As I have been giving Phebe some account
of our afflictions of late in regard to sickness, I wish to say a few words
to you in regard to our temporal affairs. — there seames to be in the
movement of things at the present time a kind of intimation that
your father will not stay long in this place. I will inform you
what I know for certainty but will firstly say that brother Woodruff
as you know has assisted your father heretofore by working in the shi-
ngle mille & he expected that he would also assist him the winter past &
also through the year—but before your father had time to call on him
he had made an engagement to work for a man at union through the year
your father was much disapointed & expressed his feelings to br. W. and he
said he did not think any thing about it his wanting him, this was s[page torn]
what strange but suffice it to say that Mr. Deming advertised for a
shingle sawer he received a letter from a man whom he thought would
answer their purpose—the other morn. when Br [Ulny] was here Mr. Came
came in & a gentleman with him after makeing some enquires about C. health
he says to me my object in comeing in was to let this gentleman look about the
house—being somewhat surprise I said why I supposed that the man that was
comeing here would have a house for his family elsewhere—well said Mr. C. I know
nothing about it only that Mr. Deming sent me here to let this gentleman see the
house & I not thinking of any thing more than haveing a family come in I
said Mr. C. you must think there are no conveniences for 2 families in this house
this he semed to assent to. I furthermore said that we were expecting our son this
spring from Eng & probably other friends & also that we were expecting the marriage
ceremony to be performed &c I told him I would wait on him about the house if he wished
but he declined—the next day your father said he more thought they were going to let
the whole establishment to him as he did not wish to take any part unless he could have the whole
we have heard nothing since on the same morn Mr. C. took your father aside and asked him if
he was tired tending the mill he said not this is all we know of the affair.
your father feels bad about it but we tell him it may all be for the best & we desire your counsil
upon it.
My Dear son
As I have been giving Phebe some account
of our afflictions of late in regard to sickness, I wish to say a few words
to you in regard to our temporal affairs. — there seames to be in the
movement of things at the present time a kind of intimation that
your father will not stay long in this place. I will inform you
what I know for certainty but will firstly say that brother Woodruff
as you know has assisted your father heretofore by working in the shingle mill & he expected that he would also assist him the winter past &
also through the year—but before your father had time to call on him
he had made an engagement to work for a man at union through the year
your father was much disapointed & expressed his feelings to br. W. and he
said he did not think any thing about his wanting him, this was spage torn
what strange but suffice it to say that Mr. Deming advertised for a
shingle sawer he received a letter from a man whom he thought would
answer their purpose—the other morn. when Br Ulny was here Mr. Came
came in & a gentleman with him after makeing some enquires about C. health
he says to me my object in comeing in was to let this gentleman look about the
house—being somewhat surprise I said why I supposed that the man that was
comeing here would have a house for his family elsewhere—well said Mr. C. I know
nothing about it only that Mr. Deming sent me here to let this gentleman see the
house & I not thinking of any thing more than haveing a family come in I
said Mr. C. you must think there are no conveniences for 2 families in this house
this he semed to assent to. I furthermore said that we were expecting our son this
spring from Eng & probably other friends & also that we were expecting the marriage
ceremony to be performed &c I told him I would wait on him about the house if he wished
but he declined—the next day your father said he more thought they were going to let
the whole establishment to him as he did not wish to take any part unless he could have the whole
we have heard nothing since on the same morn Mr. C. took your father aside and asked him if
he was tired tending the mill he said not this is all we know of the affair.
your father feels bad about it but we tell him it may all be for the best & we desire your counsil
upon it.
"Letter from Phebe Whittemore Carter Woodruff, 18 April 1841," p. 3, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed May 3, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/YvyW