Jan. 11, 1831 Anson Co., N.C.
My dear Wife,
Your last two letters, sent to Newbern, came both to hand on the 20 of December.-- Continue to direct to Raleigh until you have different directions from me.
The account of Sister Lydia's death affected me much. I should have written instantly to Br. Powers and the family, had I not been so situated as to make it all but perfectly impossible. My appointments were out, and at considerable distances from each other. No person can tell till he tries it, how difficult it is to write letters in my situation.
As soon as you can do so, write to the family and assure them of my sympathy, and also that, although I have been far from them, and among perfect strangers, they have not, and I trust will not, be forgotten at the throne of grace. I wish you to write to Br. Isaac and Br. Jonathan for me and tell them the substance of what I tell you.
The last account I had concerning Br. Meredith was rec'd a few months past, and contained the sad intelligence that he was far gone with the consumption.
My health has been, and is, perfectly good-- never was more so. My success more than equals my expectations. Between 30 & 40 Auxiliary Societies are now formed. No chh. has refused to aid the Convention. Although every individual member has not been inclined to assist, an immense a large majority have taken hold as well. Much too has been subscribed by individuals not members of any chh.-- Unless the Board at their meeting to be held in Edenton during this month think proper to request me to go to the lower part of the state, I shall stay in this region until the meeting of the Con. I have written to them saying that it was my opinion more could be done by following up my work here, than by going just now to another quarter.-- If you have a map, you can see the rout I have taken.-- I began in the south part of Orange Co., and came on through Chatham, Moore, a part of Randolph, Montgomery (the part east of the Pee Dee river), Richmond, and last, Anson where I now am.-- Next Sat. and Sab. I expect to visit the only Bap. chh. in Mecklenburgh Co. As I turn round to the north, I expect to visit Cabarrus, the west part of