Boston, Sunday Eve
July 5th, 1846
My dear Little Ella:-
This is the first letter your father has ever written to you, and indeed the first that ever has been written to you. I suppose it is not a very usual thing for a lady not yet but seven months old to receive letters; but I have, today, thought a great deal of my little darling daughter as it is the first Sabbath I have ever been away from you and so I thought I would say how much I love you and how lonely I feel without you, and if you cannot read or understand it now, if God should let you grow up to be a young lady, then you can do so, and remember that your father loved you a great deal when you were a very little child.
I hope you will then be very grateful that you had kind parents to take care of you, and watch over you and love God with all your heart for this great gift. If I should be blessed to live and see you grow up, I would rather see you loving and serving your Heavenly Father than to see you mistress of all the world without such love. And so intensely do I long for this that I have to-day [?] to kneel and pray that God would make you his own dear child till I have wept in love for you. Think of this when you are older, and do all you can that your father’s prayers may be answered; so that if I love I may greatly rejoice in you, and if I die, that I may in heaven, where I hope our good Savior will take me, know that my only little child is coming to meet me there. Then we shall be never separated and we shall not have to ask for blessings for God will give us all things.
But I will not write much more now for fear I shall tire you. You see I write upon a very small sheet because it is to a very small, though a very good girl. I have written you a little prayer in a hymn, and when you can speak I want you to learn it and say it every night before you sleep. I will copy it for you, and then this first letter to you will be done. You may give my love to your mother, and keep a great many kisses for me. And with more ardent and frequent prayers for God’s blessings upon you, I am your
Dear Father
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