Letter from Asahel Hart Woodruff, 22 July 1837
Terre Haute
Brother Wilford.
I received witH pleasure your letter dated
Farmington 7th Inst and read it over and over with much
satisfaction. I am much interested in the account of your
visit among our common friends and I know not that anything
could afford me higher pleasure than to participate with you in
the joy of such an occasion. It has been our lot to be seperated
for a long time and under circumstances rather unusual.
Yet it does not appear to me that there can be any reason to
apprehend that the kindred ties that which unite us have in any
degree loosened their bond. We are still brothers— and friends
and while we have a sister—a mother and a common father
around whom to rally the purer sentiments of our hearts,
have we not a mutual pledge of Enduring affection—of
brotherly love? I am aware that the correspondence that has
passed between us since we parted has not been of a character
to evidence the highest degree of brotherly regard for
we have been perplexed with the cares and anxieties of life
and by the mysterious phenomena of mind have been
widely seperated in our views hence it is not strange that
our intercourse has been interrupted. But we do not
look to the regular and uniform interchange of written
communication for a pledge of each other's affection—we
have this assurance in the nature of our relations and
in our capacity to appreciate Each others claim.
You intimate the apprehension that your letters have not
interested me—you are mistaken—I have ever read your
letters with satisfaction and have only at times wished
that they contained a more particular account of your
personal affairs, being more interested in them than
in the great "common cause".
