University of Virginia Library

Letter to William Francis Brand from Alice M., dated 1873 July 16

Some time
has passed since the reception of
your kind letter, and yet it has
not been answered. I hope you
will forgive me for being so slow
this time, as I promise to do better
in future.

I am sorry to inform you of
the death of our dear old Grand
-mother. She died the 16th June
exactly one month ago today).
We miſs her a great deal, but she suf
-fered so much while here, that we
looked on her death as being a
relief. There was not a day during
her last sickneſs that she was'nt suffering

all the time unleſs she was under
the influence of Morphine.
She always spoke of death with
calmneſs. Said she was willing
to go at any time, but seemed to
fear the sting of death. I believe she
looked upon it as being something
awful, but when it came she
met it with perfect calmneſs and
gently fell asleep. The day before
she died, she said, “ The Saviour has
been a support to me in many
trials, and he is now my staff.#”
She gave every evidence of being
a truly pious christian, and
remained faithful to the end.
God grant that all of us may live
to be as useful and good as she was.
She had a remarkable mind
and remained sensible to the
last. We buried her at her old home
in the upper end of the county.
I wish you and cousin Jane could
have seen her before she died but I
know you couldn't come so
far. Wish cousin Jane had come
last winter. Where is she now?
Cousin Josie Walker has been
staying with us this summer.
We are planning to take a trip
to the Valley this summer. Think
we will certainly go this time.
If not it will be a great disappoint
to us both. If cousin John comes
over in time to make arrange-
ments to go with us back we will
go about the middle of August
or the first of September.
I anticipate great pleasure in
seeing the Valley and hope my
wishes will be realized before
long. We are beggining to have
vegetables and fruit in abundance.
Have had a few peaches, but they
were not entirely ripe. We have
a good prospect for fruit.
The crops are very good. Pa has
a large crop of tobacco this year.
The rains have been very frequent
and very gentle this year, so
I hope the droughts have come
to an end at last.
Tell cousin Kate cousin Joe will
write to her very soon.

Much flove from us all to her
and the children. Tell cousin
John of our intentions and sendhim
our lovemakearrangements
Write soon love