William H. Kidd to brother, Walter Scott Kidd
10 Mar. 1882 Tell us what you think about the photos.
Dear Brother & Sister,
We receive your kind letter and were glad you were still in the land of the living, for we had give up for lost when you did not write.
We were glad you have gone into the preaching business again. You will not have so much humbug.
We hope you are having a good hearing. We have got and old adage which says nothing succeeds like success and we heartily wish you success and may accompany you through all your journey.
I have no good news from our church here. In fact, there has been a division so instead of one church that are now two, if churches they can be called. I have seen more of the spirit of the world manifested among the Brethern than I could have believed. In fact I have come to this conclusion, that the professing Brotherhood is a sham, and a great many evangelists are no better, but not all.
I cannot tell you where George Moxon is now but I will try to let you know in my next. I know that when he failed to business he came to work at the Sheffield & Rotherham Independent Office. But I don't know whether he is there or not. Yet, I saw him in Sheffield about a month ago, twice, but I don't speak to him. I have but spoken once to him since you left England. But I will go over to Barnsley & assertain the truth of the matter. I have had no correspondance with my sisters since the up shot at Cawthorne.
We enclose you two photos, one of Lizzie & one of Sarah. They hope you may receive the same as a token of the love they beat you. You will not recognize Lizzie now and Sarah you have not seen. But they often talk about their Uncle Walter though he may be many miles away.
I must conclude, hoping you are enjoying the best of health, at this time, as we are, except Mary and she is not so well.
Believe me your affectionate brother, William Kidd
P.S. I am sorry for Edwin & Harry. It was a sorrowful letter you sent.
(Letter sent to Loogootee, Ind.)
3 Dec 1883
Dear Brother Walter,
I have no doubt you will have been looking for a letter from me sometime now. Well, it's just this. I have got into such a dilatory way with my correspondence that I have to make an extraordinary effort to bring my mind and body into that state which is requisite to write a note of anyone.
Well, I am glad you are well suited where you are and hope you will bring many into the church, though I am still out of it and shall be for a time to come. Yet, I go at times to hear them, but I will not be compelled to join against my will. I want them to show me by their life whether there is permanent peace among them and when I see that the spirit of love resides among them, then I will throw my lot among them again. So now you have got all I have to say. I suppose that William Herbert Kidd has come to England some time ago. I heard several months since about it. He was within a few miles but he did not come to see me.
I have heard Mother is coming to England or has come. Do oyu know anything about it? My news has come by way of Darton, but not direct, so I cannot vouch for it. I have had my Uncle Thom Kidd twice to see me. He is in very low water. He tells me Edwin writes unto his daughter Louisa in Russia.
I suppose it is no good inquiring about rain of you now.
You will see by the papers that we are on the eve a great miners strike in Yorks., but I hope it will be averted, if not privation in Sheffield will be very great indeed as we largely depend on the coal for employment in all the great steel departments.
I was extremely glad to hear you say Edwin was doing well. I hope he may continue so to do. And believe me, dear Walter & Vina, that we all rejoiced to hear you were all well & prosperous. May you continue so to be. May the giver of all good news dispense a double portion unto you is the earnest cry & prayer of your affectionate brother, William Kidd.
P.S. You wil see by the papers, we have not done with the Irish yet, but I assure you, if the English get their temper roused fairly, the Irish will quickly go to the wall. Mr. Gladstone has passed laws for Ireland which any man right in his mind, the Irishmen will jump for joy at. Yet, they seem & really do spurn the hand that has done more to lift them out of the degradation & misery than any man yet born. I have had great sympathy for them.
You see we have not done with Egypt yet. You will has seen that General Hicks & men are destoryed. Poor Hicks married his wife from Sheffield. Walter those people who talk about the millenium coming soon will receive a shock for there is neither peace nor is there likely to be peace in Europe. I mean the Europeans are always at war with someone.
Now I shall not be so long in answering your next as I have this. So, you must just make up your mind to send me a line in due season.
We all send our dear love to you & Vina & children, trusting you are all enjoying the best of health as we are at present.
Now I draw to close with kindest regards. I am dear Brother & Sister your very affectionately, Wm. Kidd
(Letter written to Richland Center, Wisc.)
17 Jul 1884
Dear Brother & Sister,
I know you will have looked out long before this reached you for a line from me. I must crave pardon for not answering your long ago. I have first put if off to this & that time until I am ashamed to write.
We thank you very much for the Photos of Harold's and Ada's. You seem to be rearing a good stock, such a one as you need not be ashamed of. Trusing they may in after years be all that a parent's desires that they should be & may bless them through not only this life but the life which is to come, is the prayer of their uncle.
You say that missionaries is come to this country from America. I know not what they are doing, I don't suppose they will make any great head in the large towns. They would stand a better chance, I think, in the rural districts. Yet, that is only an opinion of mine.
You ask what would be the prospects of an able man in Sheffield. Well, I think he could get on very well if he could say 4 or 5 years & have plenty of money behind him, that he might take a large hall until such times as one could be built, but, mind you whatsoever should try, they will find a hard up hill task. The brethern here are getting along in the old see saw fashion. They make a little head way. The great fault lies in not having a good speaker.
I have received a letter from Edwin, couched in very nice language, wishing that I will take his master through the place. I suppose he has forgot what he said some years ago. If he has, I have not. I never hear him, only when he is in the want of something. Such correspondence I care not for. There is too much selfishness in such. I do not know what to think of him, or what he thinks of me. I know this much, that if it lay in my power to take Mr. Parkin through our works, I should certainly refuse to do so. Edwin wishes me to take him through as a friend. How can I do so, when I don't even know the man. If it should be found out that I had taken anyone through I should be dismissed at once. For it was I who first got all strangers stopped from going through. Walter, up to five years ago the masters in England, no matter in what line of business they were in, you had only to say you wished to purchase something which they manufactured & you could get a look all around, but now you cannot get in anymore. The English are not so simple now as they were. They have had to pay darly for it. They have showed all nations their works & so the trade has been taken aways from this country to our loss. You know self is first law of nature the world over.
I dare not say that if our masters knew there had been a Yanky to see me I should get into trouble for I have been requested not to take anyone in who was in the wire trader. I wish the fellow woul dnot come near me at all. Edwin says he has a good master & so are mine. I have been longer with mine than he has & work is not very plentiful in this country, yet never mind , I must get through.
We had a marriage feast at our house on June 29th, Elizabeth Ann got married so you will see that we have lost one more of our family circle. She has got a very industrious young man for a husband. Trusting they will do well.
I know by this your tired, so am I. Hoping you all are enjoying the best of health as we all are except Mary. Mary sends her best & kindest love to Vina & children & accept the same yourself. From your brother, William Kidd
(Letter written to Veroqua, Wisc.)
