Western Female Seminary Oxford
Monday, Dec. 3, 1855My own darling Sis;
Your welcome letter came to hand on Wed., so that there was but a very short time between the two. One on Sat., & the next Wed. Now I shall have to wait all that extra time for the next, unless father writes me me [sic] in your place, as I hoped he would, tho' I have seen none yet. The papers came to hand in due season. I have written you of joy and prosperity, in most of my last letter, but also I sent home with you, of sickness, & sadness, & death.
Little did those invited friends from the village, where they met with us on Thanksgiving evening, and little did we think, when we trimmed the Hall for that occasion, to welcome them, that the next time we went there with them, even before the trimming was removed, yes in ten days, only, that it would be to pay the last tribute of respect and affection, to one of our happy number. But so it was. Yesterday they came to the home of mourning, but to the home of feasting. Another of our dear family sleeps the sleep of death and as before, it is one of that number, who up to the few last hours of her life, expressed no hope in the Saviour. She seemed a wild and thoughtless girl to us, but her parents cherish the hope that she is now in a happier & better world, than this, all based upon a few short notions she uttered, after she was convinced she must die. She had not been very well for quite a number of weeks complained of headache a great deal but she seemed to get better and a little more than two weeks ago, her father, mother & little brother were here and she seemed to enjoy their visit very much, but as she was so much better, they concluded not to take her home. A day or two after they left she grew sick again &, at times was flighty, though a week ago but Friday or Saturday she rode out. Sunday she seemed so much worse, they took her down to the sick room, & telegraphed to her parents Monday, the came immediately. They seemed discouraged from the very first, tho' the physicians apprehended no immediate danger. On Saturday hemhorage [sic] of the bowels set in, and though they considered her case critical, still they did not apprehend such a speedy termination. She died quarter past four Sunday morning. A few hours before she died, they told her she could not live till morning, she replied O yes she should, she did not feel very sick, only a little weak. They still tried to convince her that she must die & her mother asked if she could trust in her Savior. She replied if she was going to die she could, but she did not think she was. After that she disposed of several articles, and left messages for her friends, one of which was to papa to meet her in Heaven. And thus she died, as it seems to me, without any realising sense of her situation, yet her mother seemed not to have a doubt but that she went strait [sic] to Heaven. The most thoughtless girls here, felt they would not like to run such a risk. How mysterious is God's providence, free, right in the first term, but taken from the ranks of the impenitent, while at So. Hadly [sic], as far as my knowledge extends, they have always been taken [?] from the Christians. May this event be sanctified to us all. Pray for us O I want my Indianapolis girls to become decided christians, and go home, & know their profession. Sadie Roy is already indulging a hope that she has passed from death unto life. Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd have returned to their home to-day, with the remains of their daughter. She was a young lady of twenty years, & their oldest child[.]
I expect I shall have to stay here vacation, for I am not going to Indianapolis, unless I have a special invitation, and there does not seem to be much prospect of that. I want to go there very much. I wish Lucy was near enough, for me to go & see her.
You asked in your last letter about our rooms, & how they were furnished. You must mean the young ladies' rooms for I have told you about the others. Most of the rooms are made similar to the So. Hadley rooms, only the drawers instead of opening into the rooms are made into a little sort of a bureau in the corner of the closet, the furniture is the same, with the exception of the stools, & close[d] stoves instead of open ones.
I do want to hear from you very much, since your visit to Boston, and Thanksgiving. I hope I shall get a good long letter from you by Thusdy [sic][.]
We teachers have an invitation and to tea on Wednesdy [sic] [by?] one of the Professors of the college. He is to teach French & German here. Miss Peabody says we may go if we will not have a student come home with us. Of course this is all nonsense.
Did you get the paper I sent last week? It had a short notice of our Sem. from the minister who was here & preached a funeral sermon for us Sundy [sic] afternoon. He used to be [...ed] in Indianapolis & was Fannie Bundlys minister but he is [...] of that paper now in Cincinnati. Mr. T was in the city, & sent him here to preach, for Mr T. had no idea that Miss L. was so sick[.]
Did you get that little pattern I sent for you to [draw?]. I have another picture I am going to send when I get time I hope you will be able to send my velvet for my bonnet, & also my pins if you can. I intended to have filled this sheet, but shall not be able to [...]. Tell mother I do hope she will find time to write soon.
Give my love to all
Molly