My dear Daughter I received your letter of the 22. And I received one before that,
I had not answered. The reason I had not written before is I have been at work getting
up a synopsis of all my journals for 51 years, that I could record in my Last journal
so I could lay them away, then I have to write from 2 to 8 letters a day myself on Church
business. It is not because I have forgotten you or the family. I would like to come
and visit you and the family if I could in safety but our enemies are so diligent after me
and my Quorum that I have to withdraw from all of my family and entirely hide up in
the County. And I expect I shall soon have to leave this county or go into the hands of
my enemies. My health is pretty good and my [blank] are good as far as the times will allow.
This whole nation is persecuting us under the form of law. They will both mob and rob
us as far as the Lord will let them. The Nation would not persecute us if we were not
the true Church of Christ. It stands us all in hand to be true and faithful to our God,
to our religion, and to our covenants. Give my Love to your Mother and to Marion,
Ensign, John and Julia. I hope Ensign will attend school steady what time he has to go
and improve his time and learn all he can for he will stand in need of it. He ought not
to stay out of school for sleigh riding or anything else but he should attend steady so as
to get all the benefit he can from it. Any letters for me left with Brother Juques at
the office. He will send to me. I remain your Affectionate Father
W Woodruff
Private to yourself and Mother
Emeline
I have felt a good deal of anxiety about your Marriage with David Burrows. I have
been afraid you would throw yourself away. You are a good girl, a good Latter Day Saint
and you are worthy of a good industrious, worthy man and a good Latter Day Saint. It
looks as though he got baptized and attends meetings to get a wife. I don't want you to
take a step that you will regret afterwards. I want you to study well this matter and not
take a step that will cause you sorrow. Now Sylvia Woodruff has flung herself away by
marrying Heber Thompson. He cannot provide her a home, food or raiment and she is
in poverty and affliction. I do not know what condition Br. Burrows is in to give you a
home and make you comfortable, you should look into this before you marry. It is a
very important step to take in life. Your husband should be temperate, industrious and
moral and not addicted to any bad practices. Many has inherited sorrow by marriage,
still marriage is honorable and it is right for girls to marry but they want to know who
they are getting. I am anxious to have you do well.
Your affectionate Father
W. Woodruff
Emeline I want to give you a little advice about signing your name. It is not proper for
any young lady to put Miss before her name. But whoever addresses you should write
Miss before your name. But the person writing should not put it to their own name.
You should write Emeline Woodruff and not Miss Emeline Woodruff. But it is proper
for anyone addressing you to write Miss Emeline. Try to remember this. WW