Author: Nathan C. Draper of Washington DC
Title: Letter to “Sister” [Nancy J. (Draper) Nelson]
Date: July 1856
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note:
Washington DC
July, 1856
Dear Sister [Nancy J Nelson]
I received your letter last Sunday the 6 of July. I have been thinking of writing to you for a long time, but I did not know where to direct a letter so I did not write. You have been moving about so much I could not keep track of you. My health has been very good this year past. Julia is not so good. She is very bilous. She has had the chills and fever this summer and that is enough to kill any person.
Sister, since I commended this letter I have been very sick with the chills and fever. I have had the chills and fever before for over a year off and on, but I think I never was sick than I have been this spell. My fever are so hard that am out of my head the most of the time. Washington is more subject to chills and fever than any place I ever saw or heard of. The oldest settlers here say there has been more of that complaint this last two years than ever before. But I have been taking medicine till I have got the bile pretty well out of my stomach. I feel better now than I have before for the last two months and as my work is very light to what it used to be a year ago. I think I shall get along now.
The man that I was at work for a year ago has failed in business and cheated his creditors out of all he owed them and all his journeymen lost some, I among the rest lost $38. But since I left him I have been at work for Mr. Baldwin and Brothers. They have a large Machine Shop where they run all kinds of Machinery for manufacturing all kinds of Carpenter work such as doors, sash, blinds, brackets, and moldings and many other things. They employ me a sash and pivot blind maker that is all I have to do and that is very light work. I do all of it by machinery except put it together. So the labor on that work is very light.
Dear sister, have read your letter over and over again and again there is something in it I do not understand. Do not the old school Baptist believe and put there whole trust in God. I used to hear my mother [Sarah Beckwith Draper] say, trust in the Lord for he doeth all things well and with out him we can do nothing. You say in your letter amidst the cares of earth you hope I will not neglect the one most needful. Also if I have not sought an interest in Jesus let it be my first care. What can I do with out the help of the God that rules all things. I know I am a sinner but can I ask to be forgiven until there is an impression made on my mind. If I am among the number that the Lord has chosen there will be a time when it will be manifested to me.
Sister, when you write to me again tell me if I am right or wrong in my opinion of the doctoring of the old School Baptist. There is one meeting house here and we have preaching every Sunday nearly. The Elders name is Purington from Maine. I take the Sines of the Times, so I have letters written by some of our old acquaintance and I do not recollect of hearing any one of them say do this or do that or you will be doomed. I do not think you mean so but you know the Methodist say so. Sister, I just write this to get your opinion what I can do to seek an interest in Jesus.
Is not that a work of God? Sister, I will drop the subject for I cannot express myself here on paper (I will number the pages for I commenced wrong on the second page). Sister, I wish it was so we could see each other once more. I should like to see your children very much, but unless they come here I shall probably never see them. I am very sorry to hear of your bad health. Also of Moses [Nancy’s husband] poor health for I do think good health is the greatest blessing that ever was bestowed on a person.
Remember me to all, Moses in particular. This from your Brother NC Draper
Please write as soon as convenient