Letter written by Ada from Honesdale, Maryland to Mary on April 16, 1866

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PAGE IMAGEHonesdale (Honesdale, Pennsylvania) April 16th / 66
Monday Morning
My dearest Mary (Mary)

We were so shocked to see
the notice of your Aunt Whitney (Whitney (Aunt))
s death in the paper, and felt very
anxious to know the particulars,
but I presume you have had your
time so unusually occupied.
Do write us soon & tell us all
about it. You must feel sadly to
think that her sweet, peaceful
face will never be seen among
you any more, & yet it is so
pleasant to think of how gladly
she must have heard the summons
home. For oneself sudden
death is the most to be desired
but for one's friends it is harder
because it is such a shock

[Written in margins:] The following is written sideways on top of the text on page 1.

Kate (Kate) & I are working hard for Soc. we are to have all the church
Photo's sold for Sox. & Mr. Dunning (Dunning (Mr.)) 's [??]. In May we have
a supper like that
at Mr. Young (Young (Mr.)) s.

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PAGE IMAGE We feel strangely homesick
& lonely to day, tho' all at home,
for last night we had our farewell
to the dear old Church.

We can hardly realize it but there
is a sad feeling comes over me today
as if it was just after a funeral
The sermons were both so precious
In the morning the subject was
from "Teach my thy ways, Lead me
in thy paths" & "John fulfilled his
course". Every one having a
life plan & a life work given
them by God. It was a good
thought to take away into our
drifting around of the next few four
weeks, that God has a plan and
a work for each of us. If we
will only seek from the light
of the Bible lamp to find our own
particular path. It came
like water to a thirsty soul
to me. I had been having a real

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PAGE IMAGE Bryan (Bryan) like battle, & was just
needing to give up all my own
efforts to make a pleasant path for
myself to be made [-illing?] to just take it as it comes.
So I felt that I was fed.

Then in School we had exercises
unusually interesting, addresses
hymns & prayers with reference to
the occasion. In the [----y?] the
Church was corwded, seats [were?]
brought in from the Lecture Room
The sermon was first, and earnest
discourse on the Church from
the text in Eph. of Christs love for
the Ch, but assuming that, he
confined his introductory sermon
to the points, what constitues
the Ch. what is the work of the
Ch. &c & then following with the
history of the Ch. & much of the
history of the County, & other
churches as involved in it
It was a time when the past

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PAGE IMAGE had full sway over our thoughts
but I dare say next Sunday we
shall find the present has considerable
claim upon us.

We had Presbytery last week. The
weather was delightful all the week
but to day is rainy, making the
grass & the hedge so green.
A week ago Saturday Dr Eddy (Eddy (Dr.)) came
with a note introducing him from
Dr Fairchild (Fairchild (Dr.)) , to present the Am
For. Chris. Union (Am For. Chris. Union). We were in a
dreadful state. the parlors were
stripped & given up to the painters
the furniture scattered all over
the house. Caro (Caro) sick in bed, but
he came & made himself very
much at home & did not seem to
mind paint or varnish or step
latters or scaffoldings. He
stayed till Wed. morn, & w'd
has remained thro' Presbytery
but for the illness of his wife.
He talked considerably about
newark (Newark) , & indeed seemed to know
everybody & to have [some ??]