soul to go forth and commune with nature amidst the beauties
which are spread before us the earth is covered with the freshness and verdure
of spring and a large collection of bright and beautiful flowers adorn both
garden and field "yes month of my heart Septemper [sic] mild
                                 Thy transient reign is passing bright-"   Oh that you
were here we might then walk together on our hills and enjoy much of na
-ture in its quiet appearance as presented from them I enjoy the view in
the early morning also when the king of day is sinking below the western
horizon tinging the sky with golden hues these hours are among some of
the most cherished seasons of my life I have felt inspired by a sense of the
presence ^of God^ and felt elevated above the discords of life and prepared to worship
I trust acceptably our benevolent Father in spirit     We made a pleasant
call at Isaac's Matilda not quite as well as usual but pleasant and int
resting as ever what a beautiful and hopeful spirit she is, she infuses joy and
light through the house   Samuel and Catharine were there on first day and with them
Nestor Houton he requested at New York last spring I dont know what he is I should think
he went with neither party however he preached at our meeting whether it was
his first attempt I dont know   Catharine is remarkably well it is really aston
-ishing to see her so actively engaged in domestic duties
We have received Isaac's letter and were very glad to hear of Edmund's improvem^ent^
suppose we shall soon have him with us hope he will stay sometime it may
be an advantage to him to rest from money getting
Cynthia left us yesterday morning to visit her friends will be absent

(Page 4)

from her school five weeks     we miss her very much she lightens many
a silent home by her cheerful and enquiring mind we shall greet her
again with pleasure           We contemplate visiting Stephen Archer
in company with Rowland Johnson in two weeks we anticipate
a rare treat of intellectual dainties        We perceive Frederica
Bremer has visited Frederick Douglass did she visit you or did you
meet with her anywhere?   And how is Frederic I hope he will be more
careful of his health else he will wear our ere slavery is abolished
                      How graphically Henry C Wright describes his visit to
see the [gaso?] spring the midnight scene is very striking few
possess the gift to delineate so accurately and yet so interestingly
all the little minutia [sic] of such a scene
               There may have been many things I would like to have
noticed in your letter but as I have not got it by me and probably
they have been answered long ago by some one else I will not trouble you
at this late period with any but I think I may venture to say if you
will condescend to write again I will not delay so long unless I have
a first rate excuse for it      The health of our friends in this vicinity
is generally pretty good Daniel Underhill has began to walk with crutches
Wiliams Willets is better whether permanently I do not know    I have been
rather unwell for some days at turns quite so with great distress in my
stomach     I expect Joseph would like to have put in a word but he is out
and will loose the chance to do so if I do not stop   Love to all our
friends Do write and tell us whether you begin to give ear to rap's and
manifestations I think I would go once again if in Williams place and test it if
possible                   In the bonds of affection I am truly yours Mary W Post

Tags

Abolitionism; Family; Quakers; Spiritualism

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Post, Mary Robbins, “Post, Mary Robbins. Letter to William R Hallowell.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3147.

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