[Three letters in the envelope.]Sabbath Eve 8 oclock
Dear children.
This has been a lovely day and very quiet.
I have been to church & Sabbath School as usual, but your Mother was not very well and went only this after noon. We have no meeting this evening & so Louis has gone to the Plevins [?] to hear a lecture on the Freedmen & their schools, at the South. I have enjoyed the evg, have send [sic] & written considerable, among other things have receive[d] a copy of my letter of ordination placed it in the envelope & directed to Mr. Rice with the purpose to forward tomorrow morning, so before you receive this the important step will have been taken. But I feel conscious of the propriety of my decision, and with mingled feeling of sadness & pleasure I wait the time of my ceasing to be a Sabbath school superintendant. I would not do less than I have been accustomed to, but perhaps in Some other spoken[.] [?]
Dr Eatons class of Young Men is proveing [sic] eminently successfull, [sic] they having moved into the corner pew & it was full today. I am trying to leave the school with its machinery all in perfect order. Mrs Amos Princ [?] has taken Hannah Peabodys class of little boys. I expect Miss Sarah Putnam will unite her class with Miss C W Lawrences, and that Mrs Philemon Putnam will take a portion of Abby Hydes class. There were 200 scholars & 25 teachers today I feel much better about it than I did a short time since.
Since I wrote you we have called in Mrs Daniel Putnam & found her as usual very happy to see us also visited at Mrs Lawrence. I saw Mary for the first time formany months she is improving & seemed very glad to meet us. We found them all at home. Mrs. G A Tapley is sick with a fever has been so for some days is now pretty sick. Mr. Flint Peabodys family are still sick we propose to call on them tomorrow.
But I commenced this line partly to speak of Miss Andrews. Before this reached you, you will have seen Mr. Andrews summoned there by a dispatch. Of course we feel much anxiety to hear from her. Remember [?] all the circumstance it seems quite afflective [?] but it may be just the way Providence employs to impress her father in a way he has never been before. [...] Grosvenor call last eve & through him we learned of the dispatch. He was instrumental in having Mr. Andrews go over. [?] I suppose some other member of the family will go tomorrow. If he is there when this reaches you take small pains to interest him in the school.
I know you will want to do all you can for her, but we feel some anxiety lest you should also be sick & wish to have you use what precautions you can to ward it off, by cure & taking preventions. Perhaps you had better consult Miss Belden on it. Mother is anxious to hear from you. If circumstances are such that we shall be very anxious you have better send a word to us more than twice a week for a few days, but I must close with
love from Father
A[ugustus] Mudge[Second letter - I was able to date these letters as being written in 1867 because of the contents of this letter. Clara was born on Sep 24, 1847, according to Family Search.]
Monday Morn
Clara - I have often in my mind yesterday that it was your birthday, but it escaped me when I was writing and so this morning I must allude to it to wish you much happiness in prospect. Twenty years is an age at which one must expect to begin to meet the stern realities of life, and if they are not upon us it is [...] less wisdom to prepare for them. One way is to have the mind well cultured [?] and matured and the heart in subjecture to the Heavenly will.
It is a good time to revere the past and correct its errors and make plans for the future, not only in your desires to do something but in your system & effort to do.
But I cannot write long this morning as it is time for me to be away. So with revered love I bid you a happy commencment [sic] of another year of your life, and subscribe my self your fond
Father
N B Putnam went to Quincy to preach yesterday presume the girls would be then [...] him. We had cards of invitation to Parker Bryants wedding to be in Roxbury Oct 2nd
[Third letter.]
Monday morn 99
Dear Clara
I did not forget your birthday but have been so buisy [sic] that I did not make your collar till saturday I intended to have writen [sic] last eve but did not feel well, hope you will like your collar could not get any ribbon though you could get some there and suit your self feel guilt anxious about Eliza A hope you will be careful and may God bless and keep you from all harme. [sic]
from your loveing [sic] Mother L[ucy] A[nne] Mudge