MANUSCRIPT: HCL (ARS 2). Ink. Unpublished. Addressed on the fold: Miss Abiah P. Root/Care of Miss Mary Campbell,/Springfield,/Mass. Postmarked: Amherst Ms Feb 2. ED's date line: Saturday eve. 1846.

ED's confession of a religious struggle was prompted by Abiah's confidences about her own uncertainties. The more spontaneous side of religious life at Amherst is shown in the celebration in honor of the Reverend Aaron Colton. While it was customary to eke out the minister's salary with gifts of food and firewood, this donation party expressed appreciation for an able young pastor whom the people loved. The scripture allusions and biblical phrases throughout this and the following letter are such as would be heard almost weekly from the pulpit, and indeed daily in the course of revival meetings.