Generation
"Isaac Maltby of Hatfield, Co. of Hampshire, State of Mass.
To Stephen Maltby of Branford.
12 acres of land in the Society of Northford, bounded: East. By Josiah Linsley's heirs North. By Grantee West. By Benjamin Maltby South. By Benjamin Maltby.
We append a letter from Rev. Jonathan Maltby, dated "June 26, 1812" to his brother, General Isaac, announcing thedeathof their brother, Col. Stephen. This letter gives the date of his death as "June 22nd," therefore I believe "January 22nd" is a misreading for June. (January 22, 1812, was given by Deacon Charles Foote in his Maltby Genealogy).
(Letter from Rev. Jonathan Maltby to his brother "General Isaac
Maltby.)
"New Haven, June 26th, 1812
"Dear Brother,
You will remember that on the 12th July, 1796, I announced to you the affecting death of our much hond. Father. You are now daily expecting to hear of the death of his aged consort our dear Mother. But Sir, the ways of unerring God, are not the ways of erring man-- He has infinite knowledge of infinite good & will ever do what is best--It is not the hoary headed mother, but her youngest child--our dear Brother Stephen!--- ---
On Monday evening, 22nd Inst. at 12 o'clock the lamp of life was extinguished--After a weeks illness, the spirit of our friend, which we would long have cherished, left its tabernacle of flesh & ascended on high--A Mother--a Wife & her fatherless children--three Brothers and an only Sister mourn, with heartfelt sorrow the sudden death--When the Father calleth who can--who would believe! His time is the last time--Let us kiss the rod & Him who hath appointed it-- Hath He not said: "Be still & Know that I am God."
Alas, my Brother! the cup of sorrow is a bitter cup! But that our heavenly Father prepared it, & shall we not drink it, in calm serenity!--Think of the sorrows and dying agonies of our ascended
Lord & Redeemer!---!
For whom were they! Were they for friends! No! They were for rebelious enemies! Why suffer thus! That these bitter enemies might have life--might have it abundantly--might inherit eternal life-- crowns & kingdoms in the paradise of God!
But to return--"The Lord gave & the Lord hath taken away" & blessed (shall we!)--can we not say! I think we can) blessed be the name of the Lord!
As David said of his friend Jonathan "he was lovely & pleasant in his life." In his death, he was not divided (I humbly hope & trust) from the divine Savior!--I hope he is united to him in eter- nal union!--In his death, joy & sorrow are mingled!
Eminent christian neighbors speak highly of him, as a Brother in Christ--One who was with me in his last moments said "I doubt not but he is going home to his Father's house", and when a corpse he said: "This departed friend and I have often taken swift counsel together." He expressed a strong belief in his happy exchange of
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