[page torn] Stoke upon Trent England
Private
My Dear Phebe
I have got [page torn]ey choice fine presents for you in this bundle
which I send to you in token of respect, which I hope & pray God, may fall into your
hands in safety that you keep them in Memory of Willford & of the great & import-
ant Mission which I am now filling. The elegant china Box which you will find in this Budle
is considered one of the finest & best executed peace of work found in England or Europe
it is the ^a^ present from the Saints in Stoke upon Trent. it was made & presented to me
by Brother John Rowley & James Growcut all excepting the flower upon it is burried gold
such an articles could not be purchased short of about £2 threetwo Sovreigns you will
also find 2 smelling Bottle & three thimbles which are very pretty & neatly executed I intened
intended to have had your name on the largest which was a mistake in the
guilder but they are going to make me a viol or Bottle much larger then
either of them & put Phebe on it they are making 3 china Pitchers for me to
bring home when I come quart, Pint, & gill, with willford, Phebe, & Sarah Emma
on them. (you will find in the china Box £5 five sovereigns which I want you to
spend to make you comfortable as far as it will go. I sent you 1 ounce of sewing silk
& or an ounce of black twill, & 150 needles the best that can be bought ^from willford^ (one Black silk
apron & three caps a present from Sister Emma Cordon) I send you a good serviceable
penknife & small pair of shears, 2 oz of thread. 2 pair of nice stockings & a pair of gloves ^gloves^ to
Phebe, 4 pair of stockings & a pair of shoes to Sarah Emma, one pair of socks & stockings to willford
one Box of nise steel pens to write 8 print Journals for Willford sen & Phebe &c. I send the
above articles by Elder Turley which I hope you will get safe. I wish you
to under stand that the china articles have not cost me any thing but were
presents from gentlemen in Stoke. I wish you examin the things as you opened
them for I have written on peaces of paper & put in some of them after you have read
over this & under stood it I wish you to destroy it or take care of it so that
it may not fall into the hands of others. I have worn the suit of cloths you made
me untill about 15 days ago the friends made me a present of a new suit of black
fine broad cloth which I am now wearing I shall send an other letter with this
bundle in which I shall give you an account of matters & things with me
you will find my pen knife that I had of Brothr Asahels please lay it by for safe keeping when
you write me again tell me if there is any thing that you want me to bring you
from England or from any where els as I return home & if it is in my power I
will get it for you. I expet I can bring you a pair of lining sheets when I
come. I could get a number of such things if it was not for the bulk of them
in carrying so far. I have sent another bundle besids this by Brothr Turley
in which you will find a dress for yourself & Sarah E. & also a letter to you
There will be several caps sent you in a small Bundle from Manchester as a present from
a sister there & I have ordered a small Hym Book for you & Sistr Smoot with your
names on them in guilded. their is three caps in a paper that are done up according to the English fashion
I expect they will be so ruffled or broaken that they will not be fit to wear without doing over but you will
see the maner they done up they are large now but when they are washed they will be smaller
they are from Sistr Cordon.
Phebe Please kiss little Sarah &
Willford for me I dream of
being with you occasioally I
look forward with great antic-
ipation & happiness when I
can once more embrace my
Dear Wife & chilidren in my
arms whare I can spend a little
season with them even before
the coming of christ but that
joy is highened to a greater degree
when I think of reigning with
Phebe & the children which God
will give us for one thousendend
years whare our love & affe-
ction will be increased to as
much greater degree then
any thing known in this life as
our light & glory will be
above what we now enjoy &
then to fully perfect the happiness
of my soul to enjoy an Eternity
in the celestial kingdom of God
with my wife & children to
part no more forever & not
ownly to fully bask in the greetness [greatness]
of the glory of God but to enjoy evry
sentiment of the fulness of affection
& love towards a bosom friend
having evry desire of the soul fully
satisfied to the highest state of
felicity that can possibly vibrate
the Immortal Breast towards
one that is bone of our bone &
flesh of our flesh. O Eternal
rest happiness & felicity I long
for thee. but I will wait
patiently for thy reproach for thou
art nigh the door
Willfodrd
Willford
Please not Expose this peace of writing
when this China Box was first made
the names were spelt wrong it was spelt
Wood Willeard & Pheab
Willeard & Pheab Woodrooff. I immedia
tely sent back to the workman & gave
him evry word distinctly & told him to
write it correctly when it war returned
one letter to much in your name I was
sorry about it but could not help it
for evry time a letter was changed it
had to go thrrugh another fireing &
so I had to let it go
[sideways text] Mrs. Phebe W. Woodruff
Montrose Lee county
Iowa Teritory
United States
To be opened by none but Mrs Woodruff [end of sideways text]
Willford Woodruff July 16th
Stoke upon Trent England 1840