[Hosea Stout Diary] Thursday 8 Dec 1853. This fore noon I arrived at home or what more properly might be said where once was my home.
Here, not 14 months since was concentrated all my earthly happiness. Here, the confiding Louisa, the dearest object of my heart, the solace in all my troubles and my inocent prattling children, was left, in the most perfect enjoyment of earthly bliss. To them I fled as a refuge from trouble & disappointment & how often I have rejoiced that I was thus blessed with that most essential ingredient for mans comfort, a true, faithful & confiding wife, and obedient lovely children There were here then, Here then was my own ocean of affection & love[.] I left them by the command of the Lord to preach the gospel in foreign lands & returned but not to them.
Louisa was no more, the scource of my happiness was beneath the cold sod while the very geniuse of desolation & loneliness seemed to brood over the scenes of by gone happiness.
What did I find? Even my brother had removed into the country & not the first vistage of former associations moved on the desolate place.
A family of English saints, total stranger to me resided here and could give no account of neither family or friends.
I gazed upon the sad wreck of all my hopes in silence while my heart sank within me & those around could not refrain from mingling their tears with mine for a few moments when we all hastily with drew from a place so full of sad reccollections as my HOME.
[Source: Diaries of Hosea Stout]
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