W Woodruff to Phebe
At Brother John Neffs in Strasburg Pa
My Dear Phebe
I presume ere this time you are looking for me here But I
have been detained in consequence of my Business. I have been here at Br
Neff's most a week waiting for him to get some money for me out of the Bank
to buy paper with the bank will. be open tomorrow & then I shall know what I
get shall go to Philadelphia Buy my materials & retune imediately home. I
Recieved your letter of Sept 10 & 13 & all three of your letters sent Before. It did my
Soul good to hear from you & the children & learn that you was well. It
is a great feast to get letters from you when I am away from home. I now
sorrow to hear of the loss of Br Greenhow I feel to mourn with him, give my
Respects to him & to our boarders & all who Inquire Br Taylor & family BrIsrael Barlow & Sister Barlow
& Elizabeth & all who have sent their Respects to me & those who have not had time to do
it such as Dr Richards & ^W^ Phelps &c Remember me to Br Fidoe, Cordon, Littlewood &c. I was glad
to hear that their was a prospect of starting the house again for I disliked
to have the walls be new timber with out being finished as it would injure
them much. I sent you $15 in a letter By Elder Benson which I trust you
got. I feel thankful to Br Hunter for telling you have the money I wrote
you a long letter By mail in which I made an extr[a]t from my Jour[n]al
concerning my visit in Maine which I trust you got. On my Return I stoped
at Father Woodruffs several days Dwight & Eunice are both getting better
fast all the family are thinking of comeing to Nauvoo in the spring. I vis[it]ed
Ilus in N.Y. on my Retune thinks he may visit Nauvoo next year. a large
number of Saints left Phili^a^delphia for Nauvoo the morning that I came
here the Twelve will start with them from Pittsbugh I was expeting to
be with them But as I have Been pardoned I may be left alone but
I shall soon follow after I shall be at home as soon as possible. Br
Neff has sold one lot of Land for $12000 twelve thousand dollars will have
his money the firt of April he was going to let me have one thousand dolls.
to buy paper for the Covenants, & printing office but he cannot get the
money now but will try to get $400 dolla[r]s out of the Bank tomorow
so I can get my winters supply God knows I hope he will succede for
I see no other door open to obtain what we want. I shall attend to
your Request, ^in your last^ I have prayed for the way to be open, so I can do my busin[es]s
& get home I have bought some paper which is Boxed up. I have the privilege of
Reading the T&S & Neighbor which I am glad to get as I pass along
W. Woodruff
[upside-down text] Oct 10th Well I have had my warefare, fought my battle, & gained a victory, I got $300
of Br Neff to By paper with. I returned to philadelphia to day Just saw O Pratt will start in
the morning, so I shall Be left alone which is generally the case with Jonah I have $400
now to buy materials with for the office which will help us much, tomorrow will be
a busy day of traiding with me I am expecting some more money tomorow please give
the last page to Elder Taylor in which I shall make a statement of my business I shall
come home now as soon as the Lord will let me & open my way. O my Soul how I
want to see you. I have bought some things for you & the family & shall get more to
morrow with money that Eldr Foster let me have on the old private deabt he
paid me up on that. I am getting such things as I think you will need you will
know h^w^hen you see them, good night I will lay down my pen & go to bed alone
& write more tomorrow it is 2 oclot at night. 11th I sit down again Before I go to Bed to say
a word to Phebe I have bought as you will see on the other page paper to Last the Times &
– Neighbor one year & Ink &c which will be a great help to us. I got about $60
dollars more money to day the Lord is Helping me. I Bought about $400 worth of
materials for the office to day which was as good as $700 would have Been in St Louis
I shall trade some more tomorrow & start Bright and early next day morning O Pra[tt]
hast gone will probably go with me O Hyde is here. I done some traeding for Phebe to
day the sisters are making you a present of a Dress looking glass gloves &c & what
they dont get I shall that you mentioned, & some that you did not. I Begin to feel pretty
well after my warefare, But no man Knows But myself how hard I have had to
struggle to accomplish what I hawe the times are veery heard [hard] for money all through
the eastern Land But I will lay down my pen and finish to morrow night good night
I pray my Heavenly Father to Bless you and the children & all with you (12th Well Phebe
it is midnight for I will finish my letter and go to Bed. I have had one of my hardest kind of days
work. I have Boxed up (5352) lbs of freight to day & got it to the Boat waighed [weighed] it of & paid
$47 dollars for freight to Pittsburgh the boat will start at 6 oclok day after to morrow morning
I shall make no more tarry than i shall ^can^ possibly help I pray the Lord to help me land safely wi[th]
all my things in Nauvoo. I have just came from meeting Elder Hide preached & I followed
him & felt much of the spirit of testimony. But I must draw my letter to a close some presents hav[e]
been made Phebe & the children to day I have got what you sent for & some more. you ask me if
our affections or hearts should ever be divided in eternity & I give you the following Prayer as my sentim[ent] [end of upside-down text]
A. Prayer
O GOD that made the heavens and the earth
That gave us life, that gave or, hope, that gave us birth
Forbid that our hearts should divided be
On earth, in time, in heaven, or in eternity.
Help us to lay that foundation here below
To fulfill the design of that birth thou didst bestow
O give us power that precious Covenant to seal
To make our interest one as thou shalt reveal
Behold thine hand-maden let thine angels guard her life
Protect her from sickness death and strife
Let cords of love & friendship our hearts entwine
Sealed by Inspiration light and truth divine
Thou hast known her sacra^i^fices by night & by day
Thou hast marked he'r stepts & and seen her way
Virtue &^a^nd duty has sat enthroned in her heart
Like Mary she has left all for that better part
Her Soul has been inspired to follow her LORD
Through evil and good report she's obeyed thy word
While sickness gloom and sorrow was on evry hand
She has patiently shared these evils through Zionsland
She has said to her companion go from year to year
She has dwelt with her osprings alone and shed the silent tear
She has not murmured or complained at her lot
Her sorrows found a grave in her heart in her silent cot
Thy servant has felt the force of this truth many an hour
In his meditating moments while in the strangers bower
His heart has been touched with compassion and love
Towards one who has sacraficed much for thy cause from above
O Father may not the past suffice in part
Ease her cares in life let Joy surround her heart
Let blessings upon her head in due time be poured
Thy sacred name she ever has in life adored
Take from thy servant evry thorn in life
That should cause a pain or throw a dart in strife
Let joy peace and love crown our evry hour
That glory may surround our peaceful bower
Let Phebe with her osprings live long here below
For my sake I ask thee this gift to bestow
Thus far with my follies she has patienty bourn
May I comfort her heart and not cause her to mourn
O give us power to accomplish and fulff^i^ll here below
All the work thou hast decreed upon our heads to bestow
Take from us all traditions that shall stand in our way
Of ariving at glories and dominions in eternal day
Help us to follow the example of our Lord when he cryed
It is finished it is finished and gave up the Ghost and died
In like manner may we a good and sure work perform
A work that will be accepted in the resurrection morn
Yea give us power to finish that work which to us is given
That we may survive oer the tomb and live in heaven
Then will our love forever bloom within our bower
In the midst of glory guarded by GOD's eternal power
Unto this end Eternal God I ask thy aid to help us stand
Unite our hearts in love and purity while nations fall on evry hand
Nerve Us for the conflict by the Revelations of heaven
That we may be found wise while thy judgements are given
W. Woodruff