Anna Webster Bunting letter to Martha Schofield

Worcester, [Massachusetts] [December] 26th
Second day Eve -

My dear Mart -

I must commence a letter to
thee tonight, even if I can only write a few
hasty lines, and tell thee how glad I was
to hear from thee last week, but worried to
know thee so far from well, and feeling so
often discouraged & almost worn out with
thy duties and cares - I cannot but think of
it often, and thee is so dear to me, it would
be impossible for me to forget how thee is
toiling day after day, having no recompense
only the feeling of sacrifice for thy only
brother, makes thee conscious of acting nobly
and conscientiously - How often have I wished
to tell thee how each new development of thy
character makes me respect and love thee
more. Although I [Underlined: profess] & have publicly
consecrated my life to Christ, I feel that
I have not the spirit of self sacrifice that
thee has - Natures like thine, so acutely
sensitive cannot bear up under these things
as those with less feeling - Oh, would that
I might help thee, dear Mart, bear the burden -
For the first few moments after reading thy
letter, a spirit of resentment came over me
towards thy brother, to think he would
allow thee to thus toil for [Underlined: his] sake - I did


not see how he [Underlined: could] live, and see his
sister frail & delicate weary herself thus
to relieve him of trouble brought about by
his own thoughtlessness & error - but I
soon got over this - I must not blame him -
No one knows what heavy temptations
have been thrown in his pathway, & had
we been in his place, we know not that
our strength would have enabled us to
resist - Thee is taking the right course, I
feel, to win him back - Oh, did brothers
know the depth of a sister's love & care,
how they would guard every action & word,
& keep themselves above wrong and error -
God will bless thee, My own Mart - Thee
ever has my sympathy, my love - And
though the burden must be borne almost
alone, the reward will at last be
sweeter & brighter - I had entirely forgotten
about the ring thee wore but remember
asking thee about it once, now - I never
felt hurt that thee did not tell me
for I knew I had no right to question
thy affairs & it was rude in me to ever
mention the subject - But I thank
thee that thee has trusted me. I cannot
feel happy when I think thee is troubled
and I cannot know the cause -


Will thee feel angry when I tell thee that
I thought I [Underlined: must] fell Mother something
about it? I did not reveal [Underlined: all] only said
thy brother had unfortunately had trouble
& was obliged to borrow money of Sallie's
husband & that thee was working day
after day to help him cancel the debt &
that thee could not even tell thy own
family for fear Samuel would hear of it, for
thee knew he would refuse ever to take one
cent of thy earnings if he knew it - Mother
said very few girls would think they could
make so great a sacrifice & that thee
was a noble girl - I told her this to prove
to her how worthy my most intimate &
loving friend was of my affection & devotion -
Thee will not be offended will thee? I
frequently hear her speaking to others of
thee, as a friend of mine, who was as kind
as a sister could be when I was ill, far
away from home - she never can forget this
in thee, neither can I - I often think
myself how good God has been to me in
[?] giving me so many near and dear
friends - Daily I see cause for gratefulness,
and I try in my feeble strength to
be worthy of all these blessings - I want
more & more each day to be a better, a
holier Christian & to do my duty more
faithfully -


My last letter to thee was very
hasty and unconnected, but now I hope
to have a little more time to myself - Mr.
Dawson's family left here this noon for their
new home. I cannot tell thee the relief we
all feel to be quiet once more - We know
how to appreciate it fully for it has been
so confused for the last three weeks -

We have splendid sleighing -
I have had quite a number of nice rides -
Mr. Dawson is very kind; tells his driver
to take us to school & to the city whenever
we wish to go. The boys & girls enjoy skating
too, but I have not seen time to go out
yet - I enjoy my school as well as ever
- have had no trouble though have to
work hard - I have an excellent set of
children so much better than those in
Darby, that I know how to appreciate it -.
Every Sabbath I teach in [Sunday] School - Play
the organ for them, so they cannot do
without me (so they say!) when they have
their sings once a week. So this, with
five [Underlined: music pupils] takes nearly all my
leisure - But I feel well & Strong, and
enjoy myself much better now I have
active employment, than when I was at
home, doing so little - Good night now,
I will finish this another time.


7th day Evening 12/31. 1864

My dear Mart -

I thought I should have finished
my letter & sent it to thee several days ago, but here
it is - the close of another week and another year
is too gliding silently away - How I would like to
be at some old fashioned Methodist watch meeting
tonight and see the new year come in! There are
to be several in this city tonight, but it is
almost impossible to get out on account of the
snow, which has been falling all day - Nearly
all last week we had damp, foggy weather with
a continual drizzling mist which made the roads
full of water, but did not melt the snow enough
to take away the sleighing - Thursday evening
it cleared away [Underlined: cold] & windy froze the water &
snow so there was a splendid [Underlined: crust] to walk on
to school the next morning - Today stormy
again but snow instead of rain - I have had
a heavy cold in my throat & in my lungs for
several days & have coughed a good deal so
do not feel as well as usual - but hope to get
over it before long -

I got along in school as nicely as
ever, do not have any trouble - A day or two
since something in one of the lessons was said
about the Quakers & one of the boys asked me
about them, so I explained to them telling about
their dress their manner of talking, their
form of worship, etc. They were very much
interested, for none of them know any thing
about the sect. Ignorant in this part of
the country aren't we? But there are very few


if [Underlined: any] of the Friends about here. There are
a great many of the Orthodox society in Providence.
R. J. I believe -

I suppose thee has been having a
nice resting time during the past week. I
shall have holiday on next Monday, so it
makes but two days for me. But that is the
custom here as we have vacations of a week
or two between every term of 12 weeks. so we
do not require the time [?] as you teachers
do - I believe I used to succeed in keeping
all the little ones in Darby from whispering
but thee knows I was very severe, detaining
them in after school so much - I think if I
were to teach small children again I should
try and devise some other means, for I [Underlined: do] feel
as thee does, that it is hard to detain a child
very long after 3 hours session - I do not do it
here, for I think taking from the department
has a better effect. I believe Miss Wall
(who teaches the primary department) gives them
a whispering recess of two or three minutes every hour, or
something of that kind - [Underlined: She] keeps a little
[Underlined: stick] to tingle their fingers with for punishment!

Thee [Underlined: did] get along splendidly in
[?] and to thy examination - I am so glad
thee was spared this unpleasant trial -
Mr. McCutcheon was very kind - I don't
believe Mr. Deans would have been so obliging
as all that, though I always like him
very much. He never was very hard on
teachers, in asking questions.


Mart, I haven't heard a word of Darby
news for [Underlined: an] age. Do get up some thing startling
and interesting to oblige [Underlined: me] if nothing more.
John is the poorest hand to tell me about any
body but himself & not half enough of [Underlined: that] either.
Mary Sipler writes about once in two months
or so & then such [Underlined: short] letters that she don't
find room for any [Underlined: other's] names - How are
Mrs Levis' folks in general and [Underlined: Washington] in [Underlined: particular]?
And my very particular friend [Underlined: M Maule]?
When thee goes to Lib. Biddles's don't forget to
tell me [Underlined: all about] them - I am owing Mrs.
Banister a letter or I presume I should have
heard about Mrs. Grainger, before this. I
hope she is safely through her trouble by this
time -

Mart, what changes take place each year!
One year ago thee had no idea of teaching where
thee is & I never dreamed of being in [Underlined: Worcester]
to live - I wonder where I will be by this
time next year if we all live! I cannot help
thinking it [Underlined: may be] I shall be happy as
John's wife and when I can see thee ever
so often, or perhaps not - Some one of us
may be laid away in the cold grave by that
time - No one but our Heavenly Father
can tell - but I am willing to trust Him -
He has given me so [Underlined: many] blessings & if
I am his dear child & [Underlined: worthy] of them he will
continue them -. Oh, I pray I may be [Underlined: good]


be a true [Underlined: christian] that He may give me
the blessings my heart so longs for - to be
reunited with John & be near thee my dearest
best friend - I have often wondered whether
it will be a greater trial to me to be away
from my mother for I love her so much. I
want to be with her always, but I cannot .
I depend [Underlined: so] much on her - [Underlined: She] knows how
little care I have had myself in regard to my clothes
etc. She is so tasty and ingenious just the
opposite of me - I have often wished I knew
as much about these things as thee - But
I shall sometime, I suppose. I work for myself
evenings now: go out but very little - When
our Sabbath School meet to sing I always
feel as I must go for there is no one to play
but me. I enjoy it ever so much - Sister Delia
is well & so was Brother the last we heard -
We sent him a box of things about a week ago.
Gaylord Smith is near him at Petersburg - He
is well, talks of joining the Regulars if so,
he will get a furlough some time this winter
& come home! said he should stop here if he did
so -------

I must close now dear Mart. Thee & I
have plenty of this kind of paper & I will
write on it to thee always until it is gone
unless I forget. Do answer this soon - I
hope thee is entirely over thy cough & feeling
well and strong & happy too -

Good bye now with much
love from
Thy Loving Friend
Anna


[Envelope]

Miss Martha Schofield
Darby
[Pennsylvania]

[Postmarked: Worcester [Massachusetts] [January 2]

[answered Private - 1864]