Letters from Sarah Henderson to Abigail Houston Shedd and Her Daughters
These letters were written from Lewis, Kansas.
Lewis, Feb 17th, 1862
My dear Nieces,
I am going to write to both of you at once because I have not much time now and I want to write a little to your mother too. I think you took the right way to write a letter and I hope you will try it again.
I have been hoping all winter that we should be able to visit you some time before we returned to the mountains, but do not think we shall, so you will have to write and tell me all the news. I want you should tell me all about your cousin's Carrie's wedding, where she was married, and by whom, if she has a good husband, how long do they expect to remain in Europe, how is Emily's health and I want to know if any of the "Denmark boys" were wounded or killed in the last battle as I see by the papers that the regiment they are in was cut up very badly. Does Hibbard attend the Academy this winter?
Have they commenced building the meeting house yet and do they intend to rebuild the old one.
You see you will have to write me a long letter to answer all these questions. I want you should give little Mary Ingalls a kiss for me every time you see her, and tell her she must not forget Aunt Sarah. We had a party at our house on New Years day; we had all of Mr. Americh Cases' family, all of Mr. Tuttle's family, and the girl that lives with Mrs. Keys, the boy that lives with Mr. Gridly (as they are brother and sister of our boy) and Mr. and Mrs. Walker, twenty five including our own family. The children had a merry time, to say nothing about the old folks.
Mrs. Sawyer was here week before last and staid two or three day. She sent her love to you and told me to tell you that she had not forgotten the letter you wrote her, and she intended to answer them before long. I like her very much indeed. I do not wonder you became so much attached to her when she was your teacher. Who teaches your school this winter? Who teaches the school in John's district this winter.
I gathered some flower seeds when I was at the mountains. Will send you some. Perhaps you can make some of them grow. I should like some of your apples to eat very much indeed, but I am very much afraid I shall not get any of them this winter. Have Mr. Woods family moved back to Denmark, as you spoke of attending Mary's party, I have not heard of their coming back.
Is John Brown in prison at Ft. Madison and do they think he is one that burnt the meeting house. You must write again soon and tell me all the news.
With much love from
Aunt Sarah
Lewis Feb. 21st / 62
Dear Abby,
Warren has gone to meet some of the singers and practice some temperance song, to be sung next Monday eve at a Temperance meeting which is to be held in village of Lewis, and Father, Mother, and Frank have gone to bed, and I am going to commence a letter to you, but don't expect to finish it tonight, but hope to have time tomorrow, for I have done my "Saturday baking" today for Warren and myself are invited to a dinner party tomorrow in company with Mr. and Mrs. Keyes and several others, as tomorrow you know is the 22nd of Feb. and it is also the Anniversary of the wedding day of those that give the party, so I have done my Sat. work today.
I have obliged answering your letter for Warren had not fully decided about going to Denmark this winter, but he thinks now that he shall not unless Mr. Bristol and Ruth will come here and stay with father and mother. Warren wrote them if they thought they could, he would meet them at Burlington in March.
We should probably hear from them next week, but I have not much the least expectation they will come.
Mr. Bristol's health is very poor so he is not able to preach, if he came here perhaps the change would benefit him some, so that he could preach some, and it would be such a comfort to father and mother to have Ruth with them. We have got a very good girl engaged to stay with them while we are gone, but it would be much pleasanter for them to have Ruth with the too, if possible. If they don't come, Warren thinks we had better not visit you but spend the time here, as mother is very feeble and has been most of the time since we came home. I don't know how to give up the thought of not see you all before going back to the mountains, but I expect I shall have to. I have been anticipating so much pleasure in seeing all the loved ones once more – no not all; one dear one is gone, one that has always seemed so happy. When I have met her in the dear old home, she always did everything to make it so pleasant for me. If I should visit D. I should not see her dear face. I cannot bear to think it is so. God grant the rest may all be spared until I see them once more.
O dear! I do want to visit you so bad but I expect I had better do as mother used to tell me when I was a girl, so shut right up and say no more about it. Tell Jane I have been looking for a long time for that promised little of hers, tell her she must send Mary's picture to me by Charles Montandlin if he has not started when you get this letter, that is if he will agree to stop here and give it to me. I want to see all the children so much. Who does Sarah's little girl resemble. Warren had a cousin die last fall about the time we came here and left four children. (Her husband died three or four years.) She wanted we should take the oldest boy, who is now about eleven, Mrs. Keyes the girl who is the oldest of them all, and Mr. A. Case the youngest, and she said "God would provide a place for Freddy." Mr. Gridly has taken him. The one we have is one of the best boys I ever saw, he shows that he had a good mother to train him. It seems as though it must have been very hard for her to die and leave four children under fourteen years of age without fathers or mothers. We shall take Frank to the mountains with us.
Have you heard from Julie James recently? Is she getting better. Give a great deal of love to Aunt Porter, am very much obliged to her for writing me. Tell her I think I will wait until I get back to the mountains before I answer it.
Give my love to all the friends. Do write again soon will you not. I wonder if you have as much to do as you used to.
Love to all from Sarah
In looking over this I see I have left out about half the words but I cannot afford to write it over so I shall send it along as it is.
