Wayne County, NC - Anna Maria (Rhodes) Hill Letters ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wayne County Vernon July 29, 1845 My Dear Betty My long looked for letter at last came to hand. You see you are forgiven for your long neglect, or I should not be so promt in ansering it. I hope you wont be so negligent a gain. I am sure you know how unesa it makes me when you are so long in ansering me. I beg you both to write once a month & I hope you will do so in futer. I have just heard from Alababa, all well & gone to the mountains. We are all well hear. I believe I wrote you your Uncle George was married, also Sallie Barfield is married to David Cogdel. I expect we will have a marriage near in the cours of too months, E Wright to L Smith. Louisa Hatch started today to school at Everetsvill, near Mr Wests. Joseph is merchandizing at Dudlys Depot. Ann is at home, health much better then it has been. We have had three weakes preaching & their has been a grate revival of religion in Duplin & Wayn. We have had a weak at Dark Branch & many of your old school mates became converted. I joined the Church the next weak in the neighborhood of Genl Hills. Their ware many conversions their last weake. We had it nearly all the weake in the neighborhood. Some ten or twelve joined hear, among them John Smiths three daughters & Eliza Smith, Louisa Hatch & myself joined in Duplin. Methinkes I hear you say I thought Aunty would join the Church befor long, but I want thinking of Cousin Lou. She is so young & so lively & then you all exclaim ah she will get tired of it. Well I hope & believe whe will not. The religion of our Lord Jesus Christ deprives us of none of the pleasurs or enjoyments of life that a rashanal man or woman to want to enjoy & oh how weet to know we have a friend in heaven has died that we might live & hoo is able & wiling to be our friend & suporter hear & finily receive us in heaven. He has said in my Fathers hous are many mansions, if it ware not so I would have told you & his word is true. Man may ly but God never. Ah that you could all be brought to feal your nead of a savour. A flower offered in the bud is no vain sacrifice. Your old friend Brother Larkins & wife & Catherine & the babe have been with us ever since the first of June. They left for home this day weake. He sayes he is sure his Dear littel friend, meaning you, will embrace religion. I believe he feals a Parental love for you & with myself daily offers up prairs for the conversion of your self & all the family. I believe in the fervent ernest prairs of the richious & if any on earth is pias & richous he is one of them. May your Heavenly Father open your mind to your lost consision without an entrust in the Savour. It is my prair you may understand this letter as embracing you all. I had an other seet letter from our Cousin Alice the other day, all well & settled in Athens Gorga, Clarke County, for the summer. As usial she sent a heape of love to her grand Daughter Betty. She says she chaperoned you so long at Aunt Mary Hills she feals she has a spesal write to you & commands you to write to her forth with. Now you know the commands of an aged grand Mother must be obaid. Well I believe I have given you all the news worth attention. At all events I must stop this scolding pen of min or I shall have no room to say a word to Ann & that wont do. Give my love to Sarah Umphes & take a large shair to your self from your affectionat Aunt Anna M Hill My Dear Ann & Amanda I must now say something to you though I have given nearly all the news to Bettys parte of the letter, but I have reserved some for you. Well in the first place your Uncle John Smith is to be married next Thursday to Mrs Littel. Cousin Alice sends her love to you both. I had a letter from Edward the other day & ansered it & sent him a check for too hundred dollars on the Merchants Bank in New York. I mention this for fear he may not get the letter. When you see him or write to him tell him of it so he can make the necessary inquiry. If he has not go it you had better write him immeuately on the reception of this. Amandas letter to Lou has just been brought home & she is goane to school & wont be home untill Saterday, so she must not expect anser directly. Thay all send a heape of love to you all. Now as regardes my goine home with you in the fall I assure you few things would give me more pleasur, but I cant tell whether I shall go or not. It depends on sircumstances over which I have no controle. The Servants have all been wanting to see you all vary much & often want to know when you all are coming. We have had a vary dry summer, corn is cut considerable. We have no fruits but some fine watermelons & mushmelons. Wish you could have som of them but as that can not be, I must think of you when I eate them, that is the best I can do for you. The Miss Washingtons are goan to Smthvile to spend the summer. Dr Evans & family are moved to Wilmington. Now a line Dear girls, may heaven bless guid & protect you is the prair of your affectionat Aunt Anna Maria Hill Dudley NC July 31st Miss Elizabeth J. Rhodes Burlington New Jersey ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Sloan Spence Mason ___________________________________________________________________