Nashville⁴ May 14th 1843

Dear Brother & Sister Bennett,

I thought I would jest say a word to you if it is not so brite. Our famely is all in good health except myself. I have been qite out of health this spring but am much better now. The Doctor says I have the liver complaint. You will probely want to know the cause of our moveing here which are many. I will menshion a few of them. One of them is the hard times to get aliving off the farm for so large famely so we have devided our famely. For this year, we have left Plummer and Luther to care on the farm with granmarm and aunt Polly. The rest of us have moved here to Nashvill thinking the girls and Charles they would probely work in the Mill but we have had bad luck in giting them in. Only Jane has got in yet. Ann has the promis of going in the mill next week. Hannah is going to school. We are in hopes to take a few boarders but have not got any yet. We live on canall street very nere Indian head factory. We heard from father, folks last week. They were all well. They had lately heard from Mary. She wrote she was well fat sausy and happy and had got a little girl, the prittyest little babe you ever see. She sayd they ware agoing to move to Indinia in April.  They wrote they had bought a farm there and ware agoing to farming. They did not write the name of the town so we do not know whar to direct a letter to her tell we here from them. . .I think Eliza would like to come down here and work in Mill. There is a grate many more trying to git in than can git in. It is quite apleasant place hear but it dont seeme much like home. It would seeme more like home if any of my folks lived here.  You know I never was weaned from fathers house before. It is rather a hard case but I suppose I must try and bare it. You must come and see us soon as you can. It is only 20 miles. You can take the cars and come in a few minits. I have some good news to tell you about father. He became qite pious last fall. . .it would have 

  ^{1Bennett Family, Letters (1839-1846) Haverhill Public Library, 
     Haverhill, Massachusetts.  These letters appear in New England 
     Mill Village, 1790-1860, Gary Kulik, Roger Parks, Theodore Z. 
     Penn, eds., (Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1982). Used by
     permission and edited by Old Sturbridge Village.)
  2Jemima Wallingford Edwards b: 29 Apr 1799, Gilmanton, NH 
     d: 24 Dec 1842, Bristol, NH; parents: John Edwards and Betsey 
     Powers; married 1821 1st: John Blake; married 1821 2nd: 
     Daniel Sanborn; daughter: Ann M. Blake; niece: Sabrina Bennett.
  3Sister – Ruth Edwards b: 10 May 1790, Gilmanton, NH d: 20 Nov 1852, 
    Haverhill, MA; parents: John Edwards and Betsey Powers; married 
    1817: Richard Prout Bennett b: 15 Dec 1793, Haverhill, MA 
    d: 22 Feb 1873, Haverhill, MA; daughter: Sabrina Bennett.
  4Nashua, New Hampshire.}
 
 
affected your heart to have seen our aged farther agoing fored to the anxious seats⁵ and bending the knee for prayers. He is very particular to crave a blessing before eating. You know that is a grate undertaking for him. . .Sabryna⁶ I was vary sorrow to hear of your sickness. I hope you are fast againeng your health. When you git well enough to ride abroad come and make us a good longe visit. I should have been glad if Ann could have gone to Haverhil and lernt the trade but she thinks she must try the mill aspell first for the want of clothes that is fit to wear.

I think I shall not have to make any appology, only say that Daniel has gone to Brystol and you will not think strange of my bad spelling and interlineng.⁷  I am as lonesome as you can think here among all strangers. You must all come and see us as soon as you can.

I must draw to a cloas by subcrybing you loveing Sister

                                              Jemima W. Sandborn
 
 
  ^{5Anxious Seats - seating set aside, usually very close to the minister, 
     for people who are hopeful and eager to receive salvation.
  6Niece – Sabrina Bennett b: 18 Nov 1818 d: 22 Dec 1860, Haverhill, 
     MA; parents Richard Bennett and Ruth Edwards; married 1857: 
     Oliver Turner.
  7Interlineng “interlining” insertions between lines already written.}