Letter, Jane Andrews, Hampton, New York to Parents, Jeriah Andrews, Mt. Holly, Vermont

Letter discussing recent happenings in the author’s life. These happenings include a brief sickness, a resulting period of renewed thankfulness to God, prayer meetings with the author’s students, and seeming dislike for a Catholic Irishman who works for the author. Themes of divine providence and Christianity are prominent in this letter.

Religious education

Christianity

Illness

Anti-Catholicism

New York (State)

Vermont

1845-01-05

eng

Text

154.3 MB

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Jane Andrews, a teacher at a boarding school, opens this letter to her parents by apologizing for her long period of silence. She also complains that they have not written to her for some time, and jokes that she will forgive them if they will write more punctually in the future. Jane goes on to detail a recent headache she endured, for which she received treatment from her aunt. She notes that she will return to school the next day by the allowance of “divine providence.” She finishes the first page by expressing her renewed thankfulness to God for his mercies and that she is so well-off in life.

Jane’s expression of thankfulness continues on the second page, where she additionally details religious dealings with some of her students. She recounts their disinterest in Christianity at first, but how eleven of her twenty-nine scholars came around eventually. These eleven asked to have a prayer meeting, and Jane notes that she felt weak and inexperienced regarding religion. She did, however, consent to the meeting and tells her father that it was a wonderful sight to behold. Jane notes that many of them begged for God’s mercy, and requested that prayer meetings be held every week. Thus, these scholars met with Jane for a prayer meeting every week until Jane’s health could no longer support these frequent meetings. The author expresses her hope that two of her students, Lydia and Elizabeth, will not be ashamed of their faith in their seemingly unreligious households, and that their faith will convert their parents. Jane finishes this page by beginning to discuss the Catholic Irishman who works for her, whom she says she pities him.