LETTER OF
The GOSPEL TRUTH CHARLES G. FINNEY
1859
To Julia Finney
16 July 1859
[Ms in Finney Papers, Supplement # 75]
London 16. July 1859
Dearest Julia.
Why do we not hear from you?
We are still staying on without any definite
plan as to returning or remaining. The way is
not open for sending for you nor, as I think, is it
likely to be. We are hard at work but not
well
so urged ^ as to have any assurance of being
able to remain long. But should we remain
until next year, unless our sphere of labor
is much changed we could not send for you.
We are laboring mostly with & for those in moderate
circumstances. & among whom we do well to be
comfortable ourselves without any one but ourselves.
To make you comfortable here & to provide for
your securing places &c. would be out of my
power. I get no rent on my building in N.Y.
& pay taxes besides for the last 6. months & do
not know when I shall. This makes me poor as
my salary at O. is stopped in my absence.
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The fire at Oshkosh led me to send as a gift
to Charles a $100. which was due me at
Rochester & which I had intended to send
to you. Charles & Ange have gone to housekeeping
as you probably know, & Ange thinks she must
have you with her. They propose to do without
a servant. But this will not do. Ange
cant get on so I am sure. She says you shall
not work. But you will not be waited on
by Ange & do nothing you[r]self. I have written
to them that if they will keep a good girls &
allow you to pay her wages, you may go
if you think best. & Helen will spare you.
If you need some money let me know & I will
send you some. On the 1st of Oct. I shall
have $100 due at Rochester & will through Hobart send
that to you if we dont return before & if you dont
send to me for some sooner. In regard to your
stay with H. or going to Charles you must act your
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own judgment. Neither H. nor C. will want to have you
sacrifice your own feelings or usefulness to please
them, I trust. We want you with us, precious child,
but can not enjoy this without being at our own
home. We may be obliged to return to O. this fall
on account of my relations & duties there. I
have written upon the subject & shall have
a reply in August, I presume. We have been
in London this time about 3 weeks. We find the
weather much more oppressive here than we expected
We did not & do not propose to remain here
long this time. Shall probably get away from
here - early in August. If we dont return
home we shall visit Scotland D.V. the
latter part of August. There is very much to
do here & great encouragement to labor. O, for
laborers of the right stamp. I can not now
write directly to Dolson & Helen. Give
abundant love to them & the children. Why should you
not write us frequently. We recd a letter from Miss
Tucker last week. She had not written before for a long
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time. I gave her a good scolding just before we recd
her last. What are you all thinking of to let
your parents remain among strangers across the Atlan
tic for months together without letting us hear from
you? Do you forget that we are, or that we have
such an intense anxiety to hear from our
children. We charged Miss Tucker to let us hear from
our home at least every two weeks & pay postage out of
my funds. She has nothing else, or little else to do.
Yet we have not heard from her for 3 months
until last week. And how long is it since you
wrote. And what have you to do, that prevents you
writing to your par[e]nts. Surely you dont well consider
how painful to us your long silence is. Your mother
will believe herself better, but I observe that every few
nights she cant sleep all night. She is more
nervous than formerly. God bless you my dear
daughter. Direct to Huntingdon, England.
Your aff. Father
C. G. Finney
Footnote:
The fire during the night of May 9-10, 1859, was the first of five great fires to devastate Oshkosh. It destroyed 125 buildings in six blocks, wiping out nearly the whole of the business district of the town. See James I. Metz, Oshkosh Aflame! Traumas and Triumphs of its Sawdust Citizens (A History), pp. 9-13.