Mt. Holyoke Sem.
South Hadley, Mass.
Feb. 1867.My own darling One. My Rosa.
I have seated myself to write a letter to you, that when you are in far off lands you may remember that home friends are still remembering you and praying for you. My thoughts and feelings are almost beyond my control, and even while I am writing the tears will come, to think that you will be far away when you read this. Could paper contain or pen express all the love I feel for you, then I would tell you all. Perhaps you are feeling almost discouraged, and are almost ready to faint under your burdens, if so, remember that your little Sophie is praying for you, and that Jesus is strong if you are weak. Shall I tell you of the struggle it cost me to give you up? I hardly dare, yet perhaps it will not make you sad. When the first news came then it seemed as if I could not bear it, but Jesus showed me that I could. No one but Jesus and I know what I suffered in that terrible rebellion, then came the repentance and the forgiveness. Jesus forgave me that I wished to keep you back, and now I thank Him that I can let you go, yet though the tears fall, I am happy when I think that you are going to teach others of Him. Shall I give you a text my darling? "Then said he unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is never perfect it's weakness.["] When you will read these few lines my darling, I cannot tell but this one thing I know, that it will be after you have commenced your work for I shall put this in the box that you may
readfind it some time when you don't expect. Oh! Rosie I can't write for the tears blind my eyes so that I cannot see, yet I must, for I can't let you go without a word. When trials come to you remember that I am praying for you, if I am yet alive, and if God has called me away, it may be that he will allow me to ask him to guard and guide my loved ones on the earth; and when you look at this little picture, though it may be long years from now, don't think "this is Sophie who was one of my friends at South Hadley," but think "Sophie is my friend and she is remembering me in her prayers and loving me still." Don't forget the good times and "No. 1" table. The memories of last summer are very precious to me, and I shall not forget them soon.Feb 28. I was called away last night in the middle of my letter, for Miss Prentiss came to ask me to write in your books. How glad I am that you have so many, they will be companions for you many times and more than that, they will remind you of your Seminary friends. I want to look in upon you now and see how your room looks. My fancy pictures a cozy little room, with a set of shelves just filled with the books you have taken with you. I am so very very sorry, that I did not know that you were going away so soon, for if I had known it one of my pictures would hang upon your wall. I can't realize that you are really going away, it seems like a strange, sad dream, and yet it is not all sad. What can I say to you my darling that will cheer you in your separation from your loved ones. May God himself comfort you and sustain you.
Do you remember picking cherries on the old tree here in the Seminary grounds? A few days before I heard you were going away, I walked out under those trees with Lizzie Gleason, and we spoke of you, little dreaming that we should see you so soon.
This visit with you has been a delightful one, though I had hoped to see you more. This afternoon you will be on your way to New York. How pleasant to see Annie and Millie!
I wish my other painting had been finished, for then you could have had it. It doesn't seem so far away when we think that one can write to each other and perhaps it will be better, for whom you are in that far off land you may write oftener have you staid [?].
What will Jennie Watson say when I tell her that you have gone to be a missionary? People always say that Mt. Holyoke Scholars are sure to become missionaries, shall I make you laugh when I tell you that I almost dreaded to come here for fear that I should become a missionary? Now my dearest Seminary friend is a missionary! I always thought that people wore long faces and looked very solum when they were going "on a mission," but I confess I was agreeably surprised to find you were as like your own self. It seems as if you were only going out to teach school. Now when you write to me don't talk about your "work" just as all missionaries do.
A gentleman friend in writing to me, once said, "I need not tell you that you are missed, but you know we can get used to anything, except being struck by lightning, and we are getting hardened." Cool, wasn't it? Perhaps it will be so with me when you are gone.
I wonder if the little heathens play "tag" and rush up to take hold of "the teachers" hands as the little children do in this country. Perhaps you have "young ladies" in your school who think they know all that is to be known. Mind you put on that red ribbon the first time you go into the school so as to "astonish["] the natives and don't let them handle the blue watch case. If they bend their needles when you are watching them to sew, don't give them new ones for needles are high. If you are feeling a little homesick take Mrs. Stoddards book to read, it is lively and if I mistake not you are fond of a hearty laugh. Remember Fannie Pruitt's lesson about the transparency. Make the children toe the mark if they mispronounce words and above all don't write your letters in Turkish.
You had better watch the little heathens for it is said they sometimes "appropriate" things. Eliz. says I am wicked and so I must try and be better.
Please don't think I am trying to dictate, for I only thought you would be glad of advice.
[The letter is not signed, but there is only one student named "Sophie" in the 1866-1867 directory, Sophia Durham. Sophia Durham had a sister in her same class, so I think the letter reference to "Eliz" is a reference to her sister. Roseltha was identified by looking for "Rosa" or any variant in the 1864-1867 directories; Roseltha was the only one, and she left to be a missionary in Bulgaria in 1867. Further research revealed she actually worked in Turkey.]