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Correspondence of Rhoda Waterbury and
G. W. Clinton |
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Correspondence of Rhoda Waterbury and G. W. Clinton 1865 - 1867 Edited
by P. M. P.O. Box 299, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, 63166‑0299;
and Research Associate, Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, New York, 14204.
Email: mailto:patricia.eckel@mobot.org July 1866 Vol.
3 (105) [M 124]
Warsaw, July 2nd, 1866 My
Dear Friend, I
feel sure I have offended, and yet it must have been far from my heart for I cannot
remember that last careless letter, do forgive it for I must write again. Our
darling baby has flown, we placed his little body in
Rhoda Waterbury, Hon.
G. W. Clinton Recd
July 10 The schools of Vol.
3. No. 116 [M 113]
Schoharie, July 22, 1866 My
Dear Friend, Yours
via Warsaw reached me at my home a few days since we left as soon as possible
after baby left us, and the remainder of the family are as usual spending the
summer vacation here at Grandpa’s. Of course it seems very lonely and
still with only the two children here but we try to do the best we can but
sister’s health is very poor and unless we can succeed in cheering her
some way she must soon follow her children. It is a rainy Sabbath and I am
writing but not with the same spirit as a year ago. It is quite easy to
theorize about the spiritual when one feels cheerful and the sun shines, but
when the clouds come and one is feeling every where to find the Father we
care but little for theory and want only a strong abiding faith. If I could
only accept some of the old ideas of immortality and the Eternal and never
question them, I think I should be happy. I know you will say, “there
is revelation,” yet even there so much is left for the imagination to
fill up, that it must ever remain the dread unknown unless a strong faith
lifts one above it, where nothing is revealed is it not right to form to
ourselves the most perfect picture of blessedness of which we can conceive
and rest upon it as all we can know of what “eye hath not seen nor ear
heard”? Since
my return I have kept my rooms most of the time, not sick I think but worn
out with watching and anxiety. I shall begin to ramble again the free air of
our mountains and communion with Nature will do more than hours of intense
thought toward setting the spiritual nature right I think. I wish I had
something to send you and I hope to have next time. But when will you visit
us? Will you not be at Albany during the Convention and run up for a day or
so? I am very anxious to see you. I
think I must go to teaching again in some institution the first of September,
not that I like it better than any other employment, but I was “bred to
the profession,” and it is difficult to get away from it. So drop me a
line (if you are not so occupied you cannot), telling something about when
and how you will come. I
feel quite sure I shall have more of my old self about me after a week of
rambling and shall not be so dull. After all this I need not say direct
Schoharie as you can hardly mistake the home among the mountains of your
disciple
Rhoda Waterbury Hon.
G. W. Clinton Recd
Aug. 12 [quite a long delay] She will teach at the Gloversville Union
Seminary in Fulton County (letter of October 6, 1866). As indicated in the next letter,
the convention in Albany was a University Convocation involving the Board of
Regents specifically. Rhoda indicated that Clinton did not show for this
meeting, as he avoided meeting Rhoda in person at all costs in 1866. As the
next letter ishows, he displayed great prudence in doing so, but annoyed his
political and professional colleagues with his absence and, as Rhoda hints,
possibly suffered some damage to his reputation. The meeting surely
celebrated the new administration and organization of the New York State
Museum. |
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