not fit to work now so that their work has to be done by two horses; we were just dressing for church when Stuart said there goes Altmans (the man that lives on Ben Barlows place) to Desmoines and if you would like to go up I will go and speak to them, so I thought I had better come than risk having to step the team, although I was loth to leave fathers so soon, I regret having to go so far away from home, and yet it is not so far away but is so out of the way that I will not be likely to get home more than once during my school term they are all so kind to me, and seem to regret my leaving so much especialy Mother, she has been a Mother indeed to me, and if you should not be spared to return would feel almost as deeply as your wife, our love for you is a bond of union between us.  This day I believe has been generally observed, there was a union meeting at the Congregationalist church, but by a vote of the church we observed the day in our house; I think it would have done your heart good to hear the prayers and remarks this morning in that little brick church, particularly the prayer and remarks of Bro Robinson, you know that he is very ultra in his views on slavery. the church was well filled and a heartfelt solemnity seemed to prevade the whole audience; I do feel that we need to humble ourselves very low before God; Bro Nash remarked this morning that he did not pretend to say nor believe that this war was going to humble us, and that he believed that we would have to pass through a time of fearful religious persecution such as the inquisition never saw before we would truly repent and the church be purged from it corruptions, and the he felt the church, Christians, were fear
