| Title: | Alex M. Stavely, Saint John to Robert Stavely, [?] |
|---|---|
| ID | 3039 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Stavely, Alexander M/3 |
| Year | 1848 |
| Sender | Stavely, Alex M. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | clergyman |
| Sender Religion | |
| Origin | Saint John, N. Brunswick, Canada |
| Destination | N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Stavely, Robert |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | D/1792/E: Deposited by late Rev. J.C.K. Armour and the Rev. S.S.S. Armour. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9707030 |
| Date | 14/06/1848 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 28:07:97. |
| Word Count | 597 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Saint-John Wednesday, 14th June 1848. My dear Robert It gave me a melancholy pleasure to receive on the 10th Inst. [Instant?] your letter of the 24th Ultimo - Every little incident of our lamented Mother's earthly existence, and even those circumstances connected with the internment of her cold & inanimate remains must be interesting to us all. Indeed I am not yet satisfied, as if I had heard enough of these things, and I look with anxiety for letters from our Sisters, which will no doubt contain further intelligence, respecting the life death, and burial of one whose removal from us we can never cease to mourn. You say that you were dull the evening that we parted and so I felt likewise. Yet I tried to appear cheerful, & perhaps others may have been induced to think that I controlled my feelings well. But oh there were thoughts which I could not express in words, and which made me feel sorrowful indeed especially when our dear departed parents, gathered carefully a fragment of my hair, and when a moment afterwards my eye was fixed steadfastly on her countenance - I felt that then probably I was taking the last fond look, and when my features yielded under the influence of such a painful feeling, I perceived her wistful eye fixed on me, and face answered to face, as if we mutually understood it to be what alas! it has proved - the last look But why need I dwell on the past. She is gone. We cannot, we would not if we could in our selfishness bring her back. We must go to her. Surely we would wish to meet her in heaven. Oh let us live as she lived and then we will be reunited to part no more. We may have a sentimental qualification, and something more in looking back, but we can only enjoy true consolation, and abiding peace, in looking forward. Death is not an eternal sleep & the prisoners of the grave shall yet be free. Jesus is the Ressurrection & the life, and the icy hand of the Universal Tyrant, whilst it may separate the wife from the Husband, & the parent from the child, cannot dissolve the union between Believers & the Lord. We must then look to the future, that we may not sorrow as those who have no hope. I expected that I could not have preached on the following day on fast day when I last wrote, to Mary, but I say it with all humility, my hearers thought I did so as I had never done so before, and never had we such deeply interesting & solemn services, as on our Communion Sabbath, although but a few hours before, had I been made acquainted with my irreparable loss. The bread of life was sweet, though I had been eating of the bread of sorrow. The wine of the kingdom was refreshing, though I could say with the Psalmist thou hast shown us hard things & made us to drink the wine of Astonishment, like it is for us Brother, if when the ties that bind us to earth are broken, we feel our affections more undividedly fixed on Heaven, Our Mother is there, let us prepare to follow for time is short. I have nothing to write as news, Sabbath next I expect to be with Mr Sommerville, Mr Samson is well. The Warnock family are in good health. Other items have been referred to in the accompanying notes. With kindest regards to Elizabeth Your Affectionate Brother Alex M. Stavely |
