Flint
Sept 19, 1850
My Dear John,
I have this night received your long and anxiously looked
out for letter and I can assure you that nothing in this world could of given
me more pleasure. I was at the door
looking out for Robert Williams for I have expected him for the last fortnight. I was just despairing his coming for it was
eight o’clock when he came and he said he had come straight from the
works. They have been working for the last fortnight
till 8 o’clock. They have not been so busy I should think
since the works have commenced. There
was a wedding yesterday there. One of
the names of John Birmingham Hughes is his right name. I understand he has not
been there about two or three months I should think and he only knew this girl
a fortnight before he put the askings out.
Must he not be a soft man and she was a wild girl by all accounts over
from little London. He took a house near
them houses by the turnpike ___ one story high.
They where like man and wife for they slept on the house for two nights
before they where married so there’s for you and he have 10 shillings worth of
drink for the men.
The Philpots are going to leave Flint soon. I think they should of gone before they
ruined so many girls as they have done.
You know __ Parry’s two eldest daughters they have ruined them girls,
poor things. My heart yearns over them
for they have got no mother and the world will take advantage now of them now
that they have no one to defend themselves poor things. There are four men that go there regular with
the Philpots to ___ and are there until 12:30 o’clock in the morning. If you wish I shall mention their names again.
The __trol works has been bought out and out by some rich man
from Liverpool and four sons and he is going to employ 300 & 50 men. There is going to be a soapery and many other
things. Four gentlemen where down today
and the river Lee is going to commence directly so there will be a stirring
place of it here in good Flint. __ going to commence all at once but all these
things avail nothing to Lizzy unless the one she holds dearest in this world where
here with her, no, no. But I will wait
with patience for that happy day which will restore to me this ___ I so often
imagine I see , but tis all a dream, no tis all – all a dream for I often wish
if I could but get a glimpse of you I should be happy , but that is not to be
just yet . No, I can do other than wait
with patience.
My dearest John you can’t imagine how it has troubled me to
think that you should think that I have been silly to let the chapel people or
any other people get over me whether I had heard from you or not. No, I am not so silly yet for I know many
people have been trying to get over me but I can defy anyone to say that I have
told them, but I will say I told Miss Lloyd and I have told them and I did
think she would of kept it but, no , she did not, deceitful girl, for I have to
know she told her cousin, Tom Edwards, and he works at the Pandy, so I believe, and Walter had been putting him up to ask
Miss Lloyd. But dearest, believe me I
did not mention it to anyone but her. No,
no, dearest , could you not trust your Lizzy this much for I had given my word
to you before you went that I should not tell anyone, but from this out I shall
not even tell Miss Lloyd for I find that it is best to be one’s own counselor
than trust in any one, and I have not been at ___ only once for the last month and
I call him nothing but a right down story teller to say that I told him, but
don’t think for a moment, dearest, that
I shall mention it to him. No, no, and I
shall not go there at all when he is in if I can help it for I cannot bear such
deceitful work.
My dearest John I have come through a great deal of trouble
since I last wrote you, yes, more than I could of thought. I should of been able but the Lord has
sustained and brought me through. Yes,
my dearest, your prayers have been heard by an all seeing God. Yes, dearest my father is getting better I
think for he came down last Sunday for the first time I think since Thursday so
you may think he has been very ill. You
would not know him now he has gone to look so ill but thank God I think he will
continue to bring him around, and I do believe that his last days will be
better than his first for he is quite an altered man towards he used to be. He has often and often spoke about you and
wished you where here for I loved him as my own son and a great deal more he
said, which would not be proper for me to say now. Yes, dearest he received the paper for which
father returns many thanks and the Flint people did not __ __ the dozen for they did not know that I
had it for it is a strange man that comes about with the ___ now, a lame man I
never saw him before he came to Flint so he would not know anything about it __
__ what I was thinking about when I read the paper for it was so full of gold
news but, dearest, maybe it is not all true they say for there is many that
have lost their health through going there, so I have read in the paper for it
is California news I look for first for we get two papers a week . I sent one paper last week and shall send one
this. I am glad to hear that Price and
others are going to pay you a visit which will __ the time away quickly. Please remember me kindly in return to Price.
My dearest perhaps you are aware that in less than two
months you have been gone twelve months.
Yes, summer and winter has gone by and you in a strange land, but there
is the same God there to watch over you as there was in your own land. Yes, he will protect you from all harm if you
only look to him. My prayers are offered
up both night and day on your behalf.
Dear John you have not told me what chapel you go to and what chapels
there are there. My dearest John I must come to a conclusion for my papers
is getting done and it been wrote so small it would allow me to cross it or else. Why don’t you cross your letters. I would try to find out what was in and then
you might write longer one . Be sure to
write a long letter next time to, dearest for I would not care if I where three
days reading a letter from you.
Do you know Miss Morris the school __ from Bagillt __? The school master is going mad for her. He has been speaking to the parson today to
make it up to her but she is keeping company with some blacksmith __ John Jones
___ is keeping company with Betty Hoof’s daughter. Betty is dead and he goes there night and
day and he is not able to work for he has hurt himself. My dearest, I must give up for my paper is
done . I have worked you a card if you
will except it and may the words that are on it come true.
(At this point Elizabeth begins to write perpendicular to
her other handwriting and it is too difficult for me to decipher.)
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