Aug 25, 1864 

Dear Sir, 

Altho it is difficult and painful and I am not able to read what I wrote yet I cannot pass over your kind letter without trying to say something personally in reply however painful your information was to us. When I could not get an answer from Mr Alfred C Woods to my letters to him and not knowing that he was dead, I wrote to Crown Point and my letter brought a reply for you had as then heard that Dear Covell was dead who it would not have much affected me but since we have had communication with him personally, he greatly endeared himself to us. His letters always breathed a strong sense of duty obedience, affection, and dependence on the pressing grace of God. He disliked his office and the chaps on account of the horrible language he was daily subjected to hear from the lips of the ungodly +------------+ his ----We have--to be for--- with you that he was a Christian this of a --- growth for -- -- do not deprive the day of small things".

We came here as usually we do in the summer at the beginning of May and in a few days after had a letter from him in which he expressed a wish to hear from his Aunt Fanny personally with ourselves. We all answered that letter (---) Mrs. B- and myself, my Daughter Fanny and her Husband Wm. Boddington, who is a son of a late Brother of mine. The letter was Posted the last day of May but whether he ever received it I cannot tell. We proposed sending him to one of our universities as soon as we had prepared him for it by a knowledge of Greek and Latin and other qualifications as required- As I am ageing on 79 years of age and Mrs B- is -- -- it is probable she may soon be left a widow and I had intended to leave her under his care in preference to any other relation but all my scheming and ideas and hopes are at once f-tuates so vain as all things here below. We must bow with resignation to the Divine disp-- of all events and say "Thy will be done" There have bought, so many volumes of newspaper that I doubted whether you would get the Illustrated London but as it is and you like it I will send another of some kind when I hear there is anything that I think will be interesting - Mrs B--g usually writes my letters but she will examine this and correct it to make it intelligible if possible and probably add something to it. With our kind regards to Mrs Smith, yourself and others 

I am Dear Sir,

Yours very sincerely,

Mr Bodington 

We think of returning to Town the latter end of next month and shall always be glad to hear from you. 

Dear Sir, 

We received your letter on the 22 and were much affected by its contents. We were anxiously looking for a letter from dear Covell and feared something wrong from the delay or that they would not part with him from the Army or that he was visiting you and other friends prior to informing us when we might expect him here. Mr B- would reply to you himself and I think I have made his letter legible for altho he cannot see to read he Preaches with as much ease and energy as he ever did. We lately paid a visit to the Principal of the College we intended to send Covell to, who is an old and particular friend of ours to speak to him on that subject. I wrote to you from this place in July last year with a full account of the late Mrs A.F. Woods family connexions and her reason for going to America which we fear you did not receive as there were several particulars in it intended for Covell which he did not notice in any of his letters to us. 

I am, Dear Sir, Yours truly

F Boddington 

P.S. On a reperusal of the letter we have been answering I find it was written by Mrs. Smith which in my agitation I did not observe or I should certainly have addressed her. Will you be so good as to apologize to her with my kind regards.

Contributed by J. Tierney