Robinson Family Papers

shall go North yet this summer. I would like to go the first week in Oct. just before the opening of the term, but Agnes says no, I cannot go from the heat of a summer here to the stormy autumn at home. I would be willing to risk it, for I am deathly sick of the South, and a Southern climate. Agnes says now very decidedly that we will not spend another summer here, and I say if I am here another [underline]winter[/underline] I'm pretty sure it will be the last, still I feel that I may be very glad to be able to spin out life yet by coming south winters, or worse, may not be able to do it. - Evening of the 29th. - How delightful must the home at Ferrisburg be tonight, with its large airy rooms, and this little moon looking in. But how is the gentle invalid? I can never think of her sick at home, I only see her going about the house making sunshine with her smiles, and ministering to every one's comfort. We are anxious to hear how she is. James tells us that Ann is still at home, I am glad of that. How much there is I long to hear of your affairs, and tell of ours. I wonder if you keep up your interest in Spiritualism? Much as I thought about it I neglected to write [of it?]. I was obliged to wash my hands of it,

after I came back here, I had gone a little too deeply into for one in my excited state, and Agnes was afraid I would take leave of my senses. I joined several circles in Hoosick and here, and whether I took any part in it or not [underline]I[/underline] always received messages, from Thomas and Jane, and finally from Matthew. They always began with "God is here" or something like that, and then said "Be on your guard," &c. Nothing of importance to encourage me to go on, besides I always got frightened and w'd hear no more. I read your paper and loaned it to Mr. Wigfall, he came pretty near putting us all in to the "horse pond" that is his favorite remedy for all women who think for themselves. He is such a character, I wish you knew him, so stormy in speech and yet so tolerant and gentle in nature. We admire and love him, and [underline]study[/underline] him. - Give our tenderest love and sympathy, and our [underline]hopes[/underline] for her to Mr. Robinson, hopes for earth & hopes for heaven. Give our love to Ann and her Father to your self such a wistful love, and such a desire to see you, and yet I would not like to come when you are all sorrowful there. We are ourselves unusually sad this summer. Agnes is much better in health, I would be very well but for the heat & constant colds I take.

Ferrisburgh 2nd month 22nd 1859

Dear Sister

I suppose thou art wondering why bro R. is so remiss in answering my call for the needful. I should have written & sent thee some money long ago, but for the best of reasons - I had not the cash & knew not where to attain it. I have got a [little?] at last & now send thee a draft [underline]for fifteen dollars[/underline] which I hope will meet thy immediate necessities.

Now for a short chapter of news. Religion & measles are at present the principal topics of interest in this neighborhood, the former with the advent of short evenings warm weather & muddy roads will doubtless [deter?] though the methodists have had a pretty prosperous run & the Congregationalists have put in for a share of the spoils, tho as usual in this town have come off second best. Mrs & Miss Parker - our [back?] [house?] neighbors, have been brought into the fold of the latter church. As to the latter epidemic it has prevailed very extensively this month & is likely to continue for some time to come as several have lately come down with it & many others have been exposed who have not yet manifested the symptoms. Reuban [jr?] & Elinor Parker have had it & recovered, Hatty Hale is now confined with it & Laura Whalen has been very ill for 15 or 16 days but yesterday was better. I cannot name her disease think it is in some way connected with her domestic relations. Dr. Maxfield, whom I saw there yesterday told me he had had 200 cases of measles, in nearly all cases the disease

is of a milder type than usual. I hope thou writes to & hears from [Robt.?] E. occasionally. he is likely to lose his boarding place, Lucy having concluded to remove to [Virginia?] & open a boarding house. he has engaged [hard?] with the Hawley's - Lucy's sister in law & he seems pleased with the prospect as he must relinquish his present home which of course he would prefer to going among strangers. The tone of his last letter to me indicated some degree of discouragement from the slow progress he is making in gaining the notice & employment of publishers. He had a proposition from [S?] his instructor, to go with him to Cincinnati but the council at home protested so strongly against it that he has relinquished the prospect. He will be likely to remain in NY till the warm weather approaches. I saw James Frost a few days since who [gave?] me an item of intelligence which I know will rejoice thee as it did us - that [underline]his[/underline] [Hallett?] Thom's son James had settled all his old debts & that H. is now in easy & good circumstances. H. is as earnest a Spiritualist as ever & that reminds me of Francis [Bradbury?] who is thought to be near the transition from heart disease - and our little Isaac has had another attack of that alarming disease. the Dr. told him he must not follow farm work so he has removed to Vergennes & reengages in the [hams?] factory. Calvin also leaves us this spring so we are left to look up new & untried help. I suppose some other of the family has told thee of Ann & the children being here to spend a short vacation. they go back a week from this morning if all is well. We are much pleased to see the good effect of the change

upon the children. Rowley is attentive to his studies is more respectful in manners & his mother says he is more happy at [M.?] than at home - though he greatly prefers staying at Grandfather's & so does [Aggy?], she also is being benefitted by the restraints of boarding school life.

The Liberator comes now, I wrote to Wallcott & told him of the mistake in sending two copies to thee. shall take it, I feel the want of it when deprived of it.

Thou art not the only one who feels the want of a kindred friend with whom to speak of the passing events connected with the subject which most interests us. Spiritualism is undergoing a pretty thorough [purgation?] & I have no doubt the result will be what we all desire - a throwing off of a great amount of corrupt scum, much froth & foam in the [?] shameless impostors & those quite as shameless & no less reprehensible who, like Dr. Hatch, pursue it for the sole purpose of making money. But we have one comfort left - all these exposures, recantations & apostacies cannot disturb the foundations of true Spiritualism nor shake the confidence of those who have honestly & intelligently embraced its sublime truths. I did intend to fill my sheet but am called away & must not defer sending the draft. All well as usual & send [united?] love - mine as ever

Thy affecionate brother

Rowd. T. Robinson

Ferrisburgh 5th Mo 22nd 1859

Dear Sister,

I had set apart last first day to be religiously observed in writing to thee a long epistle, but when the day came, with it came also a requisition which was not to be put aside. Naomi wanted to go & witness a baptismal ceremony at the Hollow & take the children so [underline]I[/underline] must go as usual - "whether or no" - I went & my letter had to be delayed another week for writing on any other day than Sunday is out of the quesiton with me. I. D. Goodrich was one of the subjects of baptism, Robt. Hazard's wife another - Stephen's [son?] & three or four others whom I did not know, two were sprinkled & the others dipped all by brother [Ches?] the Methodist. The day was fine & a large concourse assembled - (many from curiosity) & the cermony was performed with becoing solemnity, but whether the poor dupes to a rotten theology will derive any lasting benefit by the performance is with me very doubtful. But I must pass on to domestic & neighborhood matters so as to be sure of the needed space. We have been quite uneasy about Lloyd's health for some 6 or 7 weeks but he is now considerably better. Before his last trip to N.Y. 7 or more weeks ago his old cough set in apparently the effect of colec, it continued all the time of his absence & when he returned it was harder than I ever knew it before, we sent for [Dr.?] [May?] & I went & [brot?] Ann & the children home from M. tho, it were only about a week to vacation when they would have come [underline]any how[/underline]

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[Reps?] [Ryans?] wife is no more she died of meesles & [?]

Extracts from his [?] to the Age. My dear R says give my love & say I intend to write soon [Ellens?] only daughter at home died of the same Thine R

We never saw L. so ill before as just before A's return Violent Cough, considerable expectoration great horseness [?] [fever?] loss of appetite & slept & wanting a good fire in mild weather were the prominent symptoms, he is now, as I said before - thinking thou could not want to wait so long to hear, - much better in all his symptoms - tho his cough is still hard, we hope as the weather becomes steadily warm that he will continue to mend & with increasing speed. Poor Ann is a good deal worn by her anxiety & increased cares & burthens. If L's health will admit the prospect now is that they will go to Portland L. to take charge of a store for the sale of Kerosene Oil which Newman & Co are making there from their coal in N. Brunswick. A. has had a hard time at [Middlebury?] she found things very different from what she expected & quite unlike there at the old hive - she will I suppose tell thee all about it. She formed some pleasant acquaintances there among others Miss Knowles, who, with Agnes made us a flying but pleasant [deleted]business[/deleted] visit last 4th day. They came first to Vergennes &, strange to tell - H. F. Levite brot them to our house we took them to the 9 oclock P.M. train. Our balance wheel remains in about the same condition as when thou left us a year ago. She sits at the table much more frequently than she used to do & almost always does the work of her room & at this season as usual she is much engaged with her shrubs & plants - transplanting & pruning & staking new ones for her friends - she often gets very tired with her day's labor. She is as mild & forbearing & self sacrificing as ever. All the other branches & sprouts

of the household are in usual trim except the writer who feels this spring with the force of practical demonstration the truth of the threadbare expression so often made with careless indifference - that we are all growing [underline]old[/underline]. Though I am now much better I was for several weeks almost nearly confined to the house with a return of my old difficulty in the chest attended with [slightly?] increased activity of the pulse dryness of the mouth & throat & expectoration of the character I have so often described to thee as resembling the white of egg partially coagulated & loss of flesh. With the coming warm weather I expect to attain my wanted condition. In addition I have another little matter which I must mention tho I think no one is disposed to allow it much importance, [underline]I not not[/underline]. Thou mayest recollect a little sore on my left cheek bone when thou left us - this has never resolved but if any thing rather increases, the orifice is the size of a medium pea, discharges a small amount of yellow matter & is sometimes attended with slight smarting pain for thy comfort I will add I do not think it has any of the indications of Cancer, tho it seems strange to me that it does not heal. On its account I almost entirely abstain from hay & I am in other respects more circumspect in my diet. Robt. E. is still in the vicinity of N.Y. boarding, since Lucy's removed to [Va.?] with Henry Hawley her brother-in-law - a pleasant family

he says & all that is the head of the family Spiritualists. I think he has attained good profiency in his art though that business is so dull at present that I have counseled him to come home & await further developments. Our Union Store controversy still lingers without com[ing?] to a final issue our last delay was occasioned by the death of another of our number one of the defendants in the suit Noel W. Porter, he died of a fit about two weeks since. The prospect now is that the whole matter will be taken out of court & submitted to the arbitrament of [Dryald?] Stewart John's brother - though our controversy has been long & vexing greatly against my taste yet we are quite sanguine that justice will at last prevail which is the same as saying that we expect to succeed in establishing our claim against Meddlebrook [Fresers?] estate & Porter's - Speaking of Spiritualists reminds me that our friend Ruth [Grois?] has advertised by written notes but I do not know how extensively that she will attend to her gift of [healing?] one day in each week at a [stated?] price of 50[cents] for examination $1. for ex & presentation & 25[cents] for all future prescriptions in each case - I wish her great success - I have been greatly pleased if not edified by reading the Vol's of Channing thee left with me. I admire his character as a good man much more by the acquaintance, & was particularly pleased to find his testimony clear & decided in favor of the fundamental ideas of Spirtualism. So much so that I must send some

extracts from his [Writings?] to the Age.

[Rufus?] Ryes died of measles & widow Collin's only daughter at home died of the same Thine R