Terre Haute Feb 8 1838. Dear brother I received your truly interesting letter of 5th January two days since and I am happy in improving an early opportunity to reply. I perused your letter of Nov 20th to Don C Smith published in the "Elders Journal" with much satisfaction. The account you gave of your ministry upon the "Island of the Sea" in that communication together with other particulars in your last letter to me enables me to form a pretty just estimate ...

our actions thus we are continually misunderstood and consequently our motives are misappreciated (if I may manufacture a term). I am apt to imagain that the world is not half so bad as it appears to be though I must confess my conviction that many persons are far worse than they seem. We do not know the motives by which men are governed in their intercouse with us and hence when their conduct is [opposed] to our wishes and interest we set them down as bad men, while perhaps at the same time they are only ...

serious fault to find with even the objectionable passage it was only an affair of bad taste and worse judgment. which ought to have been more than ballanced by the very good intention which manifestly dictated the sentence. I am ashamed to be caught in such folly but brother I am prone to it. I do and say a thousand foolish things which I regret a moment after and if you could only witness my intercourse with the world for one day only you would be surprised to find half as much sense in my letters as ...

Mr Willford Woodruff Vinalhaven Maine Fox Island Maine [stamp in black ink] TERRE HAUTE FEB 9 Ia. ^25^ [Wilford Woodruff] Asahel H. Woodruff Feb 8th 1838