Becket [Massachusetts] March 22, 1849My dear Adeline
We were comforted by your letter which reached us last Saturday, the day it was mailed as appeared from the date. The report you gave of your dear husband's improved health relieved us from some anxiety on his account.
You are doubtless waiting with some impatience to learn the result of the Bolton affair. Our good people came together & voted that they would not unite with their Pastor in calling a Council with a view to his dismission & so we stay in Becket. The meeting of the Church & Society was held last week, but the official report of the proceedings was not made to your father until Monday of the present, as one member of the committee was absent from town. Dea. Carter - Mr. Oct. Perkins & Mr. Joel Ames -- Com. of the Church, Dea. Phelps, Samuel L Chapman, A. M. Perkins of the Society - The last named has joined recently.
The subject now set at rest, has for some past weeks been one of much difficulty to settle satisfactorily to our own minds - there seemed many reasons why the affectionate & pressing invitation from Bolton should not be refused, & there were also many important considerations on the other hand. Your father did not think it best to call an exparte council & had he done so, it was not certain that they would have advised him to go.
Mr. Sexton is a relative of the families of that name in Somers & a nephew of Dea. Sexton of Ellington.
I presume your Aunt Harriet will feel gratified by the change of your visit to this region from March to the first of June, as the last named date is about the time that a certain event of interest to her is expected to take place, & she had expressed to me & probably to you a wish that your visit might be so arranged as to allow you to be present on that occasion.
It is near two weeks since my last date from Stockbridge. Grandma had not been quite as well as usual for some days & Uncle Edward's foot had received some injury by the rolling of a log upon it, but how bad I did not learn as the intelligence came by way of Sarah & she was not very particularly informed. I think your sister enjoys her residence in the family of our cousins very much & I hope she is doing well in school.
I can hardly conjecture what will be the influence upon the Mt. Holyoke Seminary of Miss [Mary] Lyon's death. It seems as though no one else could fill her place.
At my last advices from Julia she was in pretty good health. Perhaps you have heard from her since I have. Your father has been rather remarkably well this winter, but has now some cold & hoarseness. I have not had quite my usual strength for a few weeks past. Mary seems quite healthy. Nothing has been yet said in her letters from home about her return & I think she does not feel quite ready to go back. She has often expressed a wish to see you & I trust she will have the opportunity. Her friends do not write to her often, which fact seems to be one of her greatest trials.
We rejoice that you are so prosperous in your ecclesiastical affairs, & that your relation to your pastor is so happy. We hope to hear that the precious influences of God's Sprit attend his labors & crown all your blessings. Pray for us that the dews may fall upon these mountains & that we may be cheered by the return not only of the natural spring, but by the vernal season in the garden of the Lord.
Love to all the dear friends.
You were last week in danger of a visit from our good Mr Van Dusen, but we conclude you escaped it or we should have had some report of it ere this. He went to Boston & told us that he thought he should call upon you if he found time. He was there as a witness in some law proceeding between Mr. K. Baird & Mr. Wells of Otis in reference to the turnpike road. This is one of various agitations which are up or are likely to be in Becket. We try to keep hold of the Savior's promise "in me ye shall have peace."
Your affectionate Mother