User:Meadows52

My Beloved Lady Susan,

I know that I have been remiss in writing you so seldom and know that you wish me to remember that you have a gandmother's love and regard for Samson  A day does not pass when I do not remember that it was upon the promise that I should write you always and often that you taught me my letters and how they might be formed into words. Pioneer life presents many obstacles to any literary endeavor, even a personal and necessary one, and this is particularly true for a midwife who pretends to motherhood as I indeed do. I have four children inclusive of John; the others all girls, the oldest of these being Mavis, aged six, and the youngest being Lizzy, aged one year. The other is Laura, aged three. I must often be away from them tending to the needs of others. Much of their care falls upon Mary's mother and John. Mary's mother is almost blind, but she does well if John is there to chase the girls. They will otherwise slink about, and hide from her. They are dear but wild as hares. I can only suppose that their jndependence will better suit the untamed territory which have come. Lizzie has been born since I last wrote you. John is a studious and serious lad who has attained as many refinements as his rude circumstances allow. He sings like your Llyman and has bettered me, but slightly at the piano forte. He goes to his books without encouragement. His French can be no better than mine since I have no other teacher for him. He has however, been studying Latin and Greek with a man in our village who studied for the Scotch ministry and who says that John is doing well indeed. John has also attained rudimentary Spanish. He studies with Amy. You may remember her mother, Mary's friend Anne, the Sea Captain's wife. Amy is some awho is his constant companion. They work together and have always been fond playfellows. Amy, the older girl, feels as many do here, that they have sought a free country only to require a freer one. Sampson and Fergus wish to move to Mexico asI do myself. Since they are in the mercantile business, the Southern migration of the Mormon people will require their talents. If we could live here in peace we would all happily forgo any profits we may obtain thereby. It was in fact in the attempt to emigrate that our present difficulty began. For by many signs I became convinced that were I not to remove thither, I would be taken to the Federal court at Beaver .Because they would have Fergus too, and could do with him as they liked, they could have forced me to reveal details of the private affairs of my patients. My haste was so great in leaving that I deigned to take even the baby for fear of wayside perils .Unfortunatly I picked up mother's prayer book instead of my own which contained my certificate of marriage. All of our present troubles stem from this latter error because I had no certificate of civil marriage with me. My lot here however, has not been as grim as I feared. Fergus is being held pending a hearing on Oct. 18, and I have not only been released, but have been offered, nay, I will say made to accept, a position as a territorial nurse. Being in the countryside about in a territory with Mormon men being shot outright, while driving home cows &c; the Marshalls therefore have much fear of returning fire, and also of their physician.

The man has told me frankly that pustulance is necessary to the proper healing of a wound. This pustelance and the universal remedy provides to the marshalls in great abundance. My position is relatively secure, then for the time being. My dour Fergus is as happy as a Scott can be in spartan conditions and while in the while in the society of his religous brethren. Whether I will be held in contempt between the hearing and the trial as many women and even older children here are, I cannot now know. I will do as honor prompts. Spring, 1888.

From Bye-Bye, Bunny, by aka Kathleen Matheson Sutherland, aka. Meadows52.