William Audley Couper papers

[upper right corner] Savannah 15^th Oct 1852.

What can I say to my beloved Hannah that can comfort her, in this time of deep bereavement.

I have not words to express my deep my heartfelt sympathy for you - Oh! that I could have been with you, & that - even now I could come to you to soothe if possible your bitter anguish - We heard the sad intelligence last week, but I could not credit it - & could not believe it: so did not write you dearest Hannah. until M^r Couper's letter to John yesterday confirmed our saddest fears, and now we feel indeed that your darling little one is no more - & we weep with with [sic] you - we are not forbidden to shed the tears of sorrow for the dear departed ones, but we mourn not for them, but for ourselves - Your beloved little Isabella is now an angel in Heaven, & there she will wait for you to join her - Oh! my dear Hannah what a happy union - ! & then you will never know the sorrow, the pains of parting more. Think of this happiness my dearest friend - Your bereavement is very great and hard, hard to bear, but Oh dearest remember that the affliction comes from a Father[']s hand - and "He does not willingly afflict the children of men" -- The

Saviour looks down upon you with pity - and if you ask him in prayer he will comfort your heart. No earthly friend can sympathise with you so deeply my dear Hannah - So look to Jesus Christ for consolation & for peace - and you will not look for it, or ask it in vain - Remember his compass ionate heart, remember his tears at the grave of his friend, and know that he weeps with you also - So try ^to cheer up my beloved - Think what trials sorrow & sickness she is spared - if it had been God[']s will to prolong her life - a bitter future is allotted to all - and she too would have had to pass thro [through] that fiery ordeal - for none of us know [sic] what is before us - but now all is joy with her, & eternal too - Will this thought dearest Hannah not give you comfort? - That your little Isabel is perfectly happy, pure, and holy and that for ever - I will write no more to you just now my much loved friend, for I feel that many words will but open the wounds afresh - & hope to be with you soon - perhaps in the Tues-day[']s heat. Oh I need not tell you I long to be with you - & fully intended doing so, before Mr C wrote Mother, and only waited a cool change. Sickness prevails so extensively that my friends think I would be running a risk in moving any where before a frost, and the thought that were I to get sick with you - I would only be in

[upper right corner] Allentown 15^th October 1852

My dearly beloved Tootee

What can be the reason that I have no letter this week from you? God! forbid you are sick or William or either of those dear children? I certainly am very unhappy the last few days, so many circumstances seem com-bined against me. Thank God! as far as I am aware there is neither sickness or death but painful suspense & disappointment. First we have not had a line from Lord since he left us: we have been expecting him since yesterday. Next no letter from you (tho' the girls have had letters forwarded here from New Haven) next two short letters from your beloved Father dated 15^th November September - he complains of a lame hand - is to leave California on the 1 or 15 Nov. but leaves our beloved Butler there until his successor arrives - He decidedly disapproves of my taking Malley home - recommends my even leaving Floyd & Tip Florence & Appy at school here. Then to add to all this uneasiness I must be looking over the vile New York Herald - The Editor is a perfect viper - he says "T. Butler King removed from Office - serious charges against him." Now this has put me into a perfect fever - Brother Henry has cut out the piece & enclosed it to M^r Filmore - requesting him to stay his decis -ion until my husband returns - Now my child you cannot wonder why I should be so unhappy. Certainly if ever a man served his country well & honestly - that man is T Butler King. & yet what reward has he received? May God! forgive his persecutors & slanderers - they are many & bitter. How short sighted are we poor mortals - only a few weeks ago I thought if I only had money enough to carry me comfortably home & could hear that your dear Father & Butler were well - that all were well with you - & those dear ones keep well - I would be content. Now I have money enough & to spare for that purpose. I have not heard that any of you are sick & yet I am made perfectly miserable by not hearing from you - Butler[']s remaining longer in California - This news Paper report - & Lord[']s silence, I am really miserable My darling child are you sick ? or William? or those dear children? Oh! how unhappy I am made - This evening[']s mail brought dear Butler[']s letters to Georgia - Lord & myself - Those letters give no particular information

[upper right corner] Goshen Oct 16^th 1852

Dearest Hannah

Yesterday brought the news to me of the dreadful loss you and dear William have met with in the death of your darling little Belle - Dearest sister my heart bleeds for you both, and deeply so. I sympathize with you in this great trial, that our Heavenly Father has seen fit to afflict you with, and oh I pray he has given you strength to bear it with resignation, and say thy will be done - Oh I know it is a hard, hard thing to bear, and we are so sinful that at first we are almost tempted to rebell [sic], but in trouble we have no where to flee but to him for help, and we never seek it in vain, he will heal the wound his hand has seen fit to inflict Thine whome [sic] the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and each cord he severs brings us nearer to him - You have the blessed consolation of knowing your precious one is now an inhabitant of that bright and beautiful world & saved forever from all the troubles of this

world for at best it is a world of sorrow and suffering and you would not , if you could bring that dear one back however much you shall miss her dear little step and voice, that voice is now poured fourth [sic] in hymns of praise and Angels are her companions --

But words are useless on such occasions when your wound is bleeding. God help you dearest Hannah and bless and keep you all, you have yet many blessings left you in your other dear little ones and Husband - Do my dear when you can write me I shall be so glad to hear from you. I shall try and come and see if but for a day or or [sic] so when Lizzie comes - so I can leave the children with her - she will be down in a couple of weeks I think

I have had much sickness in my family - we have all been down but are now all about again though all looking very badly

John and children unite with me in much love to you all May God in his mercy help you dear Hannah in

[written in pencil, top left corner] [Mr. William Audley Couper Frederica St. Simons Isld. Georgia]

[right of page] Allentown. Oct. 17^th 1852

My dear Sister and Brother

In vain do I try to find words with which to express the grief and sympathy I feel for you under this sad, sad trial, with which it has pleased God in his inscrutable wisdom to visit you. For the dear little Angel, who has thus soon returned to the happy Heaven whence she came, I cannot feel such anguish as that which must naturally render you now miserable, for I firmly believe she is far happier than tho' she still were on earth; and O! let me entreat you both, to view calmly this chattering, and allow it to draw your hearts more towards God! that in due time you may join this little darling in eternal happiness!

I am a poor person to write a letter of condolence, tho' I may feel never so deeply, for thank Heaven I have seldom been called upon to perform so sad a task; and a worse one

perhaps, to influence you to look rightly upon the visitations of the Almighty, but whatever I do say O! trust me, I feel and believe. Owing to my almost constant absence from home since dear Isabel was born I never saw much of her, but from what I did see, and from what I have ever heard of her, I know that she was one of the most lovely of children, but let this not heighten but rather temper our grief, for we must feel that she is a better Angel above.

This mournful intelligence met me most suddenly on my return late last night from New York where I I [sic] had been since the first of the week; in my absence your letter had arrived and been opened by Mother who was anxious on account of your long silence - I hastened to her room and found her in extreme grief, which my efforts could but little alleviate. She grieves for Bel intensely, but not less for you dearest Sister - her heart seems near to breaking. She feels so much for your sorrow.

[upper right corner] Allentown 17^th October 1852

My beloved Afflicted Children !

I cannot address you singly as the Father & Mother of that departed babe you seem now equally dear to me ! In what words Oh my children can I express the agony I have endured since the rect [receipt] dear William of your afflicting letter of the 8^th & can it be possible that I shall no more on earth behold that beautiful face - hear that sweet voice - hold in mine that soft dimpled hand or fold to my fond heart that form so beloved ? Oh God! thy ways are inscrutable - But this we do know "that He doeth all things well" In the first moments of anguish this is hard to / understand or believe It is nevertheless true. He gave you that precious lamb to keep for a few short years - he endowed her with beauty & attractions above most children, he permitted your hearts to be wrapped up in this lovely flower. He now takes her to himself, to draw your hearts to Him who now shelters that sweet lamb in His bosom. My children may God! grant that the death of this beloved child may draw your hearts to Him who died for you. God! gave his only son to die the cruel death on the cross - that through him the sins of the world may be forgiven. Can we not then trust this blessed babe to the keeping of Him who died that we may find a place in a better world - Oh! my children I feel that I have set you but a poor example of Christian Fortitude. I suffered trifles to disturb my happiness when I may have been happy - Now that real trouble assails us I feel crushed to the earth - fearful what the morrow may bring forth. With all of your love for that child my William you can bear it better than my Tootee can. Her station is indoor with everything to remind her of the chasm which death has made in your family. Her love is as not greater than yours - but her cares were. Her health too is not so strong - May God!

give you strength to bear with Christian fortitude & resignation this terrible blow. If we could but with the eyes of faith look beyond the dark & narrow grave - We would see that loved one now in the glorious garb of an angel - singing hymns of praise - She will never again ^ feel hunger or thirst - pain or death. It is true she has no longer a place on earth - but she occupies a better place in heaven - Let us try & be reconciled to the will of God! She can return no more to us but we may go to her. Let us take this chastening not only as a mercy & blessing to that dear angel but also to our bereaved selves. Your tears will flow the wound of your hearts will still bleed - but if we seek help and consolation from God! we will find rest & consolation We must all die! a fearful truth?! Our precious Isabel has past [sic] through the dark valley a little before us - her path was made smooth by the love of the Savior who said "suffer little children to come unto me & forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven" "It is not the will of my Father that one of these little ones should perish" What divine consolation . Let us take hold on these promises & feel consolation from Him who alone can give us rest. Now is the accepted time - Let lay all of our sins - all trouble at the feet of our blessed Savior - looking to Him only for forgiveness & consolation -- The blessed influences of the Holy Spirit & time will will make the burden of our grief lighter -

This blow was so sudden - It is true I had become very unhappy at your silence - I began to fear sickness - I was not prepared for death. How changed in a few hours have been our feelings - but yesterday poor Appy had dressed her doll - & finished her dress. how proudly she folded up the dress not to be opened until we reached home They then each one made make out a little memorandum

I am truly shocked at the calamities which have fallen upon poor M^r Stephen King[']s family - it is truly dreadful - And he has my warmest sympathy. Since you wrote me of course you have heard of the death of his wife. - poor old man what is the world now to him. - And old M^r Gouly too you say is fast passing away - I would like much to see the old gentleman once more, is his daughter Mary with him? What has become of his son James? -

In our dear Mother[']s last letter to me, she spoke of re= =turning to the Island early in this month. I hope the sickness of Rebecca Couper will be a war= =ning to her, for as you say the Island is full of water it must be more or less sickly. - So Anna thinks she will have grown so much I won't know her - tell her there is no danger of that - and she will find it out too when I grab her I wonder if Willie will remember me - Bell won[']t - and I have my doubts