Hopes and Heartaches from Oak Hill

“I would like to know if you and the others wish to employ me”

Come pull up a chair, neighbors, because I’ve come across a little treasure in the stacks that I just had to share with you. It’s a letter dated October 5, 1877, from right here in Oak Hill, Missouri. When you look at it today, the paper is a fragile, warm beige, lined with those old-fashioned red and blue margins. It’s seen better days, with some brown staining and foxing from the years, and the ink has faded into a soft brown that makes you want to squint just to catch every word. It feels like holding a piece of someone’s heart in your hands.

The letter was written by a person known only by the initials S.C.M. They were writing to a local school trustee, hoping to get a job teaching. It’s such a relatable scene: S.C.M. mentions that their ‘Pa’ had already put in a good word with a Mr. Adkins, and they were just waiting to hear if the rest of the trustees were willing to bring them on. You can almost feel the nervous hope in the handwriting as they ask for a simple card in response so they could start making their arrangements for the season.

What really moves me, though, is what’s on the back of that same sheet of paper. Tucked away on the reverse side are the handwritten lyrics to an old song called ‘I Have No Mother Now.’ It tells a story of loneliness and loss, of someone ‘weeping’ and ‘left alone.’ To think that this aspiring teacher was carrying that kind of sorrow while trying to build a career for themselves really bridges the gap between 1877 and today. It shows us that no matter how much time passes, we all balance our professional dreams with our personal heartaches.

This little document is a beautiful reminder that our history is built on the shoulders of ordinary people who worked, grieved, and hoped just like we do. It’s not just about school districts or old records; it’s about the strength it takes to keep going when things are hard. Next time you pass by a schoolhouse or think about the teachers in your life, remember S.C.M. and the quiet resilience written on this dusty old page.

Original Transcription

Oak Hill Mo
Oct. 5, 1877

Dear Sir
I thought I would write you a few lines this Evening and Say Something in regard to teaching your School
Pa Saw Mr Adkins Yesterday and he Said he was willing for me to Teach
and I would like to know if you and the others wish to employ me
if you do inform me to that Effect So I will know what Arrangements to make You will Please See the other Trustees
and tell them I will Teach the School And if you and one other See proper to employ me write me a Carde as Soon as Possible
by So doing you will oblige a Friend

Yours Respectfully
S. C. M [rest of signature cut off/faded]

[Page 2]
I have no Mother now im weeping
She has left me here alone She beneath
The Sod is Sleeping There is no joy for
me at home

We parted by the River
Side the tears drop
[illegible line]
Love in words to tell I
found my heart was sad
I could not Speak

I promised that I would
be True [so?] Long as I would
live [illegible] I love
To you was all I had
to give

[Vertical text:] Patrons of the School to use [illegible]