Rosine Amé-Draz to Frederick Douglass, May 30, 1864

Fen Stanton

N^r. S^t. Ives

Hunts

May 30^th / 64

My dear Friend—I am very anxious about you. I cannot help it. though you have so often begged of me. not to be unhappy if I did not hear from you. The news of the late frightful battles fill me with horror. I think sometimes that, after all, you have decided on joining the Army, and that perhaps something dreadful has happened to you. Oh, dear friend, do send me one line—just to say how you are. I cannot think why dear Rosetta will not write. It would not take long to trace a few words on paper, which would relieve me from intense anxiety. I know how difficult it must be for you—beloved friend to find time to write—even a line, but dear Rosetta might easily do so—

It is impossible to enjoy any thing, not even the sunshine, if we are anxious about beloved absent friends—so far far away—and in such circumstances as those in which you now are. Oh, how I entreat of God to watch over you, and to keep alive in your poor heart the courage and faith in His justice, which you have hitherto had. How that faith must have be tried. My very dear friend, I fully understand my hope and trust in the God of the oppressed are still very strong. You may depend upon it. He will then give you the victory My dear friend. Hope on—Let us not be discouraged. Let not our hands fail, but be ever, ever uplifted, and let us never be weary of crying. Oh Lord how long. My thoughts are always with you—and your poor dear people—always in the midst of my work

Now that the Emigration Scheme has been given up, that unjust cruel scheme. I wish I could have been present when M^r. Blair was reading that glorious letter of yours. How he and all about him must have felt their inferiority before that new proof of your greatness!—I should like to know what they thought of that noble letter. No doubt it has been the means of making the Government relinquish the plan—though they perhaps will not like to acknowledge it. I have written to dear Rosetta. I hope to send her a box of prizes for her little scholars in the course of the Winter. She is a very dear, noble girl. She wishes to be worthy of her father. I love her—dear girl. God bless her.

What joy it must have been to her to see you after so long an absence—I trust nothing prevented your intended journey to Salem. I do feel with you, My dear friend. The sad loss of poor M^r. Pryne- what a shock it must have been to you to hear of his melancholy end. It is impossible to help asking oneself the question Why does God permit such things! Oh dear friend there are some subjects on which I dare not dwell. And yet they perpetually present themselves to my mind and disturb it! There is not one person in this country with whom I dare venture to converse on these perplexing themes. With you I could without fear. You would understand me and enlighten & comfort my spirit

The dear 'Carte'—which I received in January is my daily consolation and the previous words upon it my comfort. I again thank you from my heart for it. I has asked you dear friend in my March letter to send me a line before June because I then thought I should go to Switzerland during this month but I cannot go now before July. I do trust I shall hear either from you or from dear Rosetta before I leave England. My aged father wishes to see me once more before he dies. He is more than eighty. I hope to be able to spend five or six weeks with him. More than this I cannot for my labors are indispensable to his comforts. I will wait for a day or two and if I do not hear from you I will send this that you may know you are not forgotten

June 1^st—

I have no tidings of you dear friend. I will therefore send this at once.

If I do go to Switzerland letters may be addressed here. M^r. Coate will forward them to me safely. I shall so long to hear from you. A few lines will satisfy me—Will you give my faithful affectionate love to dear Rosetta. She has not written to me since her marriage—I hope she is happy. Farewell beloved friend. May God strengthen your heart and fill it with hope in His goodness & justice Ever believe me Yours affectionately & devotedly

Rosine A Draz

Poor Mrs Rawson is I fear sinking under the weight of her sorrow What a loss she would be to her friends God watch over your dear life Farewell

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