Guillota, Feb. 9th, 1852
Dear Agatha,
This sheet contains my first effort to write to any person in Spanish. It was written without effort, or without refference to Dictionary or other books: and in a few minutes. Should it reach you in safety I wish you to preserve it with care. I will translate it for you when I return.
I am verry well, and as fat as you ever saw me in England. I live mostly on ripe figs, which with other causes will, I hope remove that bilious castiveness which has troubled me for so many years. I have now lived in this country 3 months with but one bilious turn. The climate is verry agreeable, the sky clear, stars bright and the air verry agreeable in the evening and morning. In the sun it is very warm, but we have a verry lofty room well shaded, verry large and cool. We are not far enough inland to live verry cheep but 75 cts. or one dollar a day supports 3 of us, including house rent. fuel and all expences. We have progressed in the language so far that it has become interesting to us, and instead of being a task we now read, write and converse, nearly all day, and hardly know how to drop our studies when night comes. The Chilanas say that when we read, they can understand us more clearly than they can each other. We understand much that we read, and can translate all most as fast as we can speak. But it requires time, to use the words, and to hear them sufficiently often to think of them when we want them, or to think of them fast enough to understand general conversation. This we cannot yet do, and if we do it in three months more we shall do well.
My dear girl:–if you could know how I long to see you, and the rest of the folks and the children, or even to hear from home you would have mercy on me and send some thoughts, or come yourself in the night visions. It is now eight months since I have heard one word. I almost dread to hear, lest some sickness, or want, or death has crushed some of you. But, on the other hand I realize in whose service I am. I always pray, every day, for my family. And, in life or in death all things shall work for good.—But O
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that living, eternal, infinite, boundless, unspeakable principle within our bosoms which we call love! Eternal love! Youth and beaty may fade, the flesh mouldre, earth to atoms crumble, the stars of the firmament wax old, the heavens change, eternity upon eternity roll into the ocean of the past, but still I see before me shapes and forms of inteligences, just buding, blooming, expanding into new beauty, life, and lovliness. While all passing time, all increasing knowledge, opens new endusements and shows new reasons for increasing love. Such are you, O Agatha! and such the souls which God hath given me! For ever blessed.
Your own in worlds without end. Amen.
P. P. Pratt.
Guillote, Feb., ocho, uno mil, ocho ciento cinquenti y dos.
Senorita Agatha:
Querida Amega Mia: Yo no he olvidado mi amiga vieja. No. Yo amo V. con todo mi corazo y con toda mi alma. Yo he conocido V. por muchos anos. V. ha ido siempre un amiga a me en verdad. Si V esta cerca yo quiero dar V. un “Besita”. Yo estoy sana, y muy gordo. estoy tan gordo como cuando yo vivo en Engleterra. Si V. puede ver ci me V. ni conoce me, porque muy gordo. i como pasa V. y la Ninas, Agacita, Melonita, y todas? i Tiene V. otro! o, dos! o tres?—i Como esta Meria, y Hileman, y Cornillita! y otro! si ella tiene otro? I como este todos los ninos mio? Me gusto mucho los ninos, todas, poreque estan muy bonito, bueno y ameble: — me ellos aman mucho: y yo los amo muchisimo, siempre.
Ahora hace mucho tiempe desde yo marcharse de mi casa, y lejos de todos mis Amigos y Amigas, que queda en Derere es cerca un Ano. En poco tiempo mas yo vendre!
Si el Senor tiene voluntud yo pensar a lleyar en mi casa en dos Anos de el mismo tiempo yo salio i Vive V. todavia? Vive las Ninas? i Amo V.
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Siempe su Esposo, con toda ti Alma? Si, yo se, le tu amas mas que ti vide. Bendita tu entre las mujeres. Tu viveres siempre conmego en el sielo. Yo amare V. en los siglos sin fin. Amen.
Escrito de Guillote,
tus mejor Amigo, en memoria de tiempos de Viejo.
N. B. Si V. no puede leer este casta, hasta yo yo puedo beo le por V. con mucho gusto.
You cannot read this letter until I can read it for you with much pleasure.
Con mucho gusto yo tango el Honor a asiqueis a V. yo quedar, quirida Amiga, siempre tus muy buen Amego.
P. P.
P. S.: Da V. uno bueno, dulse “Besita” por me, a todos los Ninas y a sus Madres.
Give one good sweet kiss for me to all the children and to their mothers.
Supremo Dulse Muchacha Mio.
Adios.
[Transcribed by Dorrie Lee, Mauri Pratt, and Suzanne Taysom; Feb. 2014]
Parley Parker Pratt to Agatha Ann Walker, transcribed letter, 9 February 1852; MS 278, online images, Church History Catalog, Ann Agatha W. Pratt Reminiscences and Letters, 1847-1907 (https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE2090355&usedforsort=MS_278_f0001 : January 2014), p. 15; Church History Library, Salt Lake City.