New Milford Conn.

September 21^st 1863.

Monday Eve.

 

My Dear Friend,

                                    I received your letter this afternoon and I take this early opportunity of answering it. You will please excuse me if my letter is not lively and entertaining, because this afternoon thoughts of my Brother Henry has been rushing through my mind constantly and they have made me sad, also my head aches terribly so I am pretty certain that you will think I have a sufficient excuse for not writing lively. I had not ought to write to any one especially a soldier when I feel in such a mood as I do to night, because they need something lively and cheering, they have enough to dpress their spirits without their friends writing them dull uninteresting letters / but I always like to answer a letter as soon as I receive it so if you will pardon me this time I will try to do better in my next. It is a pleasant evening only rather cold and as Mother has gone to one of the neighbors, there is nothing to disturb me in my writing. I read your letter to my Father and Mother (hope you will not be offended) and they were very much pleased with it. Father says that he likes anyone by the name of Sproul he is very proud of the name. When I was reading what you said about Henry my Father and Mother turned their heads away to weep. if ever Parents loved their children it is my Parents. I do believe I have about the best Father and Mother of any one, they are so kind and indulgent unless it is something that is wrong. I do not wonder that Henry was brave such a loving son and kind brother could not fail to make a good soldier. Oh I would give a great deal if he had been spared to return to us, it is so hard to be reconciled to the loss of one we love but I know it was for the best or God would not have permitted it. I believe I have not told you how old I am. I was sev enteen on the seventeenth of August old enough to be a great deal better girl than I am as / Mother says. Enclosed you will find my Carte de visite. it is considered a very correct likeness (I believe) only the grin on my face you see a couple of friends went with me to the artists and they got me to laughing so I could not stop and when the artist got ready to take them I was laughing. I know you will say what a fright! but I know that I am homely so I may as well not deny it, but make the best of it. I have had 28 cartes des visites taken since last Christmas. we have had a dozen taken of my brother and we have sent to New York to have another dozen taken (this time with his uniform the others were not) and if you would like one of them you can have one. I like your letters very much and I wish that there were more Christians in our army. I hope that your influence may be blessed among the members of the 40^th Regt for they it has been considered a very immoral Regiment I believe. I also am a disciple of the Saviour but alas! I am one of those that has followed the Saviour afar off. I often wish that I performed my duty and were a great deal better but wishing and being I find are two different things. I often think that I will serve Christ better but there is something continually drawing my mind from heavenly / things to earthly things. I think a minister's life is the noblest of all except that of a missionary. It is about two years since I professed to find religion and about a year since I joined the church. Certainly it is a merciful Providence that has sustained you in through so many dangers as you have passed through, you have participated in a great many battles and I should think that you would get almost tired of fighting by this time. Kearney was a splended General was'nt he? I would certainly like your Carte de visite or any other picture of you very much. Perhaps you wonder at my dating all my letters in the evening but my studies and other duties absorb so much of my time that I have to write my letters in the evening mostly. I would like to receive letters from you as I like your style of writing very much. but I must now close as Mother has come home and she will want to talk. Please write soon the more the better. Hoping you will excuse this short and poorly written letter I remain your sincere friend.

 

                        Theresa E Sproul. New Milford, Conn.

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