Monday Evening October 2My dear children,
Last friday [sic] I believe I told you that I hoped to have a long letter Saturday but Saturday came and no letter with it[.] And to day [sic] I have been disappointed again but I will trust that you are well and that it is the pressure of other duties that has kept you from writing[.]
It has been very stormy here all day and I have been alone most of the day & am alone this evening[.] Father has gone to the committee meeting so I thought I would talk a little with you on paper as [I] could not face to face[.] I suppose you will like to know what news to day well I can tell you that Shaw [?] trial is over & that he is now at liberty & Griffen [?] is now in jail where he will have to stay till the December court I can not stop to tell you all the particulars but you will probably hear some other time[.] O how I pity his poor Mother she has been in here to day * it was enough to make ones heart ache to witness her distress, but I will leave this affair now and tell you something more pleasent. [sic]
Rachel & Rebecca have begun their schools to day in the new school house Captain Osgood said he was in this forenoon and that there was about sixty boys and three or four girls the reason why there was so few girls was the stormy weather[.]
I should like very much to take a peep into your chamber this evening & see what you are a doing[.] I suppose Suz begins to feel like going to bed as it is almost 9 Oclock well dont set up too late nor study to[o] hard but try to do every duty in its season and look to God daily for his blessing & pray earnestly for a new heart and a right to be first within you and I will add my prayers to yours & say even so let it be good night my dear girls
Friday Morning Oct 6th
Dear children
You will see by the date of this letter I [sic] that I began it monday [sic] evening & that I felt disappointed in not getting a letter before but you tried my patience a little longer till yesterday morning the welcome sheet came and I rejoiced to hear that you were well and so pleasantly situated and I should have written a few lines yesterday but was getting ready to go over the river to attend Mrs Alfred Pike's funeral she died tuesday [sic] Morn so you see death is still making in rodes [sic] among our friends & acquaintance & I do earnestly beseech you now you are in health to prepare for that great event & then if prepared for that you will be prepared for usefulness while you live which is the constant prayer of your mother[.]
I suppose you will receive a number of letters from the girls this week & from them will get most of the news thats stirring[.] ECStevens called here the other night & said she had seen some young ladies from Ipswich Seminary & they told her that Julia Ladue [?] had been very sick & that her friends never gave her your last note till the friday [sic] after you left[.] I suppose Elisabeth wrote you all the particulars as she said she was going to send you a long letter.
I have a great many things I want to say to you but have not time now I will try to send you some laces in my next letter have not time to get them for this you wanted to know when I was going to send the box I want you to look over all your things & see if there is any thing missing that you want & if there is put it down on a piece of paper & send it in your next letter. Mary Ann & Becca & Mary Currier has just come in so I must stop & get them some dinner.
Afternoon
Here I am again trying to finish my letter I meant to have finished it before dinner but had so many interruptions I could not but now Mary Ann & Mary Currier have gone down to see Aunt F[...] and I am left alone again down stairs though there is plenty of company up in your chamber I suppose you will want to know what they are there for well I will tell you; I have got a quilt in up there that belongs to the H M society and they are quilting. This forenoon Miss Wheelright & Miss Susan Tenney were up there to work they desired me to give their love to you both[.] Miss W..... said she hoped she should be able to write to Mary before long. You did not tell me if your things all got there safe but I suppose they did I forgot to put you in some rags if you want any let me know. There has been so much stormy weather since you went away & I have had so many things to do I have not had time to look after shawls yet hope I shall next week soon as I can find any that I think will suit you & can find out what other things you want I shall try to send the box I suppose you will not need your shawls this two or three weeks yet[.] I want you to write so that I can have a letter by Thursday morning Mrs Jones was in this forenoon she said they were expecting Mr Joseph Noyes in town tomorrow to spend his last Sabbath in America here he expects to sail I believe from Boston on monday [sic] wont stop to write any more now so
good bye Mother
Be sure and let me have a letter thursday [sic]