South Hadley Feb. 6. [1864?]My dear Pastor,
I thank you for the expression of your enjoyment in reading "Woman and her Saviour." I was sorry to delay so long in sending it to you. I intended it for your Library, if you care for it, my friends at home have a copy.
Daily intercourse with Miss Fiske renders the book more interesting to me, perhaps, than to a stranger, yet I am trying to have it read among our neighbors at home, in the hope it may lead some souls to a more earnest love of Christ and His work. I do desire the ou[t]pouring of the Holy Spirit upon that neighborhood. I am sure there were those who were led to a desire for an interest in Christ, by the blessing of God upon your efforts last winter, and I hope you may yet have occasion to rejoice that your labor was not all in vain.
In the carelessness and coldness there, there is much to discourage, but I bless God that in Him there is so much to encourage us in prayer and effort.
May I ask you Mr. Tyler if in meeting my brother in the village, you have an opportunity of conversing with him alone, you will converse with him, on the duty he owes to God and to his own soul?
It is better he should not know that I have spoken of him, to you, I think. He would, I believe, be grateful to you for the conversation. I long so much to have him exerting a decided Christian influence. He seems to me much more tender and thoughtful, with regard to the things of Christ, than formerly; I sometimes hope that he does love Christ but I do want him to be sure of it.
I am very thankful Mr. Tyler that my nearness to Home enabling me still to continue my Church connection, insures to me a remembrance in your prayers, as one of your church. I realise more and more my need of them. Will you not give our school a place in your prayers? Thirty of our number hope they have come to Christ this year - more than twice that number, I suppose, do not yet trust in Christ, though some of these seem interested for themselves.
I did not intend to trouble you with so long a letter when I commenced writing. Will you pardon me and accept love and good wishes for Mrs. Tyler and yourself from