📄 Letter, Margaret Manahan to Elizabeth Tone, October 23, 1825
This letter was found in an envelope labeled "S. L. Tone, old letters".
The sender and receiver are from the first page. The letter begins "dear Mother". At the bottom are the names Margaret Tone (in the same hand as the letter) and Elizabeth Manahan (in what seems to be a different hand). These seem to be Margaret Manahan (1769-1832) (who married John A. Tone (1768-1825) and Elizabeth Tone (1747-1831).
The outside of the letter is hard to read but appears to read "Mr. William Manahan" and "Cayuga County, Sherwards corner Post office". William may have been Margaret's brother (about whom I know almost nothing), and Elizabeth Tone lived in Cayuga county, NY.
The letter relates Margaret's grief at the death of her husband.
October the 23, 1825
Dear Mother I now set down with a solemn mind and a unreadable hart I will inform you we are in joy good health at present hoping you and yours all in joy the same blessing but now I must inform you of our own trials my nearest and dearest friend is gone he is no more he departed this life September the 29 and was beared [?] October the 1 and was unreadable in the masonack [Masonic?] orde [?] and was a great multitude of people to a tend his funeral and I am left a lone his abstence [absence] to morne he is gone he is gon he is no more he died with the dropsy he docktred [?] about eight weeks but o deer mother could I visit you all it wood give me some satisfaction but I have no friends to visit my mind is like the troubled ocean no comfort can I find. When I go out he is uppermost when I com in his place is empty when I go to bade [bed] I can't slepe but all I can do is to look to that blessed savior that will give comfort for he sade [said] all ye that are heavy laden come unto me and I will give you rest he says seek and you shall find o what blessed promises is there but deer mother if it is my hard lot to never see you a gaine I pray we may met when parting shall bee no more. So now I must draw to close so if I never see you no more so farewell deer mother.
Margret Tone Elizabeth Manahan
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deer brothers and sisters one and a all now I must relate some of my trials to you concerning his dying. I and John wife wase all alone our children was gone to unreadable he look so tired I told him he had better go to bed he had set up from three in the afternoon til eight at night he tol me he thot to set up one our lounge I told him I would take him upagane [?] well said he I will go to bed but O to my great soprise littel did I think it to be the last time that ever I should put him to bed he told me to undress him as soon as possebel I put him in bed he said O lord have mercy on me he breathed very hard rased him unreadable I call to Electa and told her father was it dying she camed Said she has got at fit she run to the babors I rased him up his breth left him I stud and hel him about fifteen minets and no sole in the house but my self he never breathed nor moved a finger but O my deer brothers and sisters to think to be all a lone at such a trying time as this I mist in forme you of my not writing before Isack Sotherd [?] went to wavens [?] for Betsy but she had a young son and cud not come and there he sed [?] Bersy combs [?] she told him sister unreadable wasse a commen out I have looked but all in vane but I had given her up as I was about to clos my letter
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when Betsey unreadable a note here which gave me grat satisfaction to here from you all She told that brother William unreadable unreadable which I had all most gave him up never to see him a gaine. She told of brother Thomas trials how he was detaned with his son illness his life was not expected but O deer brother I can feel fore you I believe that all thes trials and croses are fore our good. I had thot coming out there this winter to pass a way some of my lonsom ours if I have a opertunity to com out but if I don't come deer brothers and sisters don't for git your poor lonsom sister come and see he. So no more at present but I remain your
[handwriting and tone seem to change somewhat here]
affectionate sister. Margret Tone to he Brothers and Sisters do write to us we feel very anxious to hear from uncle and his son (send a letter by mail).
Dear Cousin I thought I would write few lines to you that you might know that I had not forgotten you. I have not enjoyed very good health for two months back but my health is very good. Oh Dear Cousin such a trial as we have met with you never experienced in your life as the unreadable of a dear father such a trial never did I experience. John and I was gone to meeting and the news came that they wanted Mrs. Tons children to come home for he was dying. O how do you suppose we did feel and then to come home and see our poor what deat tes and to meet our dear Mother in the door O your dear children your father is dead. O my pen can not express to you our feelings but you must think I hope you will not forget my but write if you cannot come and see me. I want to come and see you this winter but I don't expect I can if mother comes which I expect she will give my love to all of my Cousins to Delany tell her I remember her and hope that she will remember me no more.