Derby, Oct. 14, 1864.
Sister Abiah,-
I have hired the Skinner House for one year and shall come after you Monday and stay all night so as to pack up and get an early start Tuesday. Father will come Tuesday for you and the children. Have Father Mansur come and help load Tuesday. Rec’d you letter last night.
I fear Henry Newcomb will not succeed in getting Charles body. Keep good heart, and all will be for the best.
Yours,
Ephraim.
Moving home?
So, it seems Abiah is packing up the house and maybe moving back in with her parents now that Charles has been killed.
Must be rough. And there is a decision to make. Should she burn all these letters and try to erase him from memory, or cherish his words and keep the letters of a reminder of how much she liked him?
It would be pretty easy in a fit of depression to toss these letters out.
Keep them!
I come from a long family line of “keepers” …or “packrats” in the words of some of our annoyed spouses.