Augusta County: Mary Anna Sibert to David H. Evans,
September 18, 1867
Summary:
In this love letter, Sibert shares her feelings for Evans, laments the changes in
her family life over the past few years, and speculates on how her and her
sisters' marriages will some day alter the lives of their parents.
Sept 18. / '67.
Mt. Solon, Va.
Mr. D.H. Evans,
Your last dear letter is before me. I was thankful to hear of your safe arrival
home You could not have been more grieved to leave me than I was to give you up.
It seemed that I could not let you go I cried a long time after you left my home
looked forsaken & desolate, & so it was to me You Ella, Magnus,
& our two [unclear: Sunbeams] Lula, & Macon all gone Oh!
I felt that I could not stay. I hope it will not always be thus. I am so glad
you sent me back the photograph you took from my Album because I did want to
keep it so much. I was not angry with you for
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taking it from me. I
thought you would rather I did not have it, & I knew you knew best that
you did not think it a very good one but I do. I will not put it in my Album
again as you don't want me. I thank you Oh! so truly for sending the Ledgers. I
was both surprised & pleased to see them for I thought after what you
said last Sabbath you would not send them to me again. I only blamed myself for
saying what I did to you. Although I was teasing
you only to see what you would say I did not blame you. How my heart longs for
your presence today. I feel that I can't wait until I
see you again. each visit you pay me only increases my desire to have
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you always near me I am happy & contented when with you, lonely
& sad when we are parted. Oh! how truly my heart Loves, trusts,
& looks to you for happiness. I am so glad to hear you love to come to
my home, for I know now that you enjoy your visits & in the future I
shall try more earnestly to make my home pleasant & attractive to you. I
will not leave you so often alone to attend to any domestic affairs, but will
stay near you only & with you, for I do love you more than all in the
world. Yes I have a very dear & happy home but this bright &
loved circle has been so broken of late years by Ella's marriage my precious
& noble brother's sad & early death, & pa's absence that
I can scarcely realize it to be my once cherished happy home.
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God has
been merciful in sparing from the grave many to make home still sweet to me but
not as in days gone forever, & "Memory oft will heave a sigh" for buried
home joys. The circle will never be again united link after link will be taken
by marriage & death until my dear lonely father & mother will
have no bright & smiling face to look upon or make joyous their fading
years. This picture is too sad I must brighten it by saying we will all, if we
Can, go to see them often & fill their hearts & home with happy
voices, sunny smiles, & social talk. then The old home will ring with
gladness. I can see Ma & pa now in imagination on an occasion like I
have just pictured, smiling & happy, feeling young again with their dear
daughters & their husbands who have all come at once to cheer up the lone but loving hearts which have been forsaken
by their children for other loves & homes daughters who left them lone
& sad to make sweet & happy the hearts & homes of their
chosen husbands as they once made I send love & a kiss to you. Come down
soon I forgot to tell you Mr. John [unclear: Firns] sent me a basket of
peaches Monday Ma sends love
