My dear friends,

Though our worst fears have been confirmed in the newspaper, yet your letter (which we received two evenings since) seemed to give a more dreadful certainty to the death of my beloved Sister. What words can describe the loss which we have sustained, which I feel in the death of the Sister and playmate of my childhood--the sincere and faithful friend of riper years--my father too called in God's all wise Providence to mourn a third time over the grave of an affectionate child. But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory, and enables us to say "The Lord gave and the Lord taketh away--blessed be the name of the Lord."

I would not be so selfish as to think only of the loss which we have sustained--to her affectionate husband and darling son the loss of such a wife and mother is truly irreplaceable we would commit them to him who is the father of the fatherless and the widow's God.

Dear little James, well as I loved him when I was with him, my affection seems to increase as I think of him as motherless--full of grief is that word motherless. God in his mercy has still spared to him and me the best of earthly fathers and our Father in Heaven will never leave or forsake us.

I cannot suppose that my dear brother will consent to live far from James, but if you would give us all great pleasure if he will come this way and live near us, if he will allow James to live with me--with God's help--I will endeavour as far as possible to supply his mother's place and train him up in the way he should go in the fear and love of the Lord.

We feel very grateful to you my dear friends for your sympathizing letter and all your deeds of kindness to our suffering friends--We have great cause for thankfulness that my Sister died so happily--religion is most truly "the one thing needful the pearl of the great price!" I left my sister with the hope and expectation of seeing her in the home of our childhood and though I longed to be with her in sickness--to try to alleviate in some measure her pains it was not from any doubt of the kindness of her other friends. I feel assured that all that skill and affection could do was done. I will write to Samuel very soon--May God bless you is the prayer of your affectionate friend.

Harriet C. Adams

As my father is obliged to be absent today he has requested me to express his grateful acknowledgments to you for your sympathy is his sorrow and for all you kindness and friendship to our dear friends in Brockport. My father feels deeply his own loss, and more deeply did he sympathize with the bereaved husband, thus early called to mourn over the partner of his youth. But he sorrowed not as those who have no hope of worshiping God in a reunion with departed friends in a "land that sees no parting that hears no sound of sighs."

We feel very anxious to hear again from Mr. Kingsbury. I hope we shall see him and James in the spring, I shall probably be married in the course of two weeks, we shall live in Doventry Conn. and I am sure that Mr. Johnson as well as myself will be most happy to return some of the kind attentions we have received from our dear brother and sister. The little babe I felt anxious about, it must have taken a burden from its Mother's mind that the thought of meeting it so soon in Heaven. My father joins me in expressing gratitude and respect to yourself and wife and all the other friends of my dear sister particularly to Mrs. Kingsbury and Lydia Bigelow who I suppose was the kind friend you mentioned.

My sister had many other dear friends who I have no doubt by their Society and conversation contributed much to her comfort . To them we would render our tribute of esteem and respect. If I should ever visit Br. [Brockport] it would afford me great pleasure to see you or indeed see you anywhere. I shall never forget your kindness to myself and though your arguments never convinced me of the fallacy of my own understanding of the Bible--and though I feel and find in God's word every day new proofs of their correctness I value the love which prompted them. I should be very happy to keep up a correspondence if agreeable to yourselves, much love to all friends. We shall write very soon to Samuel.

Yours in the bond of Christian love

H.C. Adams