[Letter of 1873 November 19]

[Letter of 1873 November 19]

1873-11-19

African American families

African American Christians (Disciples of Christ)

Books

Door-to-door selling

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

BMS010X0081

Nov. 19th, "1873./ My Dear Edward: yours of/ Yours of/ the 17th inst came to hand/ last evening when I expected/ it yesterday morning, indeed/ Monday morning thought/ I should get one. That/ cold still hangs on, I am very/ sorry indeed, and fear as you/ do that canvassing will not/ do for you at all through the/ cold weather. Cant you/ manage to quit Baltimore/ for awhile and go South ta=/ king the book with you and/ visiting Berea meanwhile?/ I wrote to Pres. Fairchild but/ have not sent the letter as yet./ I felt before taking such a step/ as that it was the father and/ mother to know something of/ the matter since you asked his/ opinion about entering the Ministry./ Of course I have said nothing/ to them about the A.M.E Church/ nor shall I. But inadvertently/ I have talked of Berea and/ perhaps father thought me jo=/ king for he said he thought/ it would be very nice. Another/ time when I asked him what/ he earnestly thought of the matter/ elaborating a little more, he/ told me he had not thought/ much about it and so I said/ no more. When I speak of/ it now and then to ma she/ says tell Edward I say he’d/ better go or he’ll be like Jonah./ I am thoroughly in for the mat=/ ter much as I prefer labor=/ ing here where I feel so much/ labor is needed. We cannot tell/ where you may be called upon/ to labor. Perhaps in a Church/ in this very City and then I/ can labor here again but if/ not there is work to be done/ every where[sic] and I shall labor/ where I can, but labor I/ must. I said nothing whatever/ to Jos. about your intentions,/ if I remember aright, I am/ sure I said nothing of the A./ M.E. side of the question. But/ I was very much surprised/ when at our Association meeting=/ Monday night Rev. R.B. Johns/ told me he had heard you were/ going to enter the Ministry. I/ hardly knew what to say but/ I believe told him you had the/ matter under consideration./ He said he understood you had/ decided so to do and he was very/ glad of it. I told him I thought it/ would be wise to say nothing/ more about it and he assured/ me that he would not. Mr/ Morris had been telling some/ one else this in Mr J’s pres=/ ence so you see it is not/ a secret by any means and/ why should it be [save?] as any/ [?] due amount of talk about the/ matter before you have comple=/ ted your arrangements may tend/ to make some feel not so well/ pleased at your course. but then/ why think of them if you/ think you are doing duty?/ Joseph left his wife in Washing=/ ton and has returned there./ Dont get Toussaint for Pop’s/ parlor but if you choose to/ buy it for us and hang it/ up in their parlor until we/ need it well and good- but you/ say nothing of our pictures though/ I wrote so much about them./ I think it will be as good a/ thing as you can do to go/ see Mr Wright and then I can/ write to Mr Fairchild afterwards./ Willie walks pretty nicely all around/ the room and says everything nearly/ in his way of course and squeals/ like a pig continually, I dont/ know what to do sometimes he/ annoys me so. But he’s a/ dear little fellow and I must try/ to bear with him and do the best for/ him I can. He has just climbed/ up on the carriage seat beside me/ and is drumming on the way indow, he/ evidently intended to trouble my ink/ but I told him I was writing to/ Papa and to go away so he looked/ out of the window a moment tapping/ on the panes with his two little/ fingers and then got down. So it/ is all day, he is up and down/ for he can get up on any/ chair and down again and from/ a chair to the table and thence into/ the window where he often goes/ in the kitchen for [you?] the [sill?]/ is wide and will hold him nicely./ I suppose Will, will be home for/ Thanksgiving and then as you say/ we can talk about the Christmas/ presents. Pop sends love,/ and I send for the rest of the/ family. My regards to Mrs/ Bishop and family- Much/ love and many kisses from/ Ma Willie and me. Mr/ Purnell and Mrs. Farbeam/ both desired to be remembered/ to you when I should write./ Your loving & devoted wife/ Carrie-/