acres, with one family only upon it. I thought of
*"Recollectionsof a Life-time," by S. G. Goodrich, p. 146, 2d vol.
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 169
Juan Fernandez being " monarch of all he could
survey." This lone island is blessed with a soil of
unsurpassed fertility, and the corn and wheat fields
are heavy with their burden of grain. A delightful
breeze wafts us back to the shore ; feeling much re
freshed.
Sept. 12th. School is over, and my sister and
myself both go home to our father's, to spend a few
weeks. -Found the family all well and forming a
semi-circle around the hearth-stone. Ma in one
corner, in the " old arm-chair," which is the most
ancient piece of furniture the house affords, and its
very appearance is indicative of a long life of use
fulness. Pa sits by the stand, reading " Paradise
Lost," aloud. Mr. Pomeroy is with us, and we all
have a discussion about the phrase, " God tempera
the wind to the shorn lamb ! " One says it is Scrip
ture, and another, Shakespeare. Both wrong ; an
other poet is the author of that.
The few weeks I spent at home, after this school,
were my last, as a home under the paternal roof.
And these were in preparation for a new journey in
life ; I knew not whither.
15
LETTER XX.
Marriage Description of Dexter School-teaching again, and
boarders Dexter and Sackett's Harbor.
MY DEAR F. :
The three years following my marriage, which
occurred January 1st, 1843, we lived in Dexter,
Jefferson County, N. Y. My husband, Rev. G.
S. Abbott, was pastor of the Universalist church
in that place. Dexter is a manufacturing village
at the mouth of Black River, in the town of Browns
ville. The largest woollen factory there is in
the State, had been for a number of years, and
still is, in successful operation. The population of
this village is about five hundred ; nearly one hun
dred of them, probably, are engaged in the factory,
either as operatives, or superintending different
departments ; and a large share of the inhabitants
in the village are depending, either directly or indi
rectly, on this manufacturing establishment for a
support. The three churches that have been built
there, and constantly support preaching, has been
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 171
done through the medium of this limited income,
with the little help they have received from neigh
boring farmers. Their success cannot be accounted
for, in but one way ; it is the result of unparalleled
energy and zeal. They are not a " dead and alive "
set of people, who sit and fold their arms, waiting
for something to turn up before they can act. " I
can't," is a phrase they have blotted out from their
vocabulary ; there is no such thing with them. In
every reform of the day, they have acted in the
right direction, and that with a hearty good will.
In the light of these facts you will readily perceive
that minister's salaries in a small place like this,
cannot be very large, and in order to meet current
expenses, the most rigid economy must be observed.
Our residence was in the extreme upper part of the
village ; in a small new house, with but two rooms
above and the same number below. There is no
situation in life so humble, but one can draw comfort
from the reflection that, it might be worse. We
had been boarding with a lady for two months, pre
vious to commencing house-keeping ; therefore, there
was a consciousness of independence in our home
which we could not feel, boarding. But our expen
ses were more, in the outset, than our small means
would cover ; so that a way must be opened for an
increase of income, or a contentment with less want?.
The latter was a lesson always hard for me to learn.
172 PERSONAL SKETCHES
I am aware that contentment has been ranked among
the prominent virtues, but it seems to me that there
is a contentment which sets so easy that, with some, it
degenerates into a fault. When we have got all the
comforts of life, which will accrue from a reasonable
exertion, we ought to learn to " therewith be con
tent ; " but any honorable employment that a person
is capable of engaging in, whether man or woman, is
a commendable means of securing such an end.
The young man who owned the premises on
which we resided, wished to get a boarding place, so
we took him into our family, and the avails of his
board more than paid the rent. Still there was
time to do something more, and I had an oppor
tunity of earning a little by taking a small number of
boys and girls to teach, who lived in the parish, and
one of our chambers was an admirable school-room,
and with a little fitting up was ready for operation.
Instead of the few who were to come in from the
families with whom I had conversed on the subject,
I had application to receive pupils from various other
towns, so that my labor was more than I wished for.
Three young ladies from different towns we received
as boarders, and others boarded in the village, and
my small beginning soon arose to the dignity of a
young ladies' boarding school. This I continued
three terms, in addition to performing the duties of
the household, with from one to four boarders. The
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 173
avails of these three terms of select school, amount
ed to between one and two hundred dollars, besides
what we received for boarders. You need not ask,
dear F., whether this labor was too large a draft
upon my strength, for anybody at your age, or mine
now, would know better than to think so much labor
could be performed with impunity. It takes a whole
life-time to learn " how to live," and then we die but
a little wiser than when we commenced life.
The remaining two years of our residence here,
were spent a little more leisurely, now that we had
got a start in house-keeping. The people whom we
depended on for a support, were ready always to
assist us, even beyond their means, and I look back
upon those days with gratitude and pleasure. It
would be a happiness to me to know that such a
people cherished my memory, or, rather, that I
merited their grateful remembrance, as they have
mine.
Dexter is mostly built upon the rising ground on
each side of the valley, formed by the river and bay ;
and is the head of navigation. Small steamers have
touched at its harbor, though the lake navigation,
mostly stops at Sacketts' Harbor, four miles below,
on the bay, just where it widens into Lake Ontario.
This is a village of some importance of a little over
a thousand inhabitants, and somewhat noted as being
the principal military and naval station on the north-
15*
174 PERSONAL SKETCHES.
ern frontier during the last war with Great Britain.
Immense sums of money have been expended here
in building war vessels and barracks. One duel was
fought here in 1818, and twelve military executions
took place during the war ; and, in the time of Col .
Brady's command, the remains of twelve officers
were collected and buried in one grave, and a painted
board monument was erected to their memory,
which has long since rotted down. The battle
ground is a beautiful plat of green on a commanding
rise, which overlooks the lake. No traces remain of
the bloody enactments of 1812, but the unfinished
frigate New Orleans, sheltered with a house built
over it, and Madison Barracks, from which the sta
tioned troops have been withdrawn for service in the
Indian wars of the northwest and Florida. When
nations can settle their difficulties by arbitration,
they ought to be considered civilized, and not before.
LETTER XXI.
Western New York Wyoming County Portageville Falls Buffalo
Tonewanda and Cayuga Creeks Fruit and Grazing Cowles-
ville Rev. J. S. Flagler Dr. Stoddard Rev. N. Stacy Rev. C.
G. Persons Correspondence.
MY DEAR F. :
The three years following our residence in
Dexter, we resided in Western New York, in Erie,
Genessee, and Wyoming Counties. Here, every
thing wore quite a different aspect, except the kind
ness of the inhabitants, and they were as consider
ate of our wants as people well can be of their
pastor.
The first place of our residence was Cowlesville,
in the town of Bennington, Wyoming County, about
twenty miles southeast of Buffalo, and but two from
the line of Erie County, and about the same distance
from Genesee County, on the north ; so in an hour's
ride we could visit two different counties besides the
one of our residence. The surface of this county
is more hilly and uneven than any of the western
counties, except the very southern portions of the
176 PERSONAL SKETCHES
three counties, Cattaraugus, Chatauque, and Alle-
ghany ; these portions are a continuation of the
mountainous regions of Pennsylvania.
The ridges and ravines, of which the entire county
is formed, present to the eye of the traveller, scenes
of the wildest beauty and loveliness. This county
is bounded on the east by the Genesee river,
which falls in the distance of a little over two miles,
over three hundred feet in the vicinity of Portage-
ville. At the foot of the lower fall, the perpendicu
lar banks of solid rock are fpur hundred feet high.
It seems as if nature here, had got in one of her
wildest pranks, and left her work unfinished ; per
haps, took a fright on viewing the workmanship of
her own hands for, under the west bank of the river,
near the foot of the Middle falls, is a tremendous
cave, called the " Devil's Oven." " For about two
miles below the Middle Falls, the river pursues a
winding and rapid course between high perpendicu
lar walls ; then descends in a succession of steps
almost as regular as a staircase, dives under a shelv
ing rock, shoots out in a narrow pass, not more than
fifteen feet wide, rushes down a nearly perpendicu
lar descent of twenty feet, strikes against the base of
high rocks standing almost directly in its course,
whirls back, and turning at nearly right-angles, falls
into a deep pool overhung with shelving rocks. An
isolated mass of rocks, fifteen feet in diameter, and
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 177
one hundred feet high, known as ' Sugar Loaf,'
rises from the river bed at the bend of the stream,
and receives nearly the whole force of the rushing
water. It is bordered on one side by the present
bed of the stream, and on the other by a deep chasm,
which separates it from the east bank of the river.
Within the memory of people now living, the river
flowed over the precipice on the level of the rock
which now forms its west bank, and Sugar Loaf was
an island. These falls are accessible only from the
west."*
There are numerous smaller streams flowing
through this county, among them are Buffalo, Cayu-
ga, and Tonewanda Creeks. The valleys through
which these creeks flow are unsurpassed in the fer
tility of soil, and fruits and grains are the natural
products. I should like to have the children of St.
Lawrence County see one peach tree, such as I have
seen in those beautiful valleys, bending beneath their
rich burdens. In the whole catalogue of fruits
there is not one so delicious.
Even these wild hills yield rich income to the far
mer, in the flocks and herds that graze along their
summits, and some of them are a thousand feet
above the bottom lands, in the ravines. The high
state of cultivation, here, only shows us how the
* New York State Gazeteer.
178 PERSONAL SKETCHES
roughest materials of nature can be polished by the
hands of human industry.
Cowlesville is snuggled in among hills so close,
that not a house can be seen until right among them,
not even the spires of the churches. Here, and in
Genesee County, we lived a little over two years,
attending the same churches in both places. In
Darien we boarded in the family of Rev. J. S. Flag-
ler, and in Pembroke, with Dr. Stoddard's family.
In both these families I received a great deal of
instruction on various subjects, from the fact that
there was a communicative intelligence existing with
them, which a person associating with them, must
be beyond measure stupid not to appreciate and turn
to profitable account. I will here introduce an
extract from a letter written by me to Rev. N. Stacy,
after a very satisfactory perusal of his autobiography,
in which he speaks of Rev. Mr. Flagler, in a light
to show that his disposition was somewhat unyield
ing :
Hopkinton, March 11, 1852.
DEAR BR. STACY, I have just arisen from a
perusal of your very interesting memoirs, and,
though a stranger to you, I have an irresistable de
sire to express my gratitude to you that the wor
has been published, and for the pleasure it has give
me to peruse it. Biography is my favorite reading,
consequently I have read many ; but I can truly say
that, 1 never was more interested in any than your
own. Many of the scenes you have described, were
AND RECOLLECTIONS. 179
enacted In places perfectly familiar with myself, and
with persons with whom I have enjoyed a familiar
acquaintance. I was born in Watertown, and have
been many times with my parents to hear Mr. Morse
preach, and have, also, become acquainted, with him
since he left Watertown. We have been living for
a year past on Pillar Point, just across the Bay from
Sackett's Harbor ; it is now a neat and pretty vil
lage, though I can easily believe all you have said
of it, for I have often heard my father speak of the
filthiness of the place in time of the war ; he was
captain of a regiment, there, and was present during
an engagement. My mother was at home, and
though distant ten miles, could distinctly hear the
" clash of resounding arms." History speaks of
the revolution, as " times that tried men's souls,"
but I think that women must have borne a good
share of the burden of anxiety and fear, as well as
a participation in their labors.
You speak of Bro. C. G. Persons ; I have several
times visited at his house, in Ellisburgh, and had
become much attached to him and his aged compan
ion. In fact, I always had a great reverence for old
age, and I remember many times, in my youthful
days, leaving the society of my companions to spend
awhile conversing with the aged. We once board
ed in Bro. J. S. Flagler's family, and to them we
also became warmly attached ; I have not a doubt,
however, of the truth of what you say of him, for I
am well acquainted with his firmness, and am aware
that it often amounts to stubbornness, for I have
heard him express an opinion on the subject which
you treat of in connection with him. And, yet, he
has as generous and noble a heart as ever beat in
'anybody's bosom. His mind is in the constant
exercise of gratitude to God for his daily blessings,
180 PERSONAL SKET'CHES.
though he is very much opposed to ceremonies as
such, or any innovation upon the old way in which
he was educated. I have often seen him set back
from the table, after eating, and say ; " Well, we
have had- another good meal of victuals ; let us be
thankful." This grateful feeling for all his blessings,
was a prominent trait, though he did not see the ne
cessity of making any lengthy ceremonies at table, or
any other time. Soon after the death of his wife, and
the birth of our first child, he wrote to us ; from which
allow me to give you a brief extract : " O ! dear
brother and sister, my feelings will not allow my pen
to describe them, nor your want of experience to even
anticipate them ; we know nothing about them, until
we are called in Providence to endure the trial. I
am almost broken down with trouble by this affliction ;
and am, also, broken up by other difficulties, which I
will explain to you if ever I shall be favored with
an opportunity. * * * * I most heartily con
gratulate you on the addition to your family, and
should be extremely happy to visit you, and see
with my eyes, and feel with my hands, what, of all
things I love the most, young children." I know
not why I have given you this extract for, I pre
sume you are not blind to Bro. F.'s good qualities.
LETTER XXII.
History of a Family Modern Spiritualism Correspondence Gen
eral Reflections on Spiritualism Extract from Edmund H. Sears'
" Foregleams of Immortality. "
MY DEAR F:
In my last letter, I spoke of Dr. Stoddard's family,
in connection with our residence in Genesee County,
and I want to relate to you some particulars, with
regard to their history, which are somewhat remark
able and yet so melancholy, that it gives me pain to
recur to them. Mrs. S. was a person of the most
brilliant accomplishments and intellect, and one
whose delicacy of physical organism, prevented her
engaging in the active duties of life, though her
labor was constant and more exhausting than though
a portion of it had been performed with her hands.
Her brain was her active agent, and with it she
solved some very curious problems. She had one
place always for her mental reveries, an arm-chair,
cushioned all over,, drawn up to one corner of the
fire-place, in their large and well-furnished family-
16
182 PERSONAL SKETCHES
sitting-room ; her feet resting upon a brass semi
circle, one of the fixtures of the fireplace to keep
the shovel and tongs stationary. The melancholy
result of her studying was not the singular feature
in her case, for that is an oft repeated tale in the his
tory of Modern 'Spiritualism, but it was her seeming
gift of prophesy. The period of our residence at
the doctor's was three months, from the middle of
August to the middle of November, 1847. Now,
you will remember, that the disturbance called the
" Rochester knockings," originated in a little hamlet
in Wayne County, town of Arcadia, called Hydes-
ville, in the Fox family, in January, 1848. They
afterwards removed to Rochester, where was the
scene of all their future wonderful experience. A
detailed and minute account of the whole you will
find by a reference to Robert Dale Owen's " Foot
falls on the boundary of another world," from page
284 to 289 inclusive.
I have conversed with Mrs. S. by the hour, on
her favorite themes, and she would make one state
ment at almost every sitting like this, I have heard
her say it scores of times : " There is about to be a
revolution of sentiment in the whole religious world,
and something wonderful will transpire near here,
and that within a very few months. It will be th
wonder of wonders, e very body t will talk about it,
and almost everybody will oppose it at first ; it is
AXD RECOLLECTIONS. 183
something that I cannot call by any name yet, but
in it there will be unmistakable evidence of super
natural origin, and it will undermine the very foun
dations of church creeds ; Martin Luther's Reforma
tion was a baby by the side of it. My life will not
be spared but a few more years, though I shall live
to witness that."
To show you, dear F., the workings of this lady's
mind. I will give you a copy, entire, of a letter I
received from her, dated July, 1849. It was in
reply to one I had addressed to her, enquiring her
opinion of the " rappings " at Rochester. In this
you will see how impossible it was for her to think
of anything else, but the one all-absorbing topic :
Pembroke, July, 1849.
DEAR LADY : The reason I have delayed writ
ing to you is, that I have been a journey to Canada,
and returned sick, as usual ; hardly able to hold my
pen ; but you know I cannot write or spell, nor do
anything but think, and thought too wild and wan
dering. Our family are all feeble this summer.
Mary Jane's health is very poor ; she had an attack
of bleeding at the lungs this spring, and the doctor
is as usual. You wished me to give you my mind
on the Rochester sounds. If I had strength to write
or compose, it would be highly gratifying to me to
give you a protracted history of events since I last
saw you, but as it is I must be brief and say, I
believe it is spiritual ; last May the sounds were
heard in my house nine times ; in June I went to
Rochester and asked the invisible agents if the
184 PERSONAL SKETCHES
sounds were ever made in my house, and if so, how
many times, and they answered correctly ; but I
spent but very few moments at Rochester ; I was
in brother Hammond's house ; I have had some
demonstrations, of which I cannot here speak this
time ; I am living to see some of my prophecies
fulfilled. I have lived to say that I know my depart
ed friends exist in the spirit world. I have found
nothing contradictory to my views for the last six
years.
You asked of brother Flagler's family ; the old
gentleman was at our house this summer ; he laughs
loud at the idea of our holding converse with spirits ;
well, laugh on ; when this proves to be a humbug, a
delusion, farewell Bible, farewell everything that has
any connection with it ; so say I, but at present I
firmly believe in both. I think of nothing that
would be particularly interesting to you among your
old acquaintances. Jane D. seems very happy with
her husband, Eev. Mr. W. ; they are yet at her
father's ; he often visits me to talk about the sounds ;
he writes much against it, which, perhaps, you see ;
still, he says he knows those who hear the sounds
have no agency whatever in getting them up. The
most of the people in this vicinity say it is witch
craft, and rest satisfied ; that would never do for me,
first principles are my study ; I can much better
comprehend spirit than witchcraft. But stop, I can
not write, I am so sick. I would be very glad to
converse with you and Mr. A. on this subject. I do
not expect either of you believe it ; not a word of
it, says A ; never mind, I think all will have suffi
cient evidence some day, either moral, physical, or
logical ; then AVC must believe. The reasoner cannot
believe without evidence, on a subject like this, and
that, too, of the most positive kind. I was sorry
AXD RECOLLECTIONS. 185
you did not give me your opinion as well as ask
mine ; perhaps, if you had a little idea it was spirits,
pride would prompt you to be silent ; I find that the
case with some in this place.
I have two or three times made an attempt to tell
you of old friends, but I run dn to the subject of
the sounds, and stop, and as I do not think of any
thing interesting, I will not again make the attempt.
Esquire C. and wife visited here a short time since ;
they said Mrs. L. was "hard on the bit," on this
subject.
You say when you read this, " I declare, I did
think that Mrs. Stoddard could write a better letter
than this ; " so I could once.
Brother D. lives on our farm, yet ; they have a
little curly-headed girl, smart as steel ; O ! I cannot
murder this paper any more.
Write and give me your mind if you please on
the sounds. FIDELIA STODDARD.
As I had a number of other correspondents, with
but a little time to write, and not seeing any neces
sity for an immediate reply, for I had no settled
opinion on this strange and incomprehensible subject.
Time passed away, and first I knew, three years
had elapsed since the reception of this letter, and I
had not replied to it. After so long delay I feared
that a reply would be hardly acceptable, but
thought I would write, and did, from which I make
an extract :
" The subject in question has agitated the minds
of all classes, and attained a world-wide notoriety,
16*
186 PERSONAL SKETCHES
and, is one, I acknowledge, of serious importance,
and that should interest us with the subject it in
volves, more than any other, after a reasonable
amount of time and energy have been exhausted in
earthly improvement and happiness. " Progress "
is the watch-word of the age, and as that is a dis
tinctive doctrine of spiritualism, we cannot, in truth,
condemn it " in toto," nor would it be inconsistent
to cry " humbug," without first knowing what are
the aims of this large, and not the least respectable
class of community. Psychology, Pneumatology,
Mesmerism, and Sonambulism, have all been brought
in requisition to throw some light on these researches,
and yet we shall have to die in ignorance of the
main-springs of action in this wonderful class of
phenomena.
The mere doctrine of departed spirits coming back
to earth to watch over us for good, is at once pleas
ing, and not wholly at variance with reason and
scripture. If it could be a universally received doc
trine, there is no doubt but the world would be
benefitted ; their faith in the future, strengthened ;
and motives increased to well-ordered lives. Then
why should we put forth our efforts to deprive a liv
ing soul of its enjoyment ? I have been acquainted,
more or less, with people of that faith from the com
mencement of its career to the present, and they
are as intelligent, as good, and honest, as those of
other professions. And yet, I confess my disgust of
this senseless twaddle that goes the rounds of the