Nov. 1st. today we have had a good meetting at father Clarks where I live— there
is a branch of the church here of about 50 members my name with Sarah Emma
& Willford’s are enroled in this branch— brother Wm. Clark is the president of this
branch has gone to Nauvoo or Commerce today and says that I must preside over the
meeting today— there are a number of elders here and I would like to have some
of them take your place a while and let you be at home with me and Willford
Owen, O poor little is gone Sarah is gone how can I bear it— hard hard indeed, O
tell me Willford why she was taken from me when you was gone it seames some
times that I can hardly help murmering at it— she was the was the pride and
joy of my heart in my lonely moment and her sweet disposition rendered her lovely
to all around her— Willford Owen is not near as pretty as she was — just befor she
died she left a kiss with me for her pa, pa. I had like to have forgotten to tell you that
on the 29th I received a letter from sister Eunice Woodruff they were well then and men
tioned haveing received a communication from you dated july 10 they have received
3 letters from you— they have lately had news of uncle Joseph Harts death of Springfield
he died about the middle of Sept. I think with the billious fever— as Eunice said her mother was writing to you I suppose she will give you the particulars of his death
Eunice is not diffident about her connexion with br. Webster she writes verry plain
to me on the subject— says she feels as though she was writing to a sister.
She says uncle Ozem will probably move west in the course of a year or two— she
appears strong in the faith.
2nd I have just this minute heard of an opportunity of sending
to you safely I therefore leave my breakfast partly eaten and
commence to write a little more in my letter thinking that
apart of a sheet will be better than none ^to you^ if your feelings are
like mine in regard to hearing from you— my health and
Willford Owen’s is good this morn. I dont know as you like
the addition of Owen to his name but sister Smoot much desired
it. I told you in my last letter which I mailed about
ten days since that I would send you the minutes of the
conference in it but as I have not got them and suppose that
brother Thompson will send them I defer it. I have not
received the papers from you should be much pleased to—
We have just received the Sept. paper it contains the most
of one of your letters and little Sarah death in it and I hope you
will get it by the bearer of this. I have received all the letters
from you that you spoke of and this is the 9th one that I have
sent you since you have been in Eng. I long want much
to hear from you again hopeing you will tell me something
about comeing home. I expect to hear by br. Turley as you
mentioned writing by him and I want to see those articles
much because they come from you. Brother Page & Hyde
left here last April on a mission, to the Jews they were exp
ecting to go first to the jews in N. Y. then to those in Eng
from thence to Constantinople — they are preaching
by the way to get means to carry them though they
dont think of leaveing America with 1000 dolls. each
we have not heard as they have got to NY yet I expect
Nov. 1st. today we have had a good meetting at father Clarks where I live— there
is a branch of the church here of about 50 members my name with Sarah Emma
& Willford’s are enroled in this branch— brother Wm. Clark is the president of this
branch has gone to Nauvoo or Commerce today and says that I must preside over the
meeting today— there are a number of elders here and I would like to have some
of them take your place a while and let you be at home with me and Willford
Owen, O poor little Sarah is gone how can I bear it— hard hard indeed, O
tell me Willford why she was taken from me when you was gone it seames some
times that I can hardly help murmering at it— she was the was the pride and
joy of my heart in my lonely moment and her sweet disposition rendered her lovely
to all around her— Willford Owen is not near as pretty as she was — just befor she
died she left a kiss with me for her pa, pa. I had like to have forgotten to tell you that
on the 29th I received a letter from sister Eunice Woodruff they were well then and men
tioned haveing received a communication from you dated july 10 they have received
3 letters from you— they have lately had news of uncle Joseph Harts death of Springfield
he died about the middle of Sept. I think with the billious fever— as Eunice said her
mother was writing to you I suppose she will give you the particulars of his death
Eunice is not diffident about her connexion with br. Webster she writes verry plain
to me on the subject— says she feels as though she was writing to a sister.
She says uncle Ozem will probably move west in the course of a year or two— she
appears strong in the faith.
2nd I have just this minute heard of an opportunity of sending
to you safely I therefore leave my breakfast partly eaten and
commence to write a little more in my letter thinking that
apart of a sheet will be better than none to you if your feelings are
like mine in regard to hearing from you— my health and
Willford Owen’s is good this morn. I dont know as you like
the addition of Owen to his name but sister Smoot much desired
it. I told you in my last letter which I mailed about
ten days since that I would send you the minutes of the
conference in it but as I have not got them and suppose that
brother Thompson will send them I defer it. I have not
received the papers from you should be much pleased to—
We have just received the Sept. paper it contains the most
of one of your letters and little Sarah death in it and I hope you
will get it by the bearer of this. I have received all the letters
from you that you spoke of and this is the 9th one that I have
sent you since you have been in Eng. I want much
to hear from you again hopeing you will tell me something
about comeing home. I expect to hear by br. Turley as you
mentioned writing by him and I want to see those articles
much because they come from you. Brother Page & Hyde
left here last April on a mission, to the Jews they were exp
ecting to go first to the jews in N. Y. then to those in Eng
from thence to Constantinople — they are preaching
by the way to get means to carry them though they
dont think of leaveing America with 1000 dolls. each
we have not heard as they have got to NY yet I expect
"Letter from Phebe Whittemore Carter Woodruff, 25 October 1840," p. 2, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed April 18, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/LqW