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Letter One

Oct 19, 1853

My dear Children
I will try once more to write A few times to you and I feel as though duty as well as inclination prompts me to do it and I wish I knew what to write for your benefit
Be assured I am verry anxious for you welfare and more so than ever since Betsey (BROWN) came home She said you talk of breaking up keeping house and teaching school I think it would be best under existing circumstances if you can get good wages and Joseph (BROWN) can rent his place to some one that he can trust his things with and will be likely to get his pay of if J(oseph Brown) should take jobs of threshing it would be very disageable to you to stay alone and you would not either of you be willing to stay there and do nothing yet if you do not find any one to take your place I should not advise to sell all your possession you might think best to keep house again in the spring or you might be sick and want a home of your own I want Joseph 9BROWN) to hold on to his land yet till he can get a thousand dollars for it which will be at no very distant period as good lumber land will be as valuable as any property in a short time as our papers state no one ought to clear land any faster than for necssary uses If you go into school you had take your trunk where you make your home and put the rest of your things into your chest as much as you can and if there is a family moves into the house have your things carried where there is room for them and where they will be safe J(oseph BROWN) will probably take care of his own things be assured I want to see you both but I dont see as I can recommend it you to come home this fall for I do not think you will find so good a chance to make any thing as you would there I should like to have Joseph (BROWN) come home and spend a part of the winter with us and think it would be best for him to do so that I might have a chance to fix up his things you know that is my privelege
I am sensible this world abounds in trials and we all share in them but unnecessary ones are the hardest to bear beware my dear children of making trouble for your own selves by any unkindness to each other but ever stive to ____ each others faults and over come them by kindness and affection Our lives are of short duration in this world and the things of it will soon pass away I know that Joseph (BROWN) has always felt that he has not had as good a chance as others it is true enough as it regards the things of this world but as relates to the world to come he has the same as others while Christ has said he that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out but he the cometh to God must believe that there is a God and that he is rewarder of them that diligently seek him come then to the Savior for in him there is life and light and in him there is no darkness at all be entreated to consider your ways and turn to God that it may be well with you in this life and in that which is to come for this is the feverent prayer of your mother your best very best friend

Perhaps you have thought strange that I have not written before, we have been very much engaged in quilting for the Grand Legn Mission the box I suppose was filled yesterday and sent on I have done the more work because I was not able to give B(etsey BROWN)come home very much fatigd she did not go to the vilage till Thursday Mr B is still alive with very little hope of his recovery he has had a counsel of doctors that say medicine is of no use to him the only chance for him is by being carried out which they do every day but that chance is very small he sent for Susan (BROWN-MORTON) to see him she went he wanted her to take his children home with her she consented the great drops of sweat rolled off from him he said it was because he was so thankfull for her taking them she has had them about a week they are quite contented William HART was buried to day up East I suppose he died very much as (Benjamin) Franklin (BROWN) did with the chill and ague fever Uncle Joseph (BERRY) is very feeble your Aunt (Sally BROWN-)CANEDY is dead she died the 7 of Sept Margery and Lana were very sick with a fever was afraid they wont recover Adin (MORTON) is gone to Penn we shall have news when he returns we are in comfortable health your father is husking corn and I am jogging about doing whatever my hands find to do with all my might James and Lydia E(llen BROWN-WILLIAMS) appear to be very happy they have as much to do as two married women they are getting things very nice I hope they wont think too much of earthly things but I want them to enjoy life and I see no reason why they should not they have not been home yet to make a visit but have rode up two or three times in the evening J(ames WILLIAMS) says he is coming up to get something to eat he says he dont know how they shall get a long for one says just as you say and the other says just as you like but but he says he has given her one text Let the wife see that she reverince her husband David (H. BROWN) is at Adin (MORTON)s yet I dont know whether he will live at home this winter or not but rather expect he will he only comes home to change his clothes Sunday and goes right back again you may think I am rather lonely not because we dont ____ ____ Lydia Brown has gone to learn to be a dress maker Mrs BOWKENhas had a little son it lived only two days she is very feeble but seems to be gaining slowly she mourns very much for her child Mr BLISS the deaf man is married Aunt Sally POWERS they have been horned and guns fired for three or four nights successively so I have wrote the most of the news that is going among us I want you to write and let me know what conclude upon very soon to Margaret and Joseph BROWN from their mother Eleanor BROWN

To: Joseph Brown & Miss Margaret Ferry Brown, prob. Howard, NY
From: Mrs. Eleanor (Ferry) Brown, prob. Groton, NY

Brown Family Letters Page 2

Transcribed by Sharon Jones
Thank you Sharon for sharing these letters and transcribing them for the Tompkins County NYGenWeb Site.

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