Augusta County: Mary Anna Sibert to David H. Evans,
December 5, 1867
Summary:
Sibert describes the grief which she still feels over the death of her brother
and reports on preparations for the upcoming wedding of her sister.
December 5 1867
Mt Solon
Mr. D.H. Evans
Your dear & welcome letter of the 3 came duly to
one who was looking anxiously for it. I was so thankful to hear that you were
well. God is merciful to us in all things. I wish you were here tonight Oh the time does seem so long since I saw you
last, & I must wait until next Tuesday before you can come again Well if
God only lets you come Then I shall be both happy & thankful, but the
time will be long & slow in passing I shall be very busy until then.
Cousin David don't like to hear of us all leaving Bridgewater Wednesday night
but he must submit for it cannot be helped I hope we shall all have a pleasant
& happy time though to us it will be mingled
with sadness for thoughts of one who will not be with us to see his sister given
to him she loves best on Earth. My darling lost brother will not be with us then
& Oh how deeply & sorrowfully I shall miss
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his dear
handsome face bright with happiness as in the days of his sunny childhood when
he completed the joys of home. I have been thinking so much of John &
longing for his presence that my heart, soul, & mind are all sad dulled
to such a degree that nothing seems to cheer them. The aching void his early
& cruel death has made in my heart is never soothed, or filled only when
I am with you then I feel entirely happy & that I do not want anything, or anyone in the
world but you. before I loved you the void in heart & soul had never
been filled or made happy, & contented this is the only & sure
fact that I never truly loved any but you. if I still longed for the love
& to love another I would then know that I did not love you but I am
satisfied, happy cheerful & thankful to love you & to know you
love me is the greatest joy of my life. I ask for no other than to be near you always, & for you to be a true christian. if these blessings were
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mine I
would indeed feel that God in His divine love had filled my cup of Earthly bliss
My life & the lives of those most dear to me should be the burden of my
daily prayers that they might be spent in serving God. God knows how truly how
faithfully, & devotedly I love you I believe it is His holy will that we
should love each other. Do not think any more of what Magnus said about my
letter I did not mind it. I knew he was only teasing me. You have a right to do
as you please with my letters for they are yours, & I know no one ever
reads them but yourself. They are written to you
& for you only. If Magnus had read it I would not have cared, or been
angry with you. We have been very busy all week finishing preparations for Rennie's Wedding have scarcely
time to think I take time to love, & think of you. if I did not know you
would be here I should not be so zealous & sure of being happy. You will
find quite a crowd Ma has invited near 50 persons
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I would have
prefered only a chosen few of valued friends. Ma is generous & wants all
to come Mr Estell called again yesterday evening, sent word before he came that
he was coming to see Lula tell Ella this she will
laugh. I did not see the gentleman, being busy all the time he annoys me so much that I never care to see him any
time, busy or not.
Rennie is just as happy as she can be until she is the wedded wife of her dear David My Earnest prayer is that they may be truly happy in their married life. it will be sad to see her leave our home circle to return no more, but then she will we all know be far happier with the one she loves best it is natural that she should. May God bless Them is a sister's prayer.
Yes indeed I like the arrangement you, & Magnus have made about the style you come in from Staunton. I hope the weather will be fine. I long so much for you to come for it is such a dreary while since I saw your dear dear face. Oh I do love you with all my heart & mind I hope we shall soon see each other & then I can tell you more than my pen could write-- & it is a mean pen too, although a new one A few more days then I shall see you who I love so fondly, & more than all the world. May God bless you, & grant that you may come Tuesday. Goodnight. I send love & a kiss to you. Ma, Rennie, Ada, & all send love Take care of your dear self. I love you. Goodnight
Yours
Mollie Sibert
