The Andrew Wylie Family Letters - Indiana University Bloomington

My wife unites with me with desire to be kindly remembered by you all
Truly yours--
A. H. McGuffy
Miss Elizth Wylie
*This is William H. McGuffey’s younger brother Alexander who helped William write the fifth &
sixth editions of the McGuffey Readers.
Anderson M. Wylie to Elizabeth Wylie, Bloomington, Indiana
Holmesburg June 19 th 1855
My dear Sister,
I am now seated in this quiet little place & in a still more quiet room. The contrast with
the bustle & noise of the city is very great; and the very stillness is painful, but is a great relief to
feel once more as if the world is not to swallow & absorb every thing of retirement, reflection &
spirituality. My only apology for not writing sooner is, that my time before leav ing the city was
so much absorbed.
Early this morning I came up, and moving has been uncomfort able as it has been raining
quite hard & has been very cool.
My dear sister yesterday I received the copies of those sad letters. The information is
painfully indefinite, for day after day have I been looking for particulars, & expecting the melancholy
pleasure of a minute & accurate account of the last moments of that dear brother whom I
can scarcely realize has left our midst for ever. One & another is taken away & we are all rapidly
following in the pathway to the tomb. Oh, then does it not become us to be watching that when
the Son of Man cometh he may find us prepared with our lamps burning, to go into the “marriage
supper of the Lamb!
These are sad, sad but great & important lessons & we should know, that in the merciful
Providence of God they are for our eternal good, for “He doth not willingly afflict the children of
men.” Oh that we could fully feel & realize this, then indeed would we be happy & rely on the
Providence of God in all things for time & all things for Eternity.
It is a fearful fearful mistake & delusion to depend upon our mortality to save us; for, “all have
sinned & come short of the Glory of God.” So long as we remain in perfect obedience to the
law, like the lightening train upon the track, so long are we safe, but the instant we sin, we are
hurled from the way of safety & depending upon ourselves we will be dashed in pieces. Painful
as it is to say--any other plea but that of morality, -- Ah, any other plea in the wide universe --
Love every body everything, but God -- Serve every body--serve any thing, but God. Better, far
better, had it been for us had we possessed no more feeling than the very stones in the street, or
had enjoyed no better opportunities than the darkness of heathendom; than to live in the careless
neglect of the constant & oft repeated calls of God’s Spirit. God in His mercy grant we may no
longer live deaf to His calls & indifferent to His warning Providence. Oh sister tell me why, we
rely upon ourselves, why we hug the burden of our sins, and are almost driven to despair; when
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we can lay hold of an Arm which is mighty & willing to care to the utter most. Strange must be
our ideas of an unchangeable God, if we for a moment think He will compromise His mercy and
justice for such worms of the dust as we. Our ideas of justice & mercy of man to man are very
different from this; and yet the confidence we exercise towards God we would scorn to exercise
towards our fellow creature, who like ourselves is sinful & has a heart which is deceitful & above
all things desperately wicked. Is this a strong picture--it is truth if God is truth; & can we, dare
we say any living being has a good heart. If we could see & know our hearts as God does, we
could not see them & live; for we would be driven to despair such as none could feel & live.
Is the conduct of that excellent man ever objectionable in the smallest degree, then be assured
his heart is infinitely worse. Can we think of this for a moment and then not feel the startling
necessity of a savior,--a savior who on the simple principles of justice has met & answered the
claims which would have fallen on us. Has there been such a savior! Think! If so why do we
not acknowledge him. If we were to see the exercise of such ingrati tude in man, we would stand
amazed & be the first to decry its heinous character, and condemn the ungrateful one. Are we
con vinced of God’s love? How then do we feel towards Him? If we feel not we know where to
go for a blessing & we need no prepara tion, else we would save ourselves? Let us beware of selfright
eousness--the rock on which so many are broken.
Hoping and praying that God will support mother, you and all in every trial & bless to us all this
sad dispensation of His Provi dence I commend you to Him & His Grace. Your affect brother
A. M. Wylie
I will write soon agin & speak of my plans &c when I feel more as if I can do it. do write soon &
tell me all & how much I desire your safety & welfare will lead me to know more of your trials.
-- The enclosed letters I received a day or two since. Tell Jane to write me soon, my dearest love
to all--to bro’ Andrew & sister Carry
A. M. Wylie
Direct as last summer -- Holmsburg Philadelphia
Andrew Wylie Jr to Redick M. Wylie, Bloomington, Indiana
Saint Louis July 7 th 1855
Dear Brother
I have no doubt that Carry wrote you all, an account of our journey from Bloomington to
Chicago. From Chicago I went to Ogle Co. Ills. and had my business all satisfactorily arranged
there. Thence I went by railroad to Burlington Iowa. It is only about 12 hours run between the
places. I have purchased the undivided half of about 1100 acres of land about 13 or 14 miles from
Burl ington, and went out to examine it. It is as noble a body of land as can be found in the state,
well timbered, and plentiflly watered by springs that never fail, lies high and rolling, has plenty of
first rate rock upon it, and as rich as land can be. Above all it is remarkably healthy; no fever and
ague near it, and has one of the finest medical springs that I ever saw or tasted, flowing in a stream
as thick as my arm. I bought my interest from Mr Withers who purchased from the Government
15 years ago. The other half is owned by a gentleman in this place, and I would like to get that
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