Letter from Myra Eells on missing Forest Grove, religious waste, and news
Walla Walla March 25-1865
Dear Mrs Lyman
It is certainly not because I have forgotten you or yours that I have not written, neither is it because I have not wanted to write.
“Procrastination is the thief of time.” A thousand & one things claim my time & all for the time being, seem seem more pressing is my only apology. Poor apology perhaps.
After we tho’t you were coming up here & did not come, & we did not hear from you any more till Mr Lyman wrote in the fall, we did not know what to think. But time passed on & we were fully occupied till Myron went down. Since then he has written us with one exception every week & I am impelled to write him once in three weeks.
It makes me homesick to write to the Grove & I am affraid I shall expose a discontented mind which I would rather not trouble my friends with. Other things being equal I think my health would be better here than below, tho’ I am not strong.
As in every new country there is almost every thing to do & we have but little strength to do it. This is a waste & barren land & most of the settlements are along on the creeks.
There is a striking resemblance in the moral, Religious, & Intellectual waste. I often think what can we do to improve it, but do not yet see that we can do much. It is painful to witness it & not do something.
Some fifteen months ago a Branch of the American Bible Society was formed in Walla Walla, & a few weeks since, receiv’d a lot of nice new bibles. We hope all who want, will now have a bible.
Edwin taught a pleasant school of twelve weeks of seventeen scholars. For various reasons, unavoidable, the average attendance was only thirteen & a half. The tuition was seventy-five cents a scholar per week. His eyes have not troubled him as much as they did last winter.
We have heard of a Mr Sloan of Birch creek being drown’d in Butter creek. We are affraid it is Mr Sloan of the Grove. Poor Mrs Sloan what will she do – what can she do? They are more than fifty miles from here.
The ministers at the Grove are feeding the people with knowledge & understanding- I hope they are being rewarded. Mr Chamberlain, is he at the Griffin’s yet. I am sorry for them, hope they will soon find their place. Do you hear from Mr Jenny? Where is Mr Dickinson? We had a letter from Mr Walker not long since.
Now about your own dear self. Is your health any better than it use to be? Has Sarah regained her health if so does she attend school. I should love to see her attend come [triping?] in [softly?] as she use to do.
I suppose Willie goes to school – perhaps he is studying Lattin by this time. Horrace & Mary can they go to school yet? How is Horrace lame limb. How they must have grown.
Do you think you will try to come up here in vacation? We should be glad to see you & all yours if you can come.
A great many Oregonians are coming up & going to the mines but the [travel?] travel does not generally pass this way now.
Much love to yourself & yours & believe me your friend
Myra F. Eells
Dear Mrs Lyman
It is certainly not because I have forgotten you or yours that I have not written, neither is it because I have not wanted to write.
“Procrastination is the thief of time.” A thousand & one things claim my time & all for the time being, seem seem more pressing is my only apology. Poor apology perhaps.
After we tho’t you were coming up here & did not come, & we did not hear from you any more till Mr Lyman wrote in the fall, we did not know what to think. But time passed on & we were fully occupied till Myron went down. Since then he has written us with one exception every week & I am impelled to write him once in three weeks.
It makes me homesick to write to the Grove & I am affraid I shall expose a discontented mind which I would rather not trouble my friends with. Other things being equal I think my health would be better here than below, tho’ I am not strong.
As in every new country there is almost every thing to do & we have but little strength to do it. This is a waste & barren land & most of the settlements are along on the creeks.
There is a striking resemblance in the moral, Religious, & Intellectual waste. I often think what can we do to improve it, but do not yet see that we can do much. It is painful to witness it & not do something.
Some fifteen months ago a Branch of the American Bible Society was formed in Walla Walla, & a few weeks since, receiv’d a lot of nice new bibles. We hope all who want, will now have a bible.
Edwin taught a pleasant school of twelve weeks of seventeen scholars. For various reasons, unavoidable, the average attendance was only thirteen & a half. The tuition was seventy-five cents a scholar per week. His eyes have not troubled him as much as they did last winter.
We have heard of a Mr Sloan of Birch creek being drown’d in Butter creek. We are affraid it is Mr Sloan of the Grove. Poor Mrs Sloan what will she do – what can she do? They are more than fifty miles from here.
The ministers at the Grove are feeding the people with knowledge & understanding- I hope they are being rewarded. Mr Chamberlain, is he at the Griffin’s yet. I am sorry for them, hope they will soon find their place. Do you hear from Mr Jenny? Where is Mr Dickinson? We had a letter from Mr Walker not long since.
Now about your own dear self. Is your health any better than it use to be? Has Sarah regained her health if so does she attend school. I should love to see her attend come [triping?] in [softly?] as she use to do.
I suppose Willie goes to school – perhaps he is studying Lattin by this time. Horrace & Mary can they go to school yet? How is Horrace lame limb. How they must have grown.
Do you think you will try to come up here in vacation? We should be glad to see you & all yours if you can come.
A great many Oregonians are coming up & going to the mines but the [travel?] travel does not generally pass this way now.
Much love to yourself & yours & believe me your friend
Myra F. Eells
- Title
- Letter from Myra Eells on missing Forest Grove, religious waste, and news
- Description
-
Letter from Myra Eells to Mary Denison Lyman. She discusses missing Forest Grove, seeing a lack of religion, and requesting news.
Myra was the wife of Cushing Eells, a Congregational missionary. She and her husband were friends of the Whitman family, and were forced to settle in Forest Grove for a time following the Whitman massacre. - Creator
- Eells, Myra Fairbanks
- Source
- Pacific University Archives
- Date
- 1865
- Is Part Of
- Lyman Family Papers
- Format
- Letter
- Language
- English
- Identifier
- PUA_MS31_22_a
- Rights
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/
- Type
- Text
- Media
-
https://exhibits.lib.pacificu.edu/files/original/22e90de8abf5cfd1bda972a0fe84b34d.pdf -
Walla Walla March 25-1865<br/><br/>Dear Mrs Lyman<br/><br/>It is certainly not because I have forgotten you or yours that I have not written, neither is it because I have not wanted to write.<br/><br/>“Procrastination is the thief of time.” A thousand & one things claim my time & all for the time being, seem seem more pressing is my only apology. Poor apology perhaps.<br/><br/>After we tho’t you were coming up here & did not come, & we did not hear from you any more till Mr Lyman wrote in the fall, we did not know what to think. But time passed on & we were fully occupied till Myron went down. Since then he has written us with one exception every week & I am impelled to write him once in three weeks.<br/><br/>It makes me homesick to write to the Grove & I am affraid I shall expose a discontented mind which I would rather not trouble my friends with. Other things being equal I think my health would be better here than below, tho’ I am not strong.<br/><br/>As in every new country there is almost every thing to do & we have but little strength to do it. This is a waste & barren land & most of the settlements are along on the creeks.<br/><br/>There is a striking resemblance in the moral, Religious, & Intellectual waste. I often think what can we do to improve it, but do not yet see that we can do much. It is painful to witness it & not do something.<br/><br/>Some fifteen months ago a Branch of the American Bible Society was formed in Walla Walla, & a few weeks since, receiv’d a lot of nice new bibles. We hope all who want, will now have a bible.<br/><br/>Edwin taught a pleasant school of twelve weeks of seventeen scholars. For various reasons, unavoidable, the average attendance was only thirteen & a half. The tuition was seventy-five cents a scholar per week. His eyes have not troubled him as much as they did last winter.<br/><br/>We have heard of a Mr Sloan of Birch creek being drown’d in Butter creek. We are affraid it is Mr Sloan of the Grove. Poor Mrs Sloan what will she do – what can she do? They are more than fifty miles from here.<br/><br/>The ministers at the Grove are feeding the people with knowledge & understanding- I hope they are being rewarded. Mr Chamberlain, is he at the Griffin’s yet. I am sorry for them, hope they will soon find their place. Do you hear from Mr Jenny? Where is Mr Dickinson? We had a letter from Mr Walker not long since.<br/><br/>Now about your own dear self. Is your health any better than it use to be? Has Sarah regained her health if so does she attend school. I should love to see her attend come [triping?] in [softly?] as she use to do.<br/><br/>I suppose Willie goes to school – perhaps he is studying Lattin by this time. Horrace & Mary can they go to school yet? How is Horrace lame limb. How they must have grown.<br/><br/>Do you think you will try to come up here in vacation? We should be glad to see you & all yours if you can come.<br/><br/>A great many Oregonians are coming up & going to the mines but the [travel?] travel does not generally pass this way now.<br/><br/>Much love to yourself & yours & believe me your friend<br/><br/>Myra F. Eells