[Letter: date unknown]

[Letter: date unknown]

[1870?]

African American families

Husband and wife

Married women

Wiley, Edward A. [recipient]

image/jp2

Correspondence

This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. For access to the original letter or high-resolution reproduction, please contact the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection (blockson@temple.edu; 215-204-6632)

Temple University Libraries, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection

William Still Collection

Blockson manuscripts

William Still Collection

Philadelphia PA: Temple University Libraries

blockson@temple.edu

BMS010X0003

My Dear Edward:/ Your last came duly/ to hand and found us as usual in good/ health and spirits. I look for another to-day/ in reply to mine mailed to you two/ days ago, I have no doubt but that it/ will come certain sure; perhaps you did not get it till yesterday morning/ whereas I had hoped you would get/ it Saturday ev'ning - it was in the B./ post office at that time I expect. So/ hereafter my dear it might be well to/ inquire sometimes of an ev'ning [whe the?]/ whole of Sunday is to intervene that/ is if you feel particularly anxious/ and annoyed. So you have fallen/ to dreaming again about preaching and/ the like. What shall I say about/ it? I scarcely know how or where to/ begin. This thing I cannot understand/ how you can study and canvass too./ Then where would you go to study?/ The two you may be able to do at one/ time but I fear your health will/ give way under the heavy burden./ Now it may be that your mission/ is to preach Heaven forbid that I/ should put a feather in your way/ or attempt to dissuade you for one/ moment, but this I will say there is/ a great deal of work to be done by lay=/ men akin to preaching but which some/ of them probably think they can only ac=/ complish by preaching. This may or may/ not be your case, I cannot tell; you and/ your Maker must decide this matter/ and I am perfectly willing to abide the/ decision so far as I now view it./ But be sure and tell me where you/ expect to study &c, &c; or where you/ think of studying and whether you expect/ to get the house first or commence study/ immediately. I think I would make a/ first rate minister’s wife just cut out/ for it, but our ministers are so [tramm=/elled?] bound hand and foot. This I know you deprecate as well as myself/ and if I mistake not I have heard you/ remark you would much prefer having/ a support outside of the people that you/ ministered too that you might act more/ freely. How about this? Our people are/ so [choicy?] out of the multitude who have/ studied for the ministry they seem to/ want none but the [florid?] or tarnished./ Not only in our church but throughout/ their churches this is too often the case/ and do you suppose they would toler=/ate and support you with the doc=/trine you would wish to teach, I/ think not. Angie and her sister/ Emmie came down on Saturday and have/ had a very pleasant time thus far./ My regards to the Bishop family &/ all inquiring friends. Write soon. Ma/ says you had better preach or/ [From top margin: end of letter] you will/ be like/ Jonah./ Much love and/ many kisses/ from Ma,/ Willie, &/ me. / Your loving/ & devoted/ Wife./ Carrie/