“Our dearest Grandmama will have heard the melancholy tidings communicated to Mr. Sherer yesterday. I judged it best, that, if possible, the heavy affliction should not come upon you suddenly. Your still bleeding heart will more severely feel this arrow of the Almighty, winged no doubt with love, but piercing to the very quick. Our lovely boy was becoming inexpressibly interesting. He was taken with a severe attack nearly three weeks ago, which yielded to strong medicine, though he never was after as before, but seemed mending, when by some means, he caught a severe cold. The doctor says it was of the nature of Influenza, and many in the house have suffered from it. On Saturday morning we sent for the doctor; medicines did not produce the wished-for effect, and we had a very restless night on Saturday. On Sunday morning my heart began to sink on his account, and the Lord’s prayer in Church tried both my principles and my feelings. “Throughout Sunday, little alteration appeared; but he rested so well on Sunday night, that the doctor on Monday morning pronounced him out of danger. About eleven he altered for the worse. His little sweet countenance assumed an appearance of eagerness, and about twelve he was manifestly convulsed, though not strongly. On this, our doctor called in another skilful medical man, who happened to be at the station, and new medicines were tried which promised partial relief, and the fond mother began again to hope. About twelve on Monday night, he was in great pain, and the work of death was evidently rapidly going on. We commended him to our covenant God in prayer. I pleaded, as well as I was able, His promise to be the God of our seed, as well as our own God. I prayed for the child as a member of Christ’s mystical body and a branch of the true Vine; and besought that the suffering child might be remembered in the suffering Christ. Our prayers were mercifully heard, and our babe from that time suffered comparatively little. About five on the morning of the 7th, his soul seemed longing to mount upward. We again in prayer commended him to our covenant God, and about half-past five, he ceased to breathe without a struggle or even a sigh.