The Andrew Wylie Family Letters - Indiana University Bloomington

trade it had been better.
Give my respects to Theophilus & all enquiring friends, particularly to Mr Pering, kiss
Dolly [Jane] & An.[derson] for me: tell the rest to be good & obedient children--& command
Craig [Wylie] in the most solemn manner to go no more out at night. He will one day see the
reason why--if to his sorrow he should not feel it.
Your affectionate husband,
A Wylie
Mrs M. Wylie
PS. Jane’s [Ritchie] health is much improved, she & the rest send re spects.
*”A poor man sings in the presence of a thief.”
1839
Letter written to A. Wiley from his nephew, regarding death of Dr. Adam Wylie (IV), Andrew’s
older brother
Ripley, Ohio Sept. 16 th 1839
Dear Uncle
The most unwelcome task that ever imposed itself upon me now becomes a duty -- To
inform you of the death of my Father, he died on the night of the 29th of Aug. about 2 o’clk after
suffering more than I thought it possible for man to bear, his illness was so protracted and his
suffering so intense that it did seem as though Providence had designed to try him in a furnace.
But in all his sufferings he murmured not a word. he frequently spoke with confidance with regard
to his acceptance with God. About a week before his death some persons standing by his bed
spoke of his sufferings, he toald them that he would not exchange his situation for any kingdom
on earth, he had a neverfaiding crown and a house not built with hands eternal in the heavens. At
an other time he was asked if he was satisfied to die. he anwered yes and more than satisfied, I
have a glorious satisfaction, after pausing a moment for he could say but a few [words] at a time
he said [page folded] to me. At another time after a night of intense suffering from the gravell
(for that was the case of his principal sufferings for the last two weeks) he asked Mother how
many gravel fitts he had last night. she toald him she didn’t know but that he had a great many.
he replied this is not the pain I once so much dreaded thank the Lord. And many other such
expressions. Towards the last of his illness he was unable to say anything except when stimulated
by the severity of disease, he then would say O Lord how long.
This is by far the severist stroke that Providence has ever inflicted upon us. [What] can
be so overwhelming as the loss of a Parent[?] It does seem as if tears should never [cease] to
flow.. but for what? Because he is happy[?] God forbid. When love and all the tender feelings
of the soul demand our tears, hope, nay more than hope mitigates the flow. Mother seemed for
a time inconsolable, she was so far exhausted from fatigue that we feared she would not be able
to withstand the shock. We [were] all so completely overcome by fatigue and grief (for hope had
sunk into dispair several weeks before the thrilling scene was forced upon us) [that] none of us
have been able to recover anything of our ordinary degree of health.
As to Father’s Disease Physicians do not agree, it is surtain that his lungs were affected, as
he had been afflicted with a very severe cough for more than a year previous to his confinement.
it is also surtain that his stomach and degestion organs generally were diseased, as also his
kidneys, but as to the primary cause and origine of the disease Physicians have not been able
to demonstrate. It is most likely his disease was seated in some of the digestive organs, and his
affected, and the Gravel (which greatly intense suffering during the last two days of his illness)
appears to have been has been afflicted with it for occasionally. Father was confined to bed about
three months.
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