| Title: | [?], Belfast to Madelina [Wightman, Alabama?]. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3930 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | 1821-30/127 |
| Year | 1822 |
| Sender | unknown |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Destination | Florence, Alabama, USA |
| Recipient | Wightman, Madelina |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | T 1475/1 p20-22: Copied by Permission of Miss A. McKisack, 9 Mount Pleasant, Belfast. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9404165 |
| Date | 08/03/1822 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 20:04:1994. |
| Word Count | 2183 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Belfast. 8th March 1822 My dearest Madelina I cannot help thinking that you and Nancy have been very lasy [lazy?] not a word from either for so many months - last is dated July 20th. Nancy and I had calculated on one every month or at least every two, now that Nancy is with you to remind you of this duty, and as I well know she is not indolent in the use of the pen, ink, and paper. It is about two months since I last wrote to you, my dear Father was then just recovering from an unusally severe attack of pain from which he has not yet regained the use of his hand or arm, the pain however became trifling and till within these 10 days past had little or no return of his rheumatic pains, and we were in great hope of them troubling him no more but it returned to the old seat in his back and was for some days very ill, and was scarcely relieved from this till he was attacked with sickness and bowel complaint which the Doctor attributed to bile, this confined him to bed all last week, and indeed my dear Madelina there were two days he looked so ill. I almost feared he would not recover but day after day he seems getting better now, and has been able to rise for some days now and is nearly in his usual spirits again. The joy I feel my dear Madelina you may suppose, to me he is almost without exception the only blessing that I am permitted the actual possession of, and to me it has become a very dear blessing indeed and his kindness (though my own conduct may be very different sometimes from what he wishes) is never more than momentary withdrawn from me, it often vexes me to think I give him even momentary uneasiness, it is still evident he wishes to see me settled in life, and by this he means comfortably married, whilst I am perfectly satisfied to consider my present situation as settled in life. Your letter to John my dear Madelina gave us all sincere pleasure and I do hope the most trying time to your health is now over completely, and all our fears for Florence be now at an end, what a happy thing my poor little dears lip was likely to be so well healed, indeed you and William seem so happy, so content, so comfortable, that I wonder I still regret you are not near me, when in some instances you might have more to vex you and when your health continues so good, I should endeavour to be less selfish than to wish you here, though to see you here again would be to me like entering on a new existence. O my dear Madelina, I wonder shall we ever be together to talk to each other of all that has happened since we parted, and to give your advice to one who in many instances has felt the want of it, but this is all dreaming. I see no prospect of such happiness before me. Mine should be the duty to ever bear in mind the many blessings I do possess without grasping at those out of reach and which perhaps I am not worthy of possessing while health is spared to me and the numberless other comforts I every day enjoy, it is sinful not to be content. I still hope for a renewed and better feeling which with more lively gratitude, would lead me to acknowledge the mercies of a kind and just God, but I do not feel that my heart is improving or that I am in any way becoming a better Christian. I think I mentioned to you before that I had partaken of the Sacrament and in this heart soothing commemoration of a dear Saviour, there should not a shadow of a wordly thought intrude to call our ideas to any other subject whatever, all should be peace within and ardent unbounded gratitude of heart, shall I confess my dear madelina that this is not so entirely the case as it should be, we are, or at least I feel I am too much the creature of circumstance and situation, and as I mostly go forward to that sacred table alone, there is something of an isolated feeling crosses my mind, which should not at anytime be the case, but [more?] particularly when about to commemorate that event, which tells us all so plainly that we are all the children of redeeming love and affection. I know my dear Madelina will blame me exceedingly for this feeling, but indeed you cannot more than I do myself, and I assure you that I am doing all in my power to get the better of it, for it is not only at that time that I feel my religious duties interrupted by it, but almost every Sunday, but I was led to speak of it as being the most important, indeed I do regret exceedingly the unsettled and often unsatisfactory attendance I give to any place of worship, for some condiderable time past we have been in hopes that Mr [?] would resign as the congregation seems to be gradually resigning him, even my father begins to see the little improvement his children gain by going, and talks of taking a seat in Mr. McEwens. I dare not urge him too rapidly, but have great hopes that this will be accomplished. It is difficult to find one all you could wish, but consider this change would be a prospect of some improvement and would like to have a settled place I could go to regularly with pleasure. Latterly I have been occasionally everywhere, my Father is seldom risen before 12, and often one, the younger part of the family mostly take a walk after being at first meeting. Issac is perhaps at the newsroom, I go out undetermined, perhaps meet Mrs J. Neilson go with her to Dr. Hanna, sometimes the Doctor and with him to M. Carr or struggle on to our own deserted place. Wm [William?] perhaps is there and mostly the only occupier of John's seat, and I have his company home. I have written this my dear Madelina while waiting up for Isaac, will make no apologies for it but will either write another or finish this tomorrow. Near 2.o.c [2 o'clock?] 13th The foregoing has been written for some days and on looking over it I decided not to send it: I know not what put me in such a prosing mood, but you may have it with anything else I can add, as all will go with James Jackson who unexpectedly arrived in town and still more unexpectedly announced his intention of setting out to America immediately. You will say this might have been calculated on as likely, but not hearing any talk of it latterly I thought somehow it might be some months ere he would leave us. He has gone however to Liverpool and my packets are to follow him to-morrow. The few days he was in town I could settle to nothing and thought every hour lost that he was not with us. He kindly gave us all the time he could and spent the last day with us, you may be sure my dear Madelina that our hearts were filled with regret as we bid him farewell, my Dear Father was greatly affected and James equally so, indeed I think he suffered far more than when he went with the girls, he gives us great hope that he will not be absent for many years. I trust happiness and prosperity will attend him how few deserve it so well he will be able to give you so much information about how we are all going on, that it is almost unnecessary to write to you. I hope the pictures will reach you safely, my Father thought you might as well let them remain here, and indeed so think I, as I wonder you can ever give up Ireland for America - I am quite satisfied however with your change to Florence, as from all I hear Shelbyville must have been a very disagreeable place. Nancy will have large packets I expect from some of her friends. I apprised them all of James' arrival in town, but I hear Mrs Charles McAllister is very ill with rhematism. Miss Craig too though she said her letter was written has never sent it but I believe she is deeply engaged nurse-tending. Mrs Ward has given birth to a fine girl, both are doing well, and there is every prospect of it living. She confined herself to her bedroom for several months never venturing downstairs, and enjoys good health. .............. [extract from another letter from America?] Mr. Baker of Tuscaloosa to come and hold a protracted Meeting. He accordingly did so and this meeting is just over. You will be glad to hear that it has been signally blessed the conversion of about twentyfive persons and many others are I am sure awakened, though not yet willing to make it known. Among those who joined the Church last Sunday were Anne Eliza Sloss, and Marianna Bigger, both of whom you faithfully instructed in the Sabbath School for a number of years. Here is the fruit of your labours and prayers on their behalf. I told them both that I would write to you and gladden your heart by the intelligence that all your labour had not been in vain, but that they had yielded their hearts to God before the deceitful influence of the world had hardened them. Miss Lucinda Depriest was another convert, that all who had known her Mother seemed to rejoice over. Mrs Williams and her sister Miss Pollock, Eliza Bigger, Mrs Coffey's daughter Rachel, Mrs Donaldson's daughter, geting before either Father and Mother, and some other young ladies who I think you do not know. I must not forget Mrs Plumber. Among the men are Mr Henty, Mr Bliss, Mr Roy, Mr Lawrence's eldest son, and young Henry Pope, and two or three other young men from the stores came out nobly and boldly in the face of the world and avowed their determination to follow Christ through evil report and good report. In the midst of all this rejoicing Mrs Simpson was very much grieved that Mr Simpson was absent nearly all this time. He had been appointed by the Governor of the State to examine the acounts of the Decator [Decatur?] Bank, which kept him from home all the time of the meeting, except the Sabbath. Mr Hugh Simpson was impressed at the first, and Mr Baker thought. .............. I never liked to write to you till I could say they had arrived tho' [though?] Mrs Simpson often urged me to do so. She desires me to say that they answer her very well, and to thank you for all the trouble you had selecting them. Her health is much the same as when I wrote last, she still feels the debilitating influence of the heat in summer, still would desire if it was the Lord's Will that a way would be opened up for her return to her native Land, believing that the change would be beneficial to the moral as well as temporal interests of her children. They are all at present in good health, the two youngest had an attack of Scarlet Fever this Fall, but it was in a mild form. Mary had also a slight Bilious Fever. [extract from another letter?] You will be concerned to hear that your old friend Mr Hood has departed this life. He died early in October. There was little change in his health from the time you left here till about three weeks before his death, when he sank rapidly, and Mrs Hood will probably make Jane write you the particulars after some time. Another of your friends (Mrs Jackson) has had a visitation of Providence in her family this season - her youngest daughter, little Jane evidently a very Stout and healthy child was seized with Conjestive Fever which baffled the skill of all the Physicians, and she sank under it. Mrs Jackson suffered keenly but was enabled to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in her afflication and to bow to his decision. Mrs Cheatham died this summer of a lingering Consumption - her's was a happy peaceful deathbed she did not talk much but if asked a reason of the "hope that was in her" was ready to give it with meekness. She looked steadily at death and seemed to have a well grounded hope of acceptance with God thro' [through?] the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but I must hasten to give you some account of the affairs of the Church which are at present very interesting to all who desire the prosperity of Zion and to none I am sure more to you, who so long sighed over her desolations. |
