USA > Illinois > DeKalb County > Sandwich > History of the Somonauk United Presbyterian church near Sandwich, De Kalb County, Illinois : with ancestral lines of the early members > Part 18
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the doctor. Mr Miller told her who we was, she did not mind it much. Jennet Lendrum came here Thursday night fast day and stayed until Saturday. She is a very pleasant girl. Friday forenoon we went over to uncle Boyd's and took dinner. Towards night we went and took a sail on the big lake. Brother Moses, John Boyd and Mary & Helen Dunlap and Martin, Jane, Jennet and I. We had two boats, Mr. Dun- lap's and Uncle John McEachron's boat. Agnes I wish that you had been here with us to enjoy that pleasant sail.
Your cousin Isabel Beveridge is a learning the Milleners trade with Miss Mc Allister. I saw her when I was at Salem. She is well. All your relations are well that I know of. Miss Wheaton was sick with the inflamation of the lungs. There was a vacation 2 or 3 weeks and she was not able to teach and they hired Barbara Alexander. The girls like her very much.
I have tried to write all the news but I dont know as you will want to give sixpence for such a letter, but you must excuse all mistakes as it is from your friend Eleanor. Our people are all well. We send our love and best respects to Mrs Beveridge, Isabel and Ellen Ann and you in particular. Mary Boyd received the papers that you sent her, she sends her love and best respects to you. I send my love and best respects too you all : write soon as possible. Eleanor Pratt.
Agnes Beveridge,
Moses sends his best respects to John and all of you. Alexander and Martha Patten is now attending school in Argyle. Aunt Lydia Pratt is here and sends her love. We had a very hard thunderstorm here this afternoon. I want you to tell me when you write, all about how you like the folks out there and all about it. Elizabeth sends her love and best respects to you all. Agnes if this is not a full letter I say no more about it. This letter is so full that I can hardly get a place for any more. Sisters Sarah M., Mary and Emily send their love to you all. We had a very hard thunder shower here last week, about as hard a one as I ever saw and the hardest clap of thunder, two or three ever I heard. It struck a tree in our woods and tore it all in pieces.
To Miss Agnes Beveridge, Somonauk, Illinois.
(Postmarked: Lake, July 8. Received July 25. Cost 25c.)
II. Miss Eleanor Crawford Pratt to Miss Agnes Beveridge.
My Dear Friend.
March 25 1843.
I received your letter the fore part of December and was truly glad to hear from you. I have neglected writing to you until today. I thought I would not write until after examination so as to tell you the proceed- ings of that day.
I attended school this winter. George D. Stewart was our teacher. I studied Grammer, Comstocks philosophy, Watts, Town's analysis and Town's Spelling Book. We had to learn definitions and they were quite
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hard to learn. Hamilton Robertson boarded at William Henry's this winter and went to school about 5 or 6 weeks. He studied Arithmetic, Grammer, philosophy and read in Virgil. Alvira studied Latin Gram- mer, they recited yesterday. I will now begin to tell you about the exam- ination.
1, The way the school house was trimmed. The window on the stage had a white curtain with little twigs of hemlock fixed together like evergreen hung all the way down the curtain and branches of bushes round all the windows. I will not have time and room to tell you all about how they are fixed.
Our school closed on Friday. Thursday it snowed all day and night until yesterday noon the sun shone very bright in the afternoon. The snow is 3 or 4 foot deep, 10 or 11 some places. The Rev. Mr. Henley visited our school in the afternoon. He questioned us an considerable. Lydia and I read together, L on our Creator, mine on Selfishness: Jane, Mary and Alvina read together, Mary's on Education, Janes on the close of school, Alvira's on The Shortness of Life. Jane Tane and Sarah McDougall, Mandy Mary and I repeated poetry. We had speak- ing. After we got through Mr. Henley got up and spoke and made a very able prayer. The scholars went with 2 four-horse teams down to the meeting house at Lakeville (Cossayuna) and had a lecture by the Rev. Mr Henley on the value of wisdom. It was a beautiful lecture. The church was full every seat. William Brown drove one team and James McEachron the other.
David Law and Margaret Ann Robertson was Married in February. John Robertson and Mary Alexander was married two weeks ago Thurs- day. Stewart attended the wedding. I had some of the brides Cake, it was very nice. John and his wife and Barbara were to examination yes- terday. They went to the lecture and stepped in in very nice style. They have not yet made their appearance to our meeting, I expect they will tomorrow. O! I wish you much joy with your new cousin. The Groom called here today.
Samuel McEachron and Sarah Beaty was married the last of February. William Sanders and Jane Bain was married in Jan., Alexander Mc- Eachron was married to Nancy McGeoch in December! Mr. Alexander Shaw died on Thursday 3 o'clock in the afternoon, was buried today and the Girl's father and (brother) Moses went to the funeral and have just got home. He was to meeting last sabbath and looked smart. Tues- day morning was struck with the num palsey and was speechless. This shows us the necessity of preparing for death, for we know not how soon we shall die and appear before the judgement seat of Christ.
There has been quite a revival at Lakeville, 18 was babtized one sab- bath and 6 the next. I suppose you would like to know who they were. Harvey, Isaac and Alvira Hanks, Luther and Lydia Brown, Charles Coon, Mary and Silas Brand, Texter & Earleville Wilber and Mary Tanner, David Andrew and Amandy Watson, John and Eliza Clark,
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Mary Marth and Emily Tucker and Harvey Granger and a few more I dont know. Eliza Williams was one. Samuel Mathias, Mary Ann Clark was married one evening after meeting in the meeting house. I have heard nothing about Catherine Campbell James Dobbin this winter. They are not married. Naomi Campbell is so she goes about the house. She was up to Jared's and stayed a week in February, she has not been to meeting yet.
Sarah McNaughton told me to send her love to you, and tell you they was a coming out there the 1st of June and perhaps call on you. We attended the singing school 2 weeks a Tuesday evening and there was none at Black Creek. Coming home, Mary Boyd was a driving and tipped us over in front of Mr McClellands. It was drifted a little there. I must leave a place for mother to write.
I will have to fill this space out. [Brother] Moses is sick, he is not able to set up much and mother has him to wait on. He was taken sick Monday. We have had a writing school here, Mr Barber taught it. I did not attend but I think I need to attend a writing school or some place to learn to write. I presume you have heard of Mr Stewart's mar- riage, I have not seen his wife yet. Uncle Boyd's and us visited Mr Lendrum's last winter, we had a very pleasant visit. I attended Mr Mil- ler's donation party liked it very much. Daniel McDougall chorister had a singing school in the meeting house this winter. I attended 2 eve- nings. The last evening he scolded us for making noise. He said this was the last singing school he should ever teach and so on. Good evening.
Daniel Terry sends his love to you all. Old Mrs Conklin is dead. James Bartlett and Deacon Johnson of Cambridge are dead. The girls visited to Mr McNeil's this week, Mr Robertson's last week. Both Familys well. Sarah Maria says tell Thomas she thinks that Ann Eliza will be much improved by the time he comes for her. We have had the mumps this winter. Margaret is sick with them now. Mary Ann Hall has been attending school in Cambridge this winter, went 2 terms. Margaret Hay was married to Mr Wallace & Miss Jane Wallace was married to Mr. Whitam of Vermont, this winter. Mr Cowans has moved to Salem, and is keeping a tavern. No one occupies his house now. There was not but two or 3 from Carterstreet to examination; they were boys. Mary Dunlap is in Princeton and is almost perfectly happy. She went last fall. She is a Sabbath School teacher, a tract distributor, and enjoys the advantages of the best Society. Mr. Hanks people received a letter from Mary this week and she is enjoying life very much. Sarah Maria sent a paper to Thomas not long since. Mary Boyd sends her love to you and wants to know whether you have received the paper she sent you. Sister June got a letter from Jane McKallor. She is well and had received a letter from you. Examination day we thought of you and wished you were here to particapate with us in our happiness. Martha Patten sends her love to you. Helen Dunlap sends hers also. Lydia Brown Alvira Hanks and Lis. I dont know how many more. They are too numerous to mention.
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Uncle William Hutchens is going to move away, they do not know where. There is more going away. What will we do? Jane sent a paper to you last fall and the compliment has never been returned. Write as soon as you receive this and tell me all about how you like it and have you been attending school this winter or not and tell me all about Mar- garet Walls & James Walker if they are married, but I heard they was married in Saratoga, about John Walker and his wife. I send my best love and respects to Margaret, her people are all well as far as I know. Tell me whether you have cherries, plumbs and strawberrys, black caps or what kind of berrys you have. Write soon. We send our love to you all, Mrs B J .... in particular. My best respects to you all with much, much love A. Beveridge E. Pratt
Addressed: Miss Agnes Beveridge, Somanauk, Illinois
Lake N.Y. March 31
Received April 21 1843
Poem*
This is the place where oft we have played In childhood's happy hours With our companions we have strayed And culled many beautiful flowers
The fields and woods have rung with many a laugh From minds that were free from care
Then sweetly did each minute pass Our troubles then never caused a tear.
But alas those happy hours have fled Never, never more to return
And many of my companions now are gone And I am here their loss to mourn
Others have gone far far away The thorny path of life to tread O may they never from the paths of virtue stray Or live unmindful of their God.
Time has sadly all things changed, Changed Childhood into Youth And our youthful days will soon be told Like a short lived tale of truth
And thou dost tell how from the heart The bloom of hope and youth decay How each one lingers loth to part Until all all are swept away.
*The above verses occupy one page of the foregoing letter and may possibly be original with Eleanor Pratt, reflecting her loneliness as one after another of her young friends left Cossayuna.
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III. Miss Elizabeth [Miller] to Miss Agnes Beveridge.
My dear friend Agnes,
South Argyle Oct 12th 1844
I love punctuality. I received your letter Thursday and I will answer it Saturday. Father told me yesterday that a Mr Weaver intended to start for Somonauk next Monday and as you have been so kind as to send yours to me free of postage, I will do the same. Father arrived home day before yesterday (Thursday). He was pretty well, but has been sick since he left your house. He had an attack of fever and ague which kept him shaking every other day for a week till he got the fever broke when he arrived at my uncle's; as much in need of rest and attten- tion as you can imagine. There he remained a week 'till he recruited up when he started for home and arrived here nearly as well as when he went away excepting a little of the flesh the shakes took away.
I am sorry to hear that so many of your Somonauk people are sick. I am afraid it is a sickly place. How queer it would look to see wagons driven by oxen! I would think it would be a long time before you would get used to the log houses and horned horses of the west. I sup- pose you have heard of the death of Mrs Bachop, John Shaw & c. Little Mary died in six weeks after her mother of putrid sore throat, which is very prevalent here. My sister Mary had a slight attack. So you see it is as sickly here as with you.
Are there any Liberty party men or voting Abolitionists in your part of the world? That party is coming on with rapid strides in the east. I have been at school all summer. We have an excellent school in Cam- bridge. The last term I was there we had nearly a hundred scholars. We were very glad to hear that your own family were well as also our friends in Bloomington. It seems so long since you went away. I have been going to Mr Pratt's this long time but have not got there yet. Jane was well a short time ago. Jane McKellor is well, She is not going back to school again. Mary cant spare her since Amanda has married. I sup- pose you've heard that Catherine Campbell and James Dobbin were married. The Miss Armstrongs, Halls and all your old friends are well I believe. Are you going to come back if Thomas comes this fall? We would all be very glad to see you and I have no doubt but you would be glad to see Washington County again. But Mother wants to write a littel to your mother so
Good bye Yours ever Elizabeth.
Mrs. Amanda [Miller] to Mrs. George Beveridge.
My dear Mrs. Beveridge
Saturday.
Elizabeth has left me room to write a few lines & I will say some- thing tho I have just been washing up Mr M's clothes & my hands are stiffer than usual. E. has informed you that through the good providence of God Mr. M. has returned in safty on Thursday. The first thing he had to do was to attend Mary Bachop's funeral on Saturday. She was an
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intelligent child & her aunt Mary Henry feels the loss very sensibly. Mrs. T. Bev(eridge) your sister has had rather poor health but is better, you will probably hear from her. I saw Mr and Mrs Patterson from Putnam at the Hebron Sacrament. They were well. Mr P, & Mr Hutton were delegates to Presbytery to ask for a moderation of a call they intend to call Mr Fisher I believe. Mr Patterson is a rather better looking man than I ever saw from Putnam. Yet Aunt Ann will not forgive Jen- net for marrying him. Mr and Mrs Cummings were at the sac(rament) in Hebron & were well. You will probably have heard that the Cam- bridge church case has been decided in our favor. It is not yet known whether the Dr's people will appeal. We had a fine liberty meeting at Union Village on tuesday of this week. If some of our ministers had been there it might have done them good - but the very ones that need it most are the most backward to attend. At the Hebron sac(rament) which I attended a fortnight since you could not have told from any prayer that was offered up that there were any persons in the world besides those in the meeting house. Not a prayer for the extenson of Christ's Kingdom-not one short prayer for the down trodden Slave of this country-by either Anderson or Reid. Is it any wonder the people are ignorant of their duty on this subject when their teachers are so deficient in their own duty? I have little doubt in my own mind that the reason Mr Anderson opposed Mr Fisher's being settled in Salem was that he could not bear to have any one near him who would open their mouth in the cause of the dumb as that reproved his conduct.
Mr Miller (?) said you had some hopes of visiting your native land next Spring. We will all be glad to see you, I am sure. Of course your daughter must be particularly so. I spoke to James H. yesterday at the funeral-they talk of calling the little boy John. We will never forget your kindness to Mr M. when at your house. I hope and believe the blessings of many ready to perish will rest upon you & particularly that you will be blessed by the God of the poor and the needy.
Addressed to
Amanda.
Miss Agnes Beveridge [Mrs. J. P. Miller]
Favored by Mr Weaver
Somonauk Illinois.
Post marked Milwaukee, Wis. Oct. 29.
IV. - - Nesbett to Miss Agnes Beveridge.
Sweetest, Lovliest Ag
It is with a great degree of indicatory reconciliation that I address these few lines to you. I was disappointed at not getting over to your house yesterday but it could not be helped. Our people are all gaining quite fast. Ma's mouth is very sore yet, it does not appear to get much better. I heard that they wanted me back to my school. I will try and get down there this week to see about it and unless they are very anxious to
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have me commence again, I shall not, for I would rather be at home lonesome as it is, and I am afraid if I go that Mother will have so much to do that it will bring on the fever again, for she is not very strong. Alex thinks that he can go over to Walker's better this week than any other as the thrashers will not be here, I do not think we will go to- morrow but you may look for us any day after that, I intend to stay and go down to see Rebecca. Give my best respects to all. Tell the Doctor that I have not got over being mad yet and do not think I shall soon, any body that will tell such an infamous story about me I cannot forgive. I hope I shall see you before many days and then I will tell you lots, but I have neither time nor room.
I feel very solomcholly from your sincere friend Nesbett.
(Adressed: Miss Agnes Beveridge, Somonauk.)
V. Andrew M. Beveridge, D.D., to his Sister, Agnes Beveridge.
My Dear Sister :
Princeton (N. J.) March 5th 1847
Were it required to tell from which of us a letter was due, it would puzzle to give an answer. But is it not you, that is in debt to me as much as one good long letter? I trow that such is the state of things. If so, why are you so silent? Have you lost the use of your hands? Have you forgotten that "Uncle Sam" is traveling back and forth from the "far West" to the old blue Atlantic? always accoutered with his secret bag carrying and recarrying the thoughts and sentiments of friends, lovers & c? Or has your maidenish fancy become so exceeding fastidious that you question the propriety of holding a correspondence with a "Gen- tleman"? Forsooth other affections, other friends, new loves have started up into being-pushed back-thrust out-overwhelmed and completely annihilated past remembrances and insinuating them- selves so intimately and interwaving themselves so thoroughly through every fibre nook and corner of your heart, that now you live and love only in the bright beams of their sunlight.
But Agnes throw off these fastidious notions, if you have them, dont become wholly absorbed with new acquaintances &c, resolve yourself back into your old relation, write to your brother and let him read who you are, where you are, what you are, and if you please, what or whom you intend to be, for I find that after an absence of some half-dozen yrs. it puts me to a stand to know just how to address or where to place you. When I last saw you, you were but a "young lass" and therefore when now I sit down to write you, I think naturally of you as you were some 5 or 6 yrs ago, or my mind must run over this long period and picture the changes which must have taken place and finally, after all I scarcely know where to reach or find you, whether in the expanding bud or fully developed flower. But you may say that you also are laboring
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under a similar difficulty. To remove from you all embarrassment on that score, I will with your permission Ag, give you some idea of this wondrous person, whom I usually call myself.
As for height of course I am no bigger than I was 1/2 a dozen yrs. agone-nor am I heavier-nor better looking-my color is of the same true unchanging hue-my face is partially covered with a philosophical beard-my hair of the pepper and salt cast-nose still szubby-my whole figure probably more erect-my strength and capability of en- durance lessened. Age and care have left there marring touch, wrinkles & c., so that now, let me take a squint at the mirror. Ah! yes, Alas! very true in appearance at least, I may be safely laid upon the shelf, with that odious class of human beings-sometimes, truly not invidiously, styled "Old Bachelors"-Yes Alas! such is the lamentable fact. Recol- lect then that it is an old dry Knotty Bachelor that is addressing you, with an Old Bachelor's freedom, or impudence if you please, and dont therefore make wry faces nor turn up your nose at my privileged blunt- ness, nor declare upon your faith and honor that you will "cut" my acquaintance for such a miserable and inevitable fortune as has befell me for I can't remove back one degree the shadow upon the dial. There is no stopping the wheels of time-day will succeed night and night day. I must go on with the moving crowd-I must grow old-time and labor will have their effect. Moreover this age if characterized by wisdom ( a superabundance of wh, this letter evinces) is not dishonorable. "Not honorable"? Why not? How more so? "Marry"? Pshaw! How can I when I cannot. "But you can." Ha, ha, ha, Who will have me? Where is she? have me ?- an old Bachelor, a dry, scathed and riven old trunk- who will love-(what a word for an old man to use) &c &c. Well I will try to follow your suggestion-Sometime -. I will have a w-i-f-e. I will present you with a new Sister. Heh, how supremely rediculous the idea-what hallucination! But then I must bestir myself if such be the case-keep my peepers fully dilated-draw fine sight on all the pretty girls (for let me assure that I will never have an Old Maid, Oh no!) that cross my path. One, the best, the very best, if she be gettable, I will lay hands (not violent, of course) upon and triumphantly lead her away captive to my home and there feed and fat-no-(I wish I had lovers vocabulary better committed) but as the young man would say, protect and cherish and love her, and myself feed upon-upon-upon- her enrapturing beauty (these old eyes can yet see by the aid of concaves) and sip with intoxicated happiness the honied nectar that bedews her ruby lips. By the way why dont that oldest brother of ours "go it." Stir him up to his duty.
Enough of this for one time and more than enough. I will try to im- prove next time. My time is spent here quite agreeably and I hope profitably. I shall remain here, it is probable about six weeks more-the summer more than likely will be passed in Old Washington Co. some- where. My quarters here, and that is my room, is very agreeable, as
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also my roommate. I occasionally hear from the north and from Ten- nessee but have nothing of special importance to communicate. Remem- ber me to all relatives and friends and write me soon-if not within the six weeks-direct to Cambridge, Wash. Co., N. Y.
Your affectionate Brother A. M B
LETTERS OF ALEXANDER R. PATTEN AND MARTHA PATTEN
I. Miss Martha N. Patten of East Greenwich, New York, age seven- teen, to her brother, William Patten, of Somonauk, Illinois.
[Jan. 23, 1844]
William:
Well, I suppose by this time that you are thinking that we have for- gotten you or that we have grown careless.
I acknowledge you may accuse us of the latter and not be very far out of the way either. We have all been sick but are quite well now. There has been much sickness about here lately, there is scarcely a family but has had more or less of it.
I was quite sick, they thought I was taking the fever, but we found it was the same disease prevalent in the neighborhood.
The Doctor said it was the influenza, accompanied with an inflama- tion, usually settling on the lungs. They gave me Tomato pills. I never had anything do me so much good in my life. It drove the inflamation out of my blood and it settled just above my ankles. The Doctor said it was well for me it was there. I was very lame for two weeks but was satisfied, it was better there than on my lungs.
I have been gaining fast for the past week and am now about as thin as you were when you first came home last fall. I suppose you remember how you looked then.
Some of the neighbors will have it that the thoughts of going west in the spring is wearing on my constitution but I think they are mistaken. I am there half of the time in my imagination.
Mother and Roxy (Washburn) were both sick but soon got better. Deacon Henry and Elizabeth were both very ill, the inflamation settled on their lungs. Mary Hanks has been very sick with the same disease.
I called to see them the day Eleanor Pratt was buried.
Thomas Beveridge's wife has also been very sick but is now better.
Uncle Archie Robertson's are all well except Aunt Anna. She has had very poor health this winter.
They think she is gaining but so slowly, they can scarcely perceive any difference from week to week. Jennet (Robertson) has gone to keeping house. John (Robertson) is living with his brother Thomas this winter. I suppose he is going to learn the trade.
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Isaac Shaw's wife is much better so that they are getting along with- out a girl, but he is as good as half the hired girls.
Mrs. Cook is quite well. Frances and Lorenzo have gone to Albany. Thomas is going to school this winter. Robert has quite a good school, the most of the large girls attend.
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