Category Archives: Faith – despair – hope – trust – treachery

The Conure and the Falcon: Cruel Love . by Alice B. Clagett

In this post, quotes from Google AI are in light blue font.

The Conure and the Falcon: Cruel Love

Composite Image: “Compare Beaks: Green-Cheeked Conure (left) and Peregrine Falcon (right) [Size adjusted to look similar – Conure is really much smaller than Falcon],” by Alice B. Clagett, 27 August 2025, CC BY-SA 4.0 International … CREDITS: Image: “Green-Cheeked Conure (Pyrrhura molinae), cinnamon mutation pet. Wing clipped,” by E. dog95 at English Wikipedia, 18 July 2007, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pyrrhura_molinae_-_cinnamon_mutation.jpg … public domain … and … Image: “Closeup of peregrine falcon showing nostril tubercle,” by Greg Hume (Gred5030), 15 October 2011, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PeregrineTubercle.jpg …CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported

Composite Image: “Compare Beaks: Green-Cheeked Conure (left) and Peregrine Falcon (right) [Size adjusted to look similar – Conure is really much smaller than Falcon],” by Alice B. Clagett, 27 August 2025, CC BY-SA 4.0 International … CREDITS: Image: “Green-Cheeked Conure (Pyrrhura molinae), cinnamon mutation pet. Wing clipped,” by E. dog95 at English Wikipedia, 18 July 2007, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pyrrhura_molinae_-_cinnamon_mutation.jpg … public domain … and … Image: “Closeup of peregrine falcon showing nostril tubercle,” by Greg Hume (Gred5030), 15 October 2011, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PeregrineTubercle.jpg …CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported

  • THE CONURE
  • THE FALCON
  • WHAT IS ONE TO SAY ABOUT BEINGS … WHETHER HUMAN OR NONHUMAN … WHO ARE TRAINED TO BE CRUEL?
  • MORE INFORMATION: MOTHER RAVEN’S LAMENT

Dear Ones,

THE CONURE

Image: “A Conure Named Matthew,” by Alice B. Clagett, 4 June 2025, standard copyright

Image: “A Conure Named Matthew,” by Alice B. Clagett, 4 June 2025, standard copyright

I found a sick Conure (a large Parakeet) on my back porch in June, and nursed it back to health. The story is here …

Video: “A Conure Named ‘Matthew’,” by Alice Clagett-Personal, filmed on 4 June 2025 and published on 18 August 2025 … https://youtu.be/aVXsSCbhwMk ..

On the psychic plane, there was an issue about the Conure having been taught to peck people’s eyes out as a prop for sadistic sex play … maybe for snuff porn films.

I didn’t know what to do about it.

I asked Google AI about ‘infestation of a house by a warlock’s spirit by giving the owner the warlock’s pet’.

Google AI said: “Based on folklore, legends, and accounts of alleged supernatural events, a warlock’s spirit might infest a house through the gift of their pet in the following ways:

  1. “Familiar spirit possessing the pet
  • “In European folklore, witches and warlocks were believed to have familiar spirits, often appearing as animals like cats or toads, according to Ancient Origins.
  • “If the warlock’s spirit was tied to their familiar spirit, then gifting the pet would effectively transfer the warlock’s spiritual presence into the recipient’s home.
  • “The familiar could then act as a conduit, allowing the warlock’s spirit to exert influence or manifest within the house.
  1. “Residual spiritual energy attached to the pet
  • “Even without a familiar spirit, the close bond between a warlock and their pet could imbue the animal with the warlock’s spiritual energy.
  • “Upon entering the new home, the pet could introduce this residual energy, potentially manifesting as strange occurrences, feelings of unease, or the appearance of shadows or other phenomena associated with the warlock’s spirit.
  1. “The pet as a cursed object
  • “The pet itself could be a cursed object, imbued with the warlock’s malicious intent or magical energies.
  • “If the warlock had used their pet for dark rituals or activities, the pet might carry a spiritual imprint of those actions, leading to negative or unsettling phenomena in the new home.

“In all scenarios, signs of an infestation might include:

  • “Unusual pet behavior: Growling, staring at empty spaces, or exhibiting fear or aggression not typical for the animal.
  • “Feelings of unease or being watched: A pervasive sense of dread, fear, or a constant feeling of someone being present when alone.
  • “Strange occurrences: Flickering lights, unexplained noises, objects moving on their own, or cold spots.
  • “Negative changes in the atmosphere: People feeling unusually angry, depressed, or anxious in certain areas of the house.

“It’s important to remember that these are based on folklore and belief systems surrounding warlocks and spirits. While not scientifically proven, these concepts form the basis for many horror stories and supernatural tales.”

. . . . .

I also asked Google AI: As a Christian, what should I do if I find a sick Conure that has been trained to peck people’s eyes out?

Google AI said: “As a Christian, you should prioritize the well-being of both the animal and any humans who may be at risk. The core Christian principles of compassion, stewardship over creation, and protecting the vulnerable provide a clear path forward. 

“A step-by-step guide for a Christian response

  1. “Do not handle the bird yourself. A sick bird, especially one with a history of aggression, is a danger to both you and itself. The Conure is sick and stressed, and you risk getting injured or exposed to disease if you try to handle it without proper protection.
  2. “Contact a wildlife rehabilitator or an avian vet. This is the most compassionate and practical step. A professional has the equipment and knowledge to safely handle and treat the bird.
    • “Explain the bird’s condition and the history of its aggressive, eye-pecking behavior.
    • “Do not delay, as sick birds can deteriorate quickly.
  1. “Isolate the bird and secure the area. While waiting for help, keep a safe distance from the Conure. Ensure other people, especially children, and pets are kept away from it. This action protects the vulnerable, a key Christian ethical concern.
  2. “Practice prayer and stewardship. As you await professional help, pray for the bird’s well-being and for wisdom for the rehabilitators. A Christian view of stewardship recognizes that all creation belongs to God and should be treated with kindness, even when fallen or corrupted. This is an opportunity to show mercy to a creature in a difficult state.
    • “Proverbs 12:10 states, “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,” a principle that can be applied to caring for all creatures.
    • “The bird’s aggression is a learned behavior and a symptom of its distress, not a mark of its inherent worthlessness.
  1. “Reflect on the root of the problem. Reflect on the cruel actions of whoever trained the bird. This is a moment to recognize human brokenness and the need for redemption, as human sin and cruelty are ultimately the cause of such animal suffering.
  2. “Trust God with the outcome. Place the situation in God’s hands. Regardless of the outcome for the Conure, you will have acted in a manner consistent with your Christian values of compassion, prudence, and ethical responsibility. 

“What not to do

  • “Do not try to “rehabilitate” the bird yourself. You lack the specialized knowledge and equipment to do so safely and effectively.
  • “Do not abandon the bird. Simply leaving the bird puts others at risk of harm and neglects your Christian duty of stewardship.
  • “Do not harm the bird. Intentionally harming the Conure is a cruel act and is counter to the Christian principle of compassion for God’s creation. 

“By following these steps, you can respond to this difficult and unusual situation with compassion, wisdom, and a clear conscience.”

. . . . .

I figured that a wildlife rehabilitator would just kill a bird that had been trained to peck people’s eyes out, so I bought a very big cage for the bird, and treated it with kindness. I named the Conure Matthew.

However, after a month or so I found out it was physically well but still afraid of me … wild and unfriendly … and would hurt me if it could. I also found it liked the notion of hurting me.

I thought I could keep it in the cage (which was quite spacious) and in that way prevent it from hurting me or my cat.

I explained to Matthew that he was there with me for a while, but that if ever he wanted to be free and to fly outside in the wide world, then he should let me know and I would let him know.

On Sunday, 17 August 2025, Matthew became very lively and happy … much more so than ever before … and expressed to me that he wanted to get out of the cage. He wanted to go see the person who he had been with before.

As I had promised, I opened the cage door and the door to the back porch. Quick as a wind, Matthew flew away.

I had the gravest misgivings about what would happen to Matthew. I thought: If it is true that this other person has taught Matthew to peck people’s eyes out, that surely that is a cruel person, who will treat Matthew badly.

I opened the front door. On the psychic plane I saw Matthew fly in delight towards a woman. I felt her heart light up when she saw him.

Then I saw her swat him away. I heard a surprised, quickly aborted ‘squawk’. Then all was silence.

. . . . .

WHAT IS ONE TO SAY ABOUT BEINGS … WHETHER HUMAN OR NONHUMAN … WHO ARE TRAINED TO BE CRUEL?

What is one to say about beings … whether human or nonhuman … who are trained to be cruel in this lifetime?

What if their early experience teaches them that to love someone sexually means to peck out their eyes … or to set boundaries on their hopes and aspirations, or to control their actions rigidly, or to circumvent their every thought with derogation, or to beat them up, or even to murder them either in cold rage or through cruel calculatoin?

What is one to say when another being whom one loves and cares for inflicts or hopes to inflict physical injury day after day (as in the case of Matthew); or psychic injury day after day (as in the case of people who practice black magic)?

In this physical reality … in this third dimension … is there no chance for physical love that is purely and simply an act of love? Are there not human beings who practice loving kindness towards one another?

Why might we Lightworkers, Pathfinders, Wayshowers, Healers, and Ascensioneers not set our sights on those who are kindly, joyful, loving, grateful, appreciative, courageous, forgiving, full of hope in the future … on beings who, like ourselves, cherish positive emotions?

I determined to do just this.

THE FALCON

Then yesterday in late afternoon I went for a swim. Wouldn’t you know it? A Falcon landed on the pavement between the shallow end of the pool and the lemon tree by the porch. It looked like this, but more brownish than grey, and with brown plume-like crural feathers on its legs …

Image: “Captive peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) in the Community of Madrid, Spain,” by Carlos Delgado, 18 October 2014 … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Falco_peregrinus_-_01.jpg … CC BY-SA 4.0 International

Image: “Captive peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) in the Community of Madrid, Spain,” by Carlos Delgado, 18 October 2014 … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Falco_peregrinus_-_01.jpg … CC BY-SA 4.0 International

. . . . .

I thought about how Matthew had landed on my porch, and how he had hurt me physically, and how he got a gleam in his eye when I stooped down by his cage to clean up food he had flung on the floor.

I thought what damage Falcons do to their prey, and how quickly … how lightning fast … 200 miles per hour, in fact … they do this.

Video: “Fastest Animal Makes a Kill | World’s Deadliest,” by Nat Geo Animals, 8 April 2013 … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7lglchYNew ..

On the psychic plane I heard a young man say: I have sent her my pet Falcon.

Was this, then, a young Warlock who was sending to me his familiar pet, along with a sadistic, flesh-rending sexual intention? Could this possibly be so?

I felt that Matthew had been sent me by God to help me learn what to do when the Falcon landed there.

The Falcon, head held up high, with his eye on my swimming self, walked away from the lemon tree towards the edge of the pool.

I thought: How might least harm be done in this situation?

I swam towards the shallow end of the pool, gathered some water in my hands, and began to walk towards the Falcon. He gleaned my intention, and began to turn away.

I cast the water in my hands towards the Falcon as he swiftly took wing and flew off over the roof of my house.

Water will not harm, but it will dispel danger. Don’t you feel it to be so?

MORE INFORMATION: MOTHER RAVEN’S LAMENT

Here is a lament I composed about a Falcon that kills a Raven’s mate and bears the body far away …

Link: “A New Song: Mother Raven’s Lament (Moder Hrafns Mon) – Take 2. HD,” channeled by Mother and Father Raven through Alice B. Clagett, filmed on 28 August 2024; Take 2 HD was produced on 2 September 2024 … https://wp.me/p2Rkym-yxN ..

This might help everyone get a better notion about how I felt when the Falcon stalked towards my swimming pool yesterday.

. . . . .

In love, light and joy
This is Alice B. Clagett.
I Am of the Stars … and so are you!

Written and published on 24 August 2025; revised on 17 February 2026

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Ascension, birds, falcons, conures, kindness, cruelty, sexual aggression, sexuality, illegal paraphilias, sadomasochism, snuff, mortification of the flesh, black magic, warlocks, familiars, obsession, third dimension, God, karma, dharma, right action, religions of the world, Christianity,

“I See God Every Day” sung by Simon Khorolskiy . referral by Alice B. Clagett

"I See God Every Day" sung by Simon Khorolskiy

Image: “Mystical Morning” [adapted], by Dewipramanik, 16 November 2021, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mystical_morning.jpg … CC BY-SA 4.0 International

Image: “Mystical Morning” [adapted], by Dewipramanik, 16 November 2021, in Wikimedia Commons … https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mystical_morning.jpg … CC BY-SA 4.0 International

Dear Ones,

Here is a beautiful hymn with lyrics very much in tune with Ascension seen in a Christian light as ascension to Heaven, sung by Simon Khorolskiy! …

Video: “Simon Khorolskiy – I See God Every Day,” 10 August 2022 … on youtube

I have a feeling that Simon Khorolskiy eschews the notion of mysticism, and instead thinks in terms of devotion to God and faith in God.

I am a mystic, and have been since birth, but I understand and appreciate his point of view, that we must be very much here in the present time and day, and through faith in God … no matter where we find ourselves … even though we may find ourselves in the Valley of Death … we must persevere in His Name through all our days.

Hope I am not speaking inappropriately about this. This is only my own notion about the great hymns he sings on youtube.

In love, light and joy
This is Alice B. Clagett.
I Am of the Stars … and so are you!

Written and published on 13 August 2025

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). Attribution: By Alice B. Clagett.
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Ascension, Religions of the World, Christianity, referrals, Songs – music – hymns – kirtan, mysticism, faith,

How to Escape from Velociraptor Stuff . by Alice B. Clagett

How to Escape from Velociraptor Stuff

Image: “Velociraptoroids,” adapted from Image by dolm06 from Pixabay, Pixabay Content License

Image: “Velociraptoroids,” adapted from Image by dolm06 from Pixabay, Pixabay Content License

To turn off the background music, click once or twice on the arrow on the audio bar at the bottom of the page …

  • INTRODUCTION
  • VIDEO BY ALICE
  • SUMMARY OF THE VIDEO
    • Activation of Light to Optimize Timelines and Dimensions
  • VIDEO CREDITS

INTRODUCTION

Dear Ones,

This video is about how to escape from velociraptor stuff.

In addition to a story of my own about escaping from velociraptor-like beings in the last Solar Maximum, these topics are addressed:

  • Timeline jumping, dimensional shifting, rollbacks and previews (roll-forwards) of the current alternate reality,
  • Unreality of what is thought to be real, and
  • Importance of faith, hope and charity … of confidence in facing the Unknown … of faith in God and in our Ascension teams.

There is an edited Summary after the video.

VIDEO BY ALICE

SUMMARY OF THE VIDEO

Hello, Dear Ones, It’s Alice. I Am of the Stars.

There was a time, some years ago … maybe 11 years ago [it was longer than that] when I was pursued by some beings. You might think of hem as the velociraptors of the human world … or maybe the Tyrannosaurus rexes of the human world.  Some people call them the Controllers or the Illuminati. In my own writings I refer to them as multiple personalities, serial killers, or antisocial personalities. Sometimes I call them ‘spiritual adepts’ … certain types of spiritual adepts … that have these particular features … velociraptor features.

Eleven years or so ago [it was longer than that], those people controlled the world. Then we had the Ascension process. At about that time they began to lose control of the world, and the world began to return to the realm of the Angels.

But back then it felt like everybody on Earth was sucked into mind control by the Controllers … by the velociraptors or Tyrannosaurus rexes of the human realm. They had a way … if three or more of them concentrated on a human target … of triangulating the location of the person.

One of their favorite pastimes … as in ‘velociraptorville’ … was to stalk and terrorize and mind-rape while sleeping, and eventually to kill their victims. This is a kind of a game, like a Fatal Dungeons and Dragons game.

You can look ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ up on Meetup … https://www.meetup.com … and see if, near your location, it is the fatal variant or the regular kind. That might be interesting. I am suggesting: Steer clear of it. Steer clear of all that stuff, or you might be marked as a victim.

Anyway, back then, I experienced interruptions in my sleep pattern due to ‘mind rape’ while sleeping … I guess you might call it ‘mind mining’ for incoming channeling and so forth … by those sorts of people, or perhaps by beings on the astral plane or other planes who really wanted the Lightworkers’ information, but for some reason their mechanisms … their energy systems … were not set up to receive higher channeling. They would come in, in the middle of the night, and start dipping into the energy field and stealing ideas.

It is a typical reptilian approach. These people might have been what some people call reptoid, or dinosauroids, or negative dracoids, or insectoids … maybe mantoids or antoids … which is not, in itself, bad. It is just very different from being a humanoid.

Anyway, what was happening to me was a slow disintegration of everything I had ever known before, because sleep deprivation leads to a dreamlike experience of reality … something like a hallucination … maybe a drug-induced hallucination. It is very easy to induce that kind of state by depriving, say a prisoner of war, of sleep.

In a way I felt I was a prisoner. I was a prisoner of the mind control of people who were not gifted with human values.

It is no longer happening for me, If you find that it is happening for you right now … in this Solar maximum … I would like you to know that there will come a time … if only you are able to survive in human form … there will come a time when it is no longer happening for you too.

So be full of hope. Be full of faith. Know that God is with you and He will protect you.

You can use the timeline and dimensional optimization tool that I have given you. That is …

Activation of Light to Optimize Timelines and Dimensions
Channeled by the Hathors through Alice B. Clagett
10 October 2013

Spirit to Team!
Optimize Timelines and Dimensions!
For the All, through Free Will.

For more on that, see my blog categories: Timeline optimization and Dimensional optimization ..

You can get out of any kind of mortal peril … as they say in the movies: Timeline jumping, dimensional skipping. It is true.

To get back to the topic: I remember I figured out that the only way … in this current alternate reality … to escape from these triangulating velociraptor types was to get in my car and drive. I had my credit card. I had my cat. I had a small suitcase. And I would get in my car and drive.

I would not select a location to drive to. I would just drive. I would change directions frequently. At the end of the drive I would find a place where I could spend the night. It could be I would not even know where I was. I might not know the name of the town. I might not know in advance the name of the motel. But there I would spend the night. And I would be safe for that night.

. . . . .

It occurred to me just now that this method of having the faith that you will get to where you need to get to without knowing where the destination is … without making a plan in advance … just knowing that, where ever you end up, that will be the safe place … being certain that you are being guided, that you are being protected, that your Ascension team is with you … those understandings are critical to the ability to timeline jump and dimensional shift.

We are here … in this particular reality … which we presume to be the place that is. This notion is completely untrue. There are hundreds and hundreds of places where we might be right now, and ways that we might address reality. There are emotional affects that we might have that might completely shift the reality.

The ability to move backward in time and forward in time … all these things involve great uncertainty … the same kind of uncertainty we face when we are confronted with triangulation by an avid team of torturous types.

And so, we have to get through that fearful dimension with the tools of faith and hope, the desire to benefit the world by staying alive (by charity). Faith, hope, and charity: We have to grab these tools.

When we optimize our timelines and dimensions, through faith, hope, and charity we can leap into the Unknown, and from there to a place that is better … to the optimum timeline, the optimum dimension.

We can find ourselves in a place we never knew we might be. We might have our cat with us. We might have our suitcase with us. But we might not need those. We ourselves … our own Awareness … might find ourselves in the totally new. And we might do this in a comfortable, happy manner by cultivating the virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

We need to have the confidence. We need to have the confidence that we can help the world by staying in physical form … and that the optical illusion that we currently see is easily modified through Divine intervention.

This is the Ascensioneers’ assumption, which cannot be grasped by people that want to injure other people, or to ‘get one up on’ other people, or to have power over the world. All those assumptions involve contradiction of the virtues that allow us to let the grace of God flow through us and create the infinite possibilities of timeline jumping, dimensional shifting, moving back and forth in the current reality, and so forth.

That is all for now.

God bless you all,
And keep you safe,
And be with you
Through all your days.

In love, light and joy
This is Alice B. Clagett.
I Am of the Stars … and so are you!

Come and visit me at my glorious website “Awakening with Planet Earth” … https://awakeningwithplantearth.com

There you will find, under the tab Contents … https://awakeningwithplanetearth.com/contents … the grand plan for my channelings, which are a very large amount. See you there!

NOTE: For dinosauroids, of which clan velociraptoroids are members, see my blog category: Dinosauroids ..

Filmed and published on 17 April 2024; transcribed on 18 April 2024; revised on 23 March 2026

This post is included here … Link: “Compendium: Catastrophic Childhood Case Study: ‘Castratrux – Basal Vampire’,” by Alice B. Clagett, written and published on 14 March 2021; revised … https://wp.me/p2Rkym-m4H ..

The two images on this post have been added here: Link: “Tiny Anthologies: Image Markups 16,” by Alice B. Clagett, compiled and published on 21 December 2025 … https://wp.me/p2Rkym-Fxt ..

VIDEO CREDITS

“How to Escape from Velociraptor Stuff”
by Alice B. Clagett
Filmed and produced on 17 April 2024

Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
CC BY-SA 4.0 International

Image: “Dinosauroids ,” adapted from Image by Mark Frost from Pixabay- BlackDog1966 – Pixabay Content License

Image: “Dinosauroids ,” adapted from Image by Mark Frost from Pixabay- BlackDog1966 – Pixabay Content License

 

Music by its_tigri from Pixabay
“Sword 5” – Pixabay Content License

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). Attribution: By Alice B. Clagett.
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Alice’s perilous tales, stories by Alice, hybrids, dinosauroids, dracoids, insectoids, antoids, mantoids, reptoids, controllers, psychic terrorists, antisocial personalities, multiple personalities, serial killers, power over, faith, hope, charity, Void, Unknown, timelines, timeline jumping, timeline optimization, timeline rollbacks, timeline previews, physics of Ascension, alternate realities, dimensional shifts, dimensional optimization, Awareness, God, Ascension team, mind control, astral rascals, astral dinosaurians,

Archer . by Alice B. Clagett

Archer

Image: “Archer,” adapted from Image by Lothar Dieterich from Pixabay – Pixabay Content License

Image: “Archer,” adapted from Image by Lothar Dieterich from Pixabay – Pixabay Content License

. . . . .

Dear Ones,

Aim true!

In love, light and joy
This is Alice B. Clagett.
I Am of the Stars … and so are you!

Written and published on 12 February 2024; revised on 21 December 2025

This image has been added here: Link: “Tiny Anthologies: Image Markups 13,” by Alice B. Clagett, compiled and published on 21 December 2025 … https://wp.me/p2Rkym-FqA ..

MORE INFORMATION

I asked Google AI: What is the spiritual meaning of the Archer?

Google AI said: “The archer spiritually symbolizes precision, focus, faith, and divine action, representing the ability to aim for a goal with discipline, overcome challenges, and align with a higher purpose, often seen in biblical contexts (divine judgment/protection), Zen philosophy (mind-body unity), and general spiritual practices (manifesting will) It signifies the interplay between inner strength (drawing the bow of prayer/faith) and external action (releasing the arrow of obedience/impact).”

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courage, faith, will power, goal-setting,

Civil War: 1865 Letter to Violet from Her Betrothed. along with story by Alice B. Clagett

Civil War

Image: “Front of a Picture Postcard Depicting a Couple in Old-Fashioned Dress,” photo by Alice B. Clagett, CC BY-SA 4.0 … DESCRIPTION: The picture is on the front of a postcard. On the back of the postcard was the caption “Hilton & Mitchel Studios, So Carolina Ave, Broadway, Atlantic City, N.J.”

Image: “Front of a Picture Postcard Depicting a Couple in Old-Fashioned Dress,” photo by Alice B. Clagett, CC BY-SA 4.0 … DESCRIPTION: The picture is on the front of a postcard. On the back of the postcard was the caption “Hilton & Mitchel Studios, So Carolina Ave, Broadway, Atlantic City, N.J.”

  • VIDEO BY ALICE
  • SUMMARY OF THE VIDEO
    • Alice’s Story of Discovering the Letter
    • Letter to Violet from Her Betrothed

Dear Ones,

Here is a video about my discovery many long years ago of a love letter written just after the Civil War. At the end of the video, after describing the scene where I made the discovery I read the letter. There is a Summary after the video.

Times then were like times now … full of chaos and change, through which we may win our way through faith in the future….

VIDEO BY ALICE

SUMMARY OF THE VIDEO

Alice’s Story of Discovering the Letter

Once upon a time there was a great house in the country. The house was separated from the public road by a narrow stretch of woods sheltering a stream. The dirt road that led from the public road to the house skimmed along the near side of the woods for some distance, as if it were reluctant to offer the public a view; plunged into the woods, and ascended a gentle slope. Te slope, at the top of which the house stood, bore several minor structures: at the bottom, a corn crib; farther up, a tool shed; a barn all of worn wood with broken doors/ at the top and to the side of the house a building recently used as servants’ quarters, formerly a doctor’s office.

The house itself was surrounded by aged maples, elms and oaks. The dirt road ended at the rear of the house, and the lawn in front was overgrown with weeds that left burrs and beggars’ lice on trespassers. The bushes along the sides of the lawn were scarcely recognizable, without their leaves, as cultivated plants gone to wild.

The front door of the house, a massive wood-panelled structure cast to shade by the porch roof, was locked. To the left of the main door was a two-story wing of the house, with a smaller porch and door, unlocked.

Inside this door was a room that [had] served as a kitchen. There was a large fireplace with a tiled heart. Empty shelves lined the walls. A very old refrigerator held a half gallon preserve [jar] half full of large, tough string beans. They were pickled. They smelled foul.

A narrow stairway to the rear of the kitchen led to the servants’ sleeping quarters … two small, low-ceilinged rooms. Rubbish of all sorts covered the floor: Broken chairs and bedsprings, magazines, liquor and soda bottles, old clothing, a child’s doll. The planking and rafters of the roof formed the ceilings of the rooms.

In the left room the brick stack of the kitchen chimney protruded from the wall. The view from the windows gave on the maples in front and the wall of the main house to rear.

A door in the kitchen gave on a large, high-ceilinged room in the main house. Heavy, carved wood molding framed the doorways and the large, shuttered window.

Some of the floor planking had been removed, so that one picked one’s way carefully between black holes of undetermined depth into the room directly opposite. This was an enlarged hallway giving on the main door and sheltering a wide, banistered staircase. Under the staircase was a small closet with a wooden nail across, [and] an old grey coat on a rusty coat hanger.

Planks had been removed from the staircase at random, making it necessary to climb on the skeletal form of the stairs. The second-story landing was dimly lit by another large, shuttered window to the right. Between the window glass and the shutter nestled a family of large, grey bats. There were about twenty, the largest about eight inches long, the smallest babies, three inches long, nestled close to their upside-down mothers. Most were sleeping quietly. A few punctuated their search for lice in their fur with the characteristic, high-pitched squeak. Their wings were translucent grey in the light that filtered through the shutters. At close range, the delicate webbing of veins in the wings was visible.

The two rooms on the second floor, opposite and to the left of the stairway, had no planking on the floor. The floor rafters stood bare over the wood lathe supporting the plaster ceiling of the parlor and hall below.

The third floor, with identical but slightly lower-ceilinged rooms, had almost intact floors. In the room opposite the stairwell, old clothes cluttered the floor. The remains of a bureau stood in one corner. The shutters from one of the two windows had come undone, and the room was well lit.

The clothes in the room were of the last century; there were many faded dresses with floor-length skirts … voluminous folds of material. There was one pair of men’s trousers with black-and-white, striped suspenders. There were rolls of yellowing fancy lace two inches wide, in tended for embroidery of home-sewn dresses.

In the room to the left of the stairs, piles of rubbish were scattered about. The only light came from a small window giving onto the roof of the servants’ quarters. A trap door in the ceiling gave on a completely dark crawl space smelling of cedar. Groping revealed a few rough planks of lumber.

The trash on the floor of the bedroom was different from that in the servants’ quarters. The bottles here were hand-blown glass … Clear glass medicine bottles labeled ‘KELLUM’S sure cure for Indigestion & Dyspepsia’ … Faint blue bottles: ‘JOHN C. BAKER & Co. CITRATE OF MAGNESIA’; ‘HOOD’S SARSAPARILLA’ … Small, clear-glass bottles with grown glass stoppers … Dark green bottles without labels had tiny bubbles fused in the glass that sparkled before the light.\

No clothing in this room. Wooden and cardboard boxes filled with books published in the 18th [19th?] Century. A curious stack of almanacs printed on yellow paper like newspaper. Fashion magazines of the same kind of paper with [sketches] of women in dresses that humped and flared; high hairdos; large, ornate hats.

Scattered about the floor were pages of stationery covered with carefully graceful handwriting. Among the letters was an envelope containing a stiff yellow postcard with a photograph of a man and woman on the front.

The woman dressed like the women in the magazines, was seated. The man stood beside here with one elbow on the chair shoulder, foot propped on a stool, so that his bent knee, on which the other hand rested, was raised to a level midway between the woman’s hands, folded in her lap, and her bodice. The man’s hair was clipped short and slicked down. The man’s mouth wavered between a smile and indifference. The woman was smiling, with her head tilted slightly to one side. The angle was accentuated by her broad-brimmed hat, whose white feathers curved into the margin of the picture.

On the back of the postcard was the caption “Hilton & Mitchel Studios, So Carolina Ave, Broadway, Atlantic City, N.J.” …

Image: “Back of a Picture Postcard Depicting a Couple in Old-Fashioned Dress,” photo by Alice B. Clagett, CC BY-SA 4.0 … DESCRIPTION: This image shows the back of the postcard, with the caption “Hilton & Mitchel Studios, So Carolina Ave, Broadway, Atlantic City, N.J.” The picture on the front of the postcard is of a couple in old-fashioned dress.

Image: “Back of a Picture Postcard Depicting a Couple in Old-Fashioned Dress,” photo by Alice B. Clagett, CC BY-SA 4.0 …

DESCRIPTION: This image shows the back of the postcard, with the caption “Hilton & Mitchel Studios, So Carolina Ave, Broadway, Atlantic City, N.J.” The picture on the front of the postcard is of a couple in old-fashioned dress.

Here is the letter I found on the bedroom floor. I have left the spelling and punctuation as in the original. First are the images of the letter; then after that, my transcription of the script, which I found a little difficult to read because of its antiquity …

Letter to Violet from Her Betrothed

Image: “Letter of Army Physician C.A. Harding to His Betrothed Violetta Lee, page 1,” 29 April 1865, photo by Alice B. Clagett, CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: “Letter of Army Physician C.A. Harding to His Betrothed Violetta Lee, page 1,” 29 April 1865, photo by Alice B. Clagett, CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: “Letter of Army Physician C.A. Harding to His Betrothed Violetta Lee, page 2,” 29 April 1865, photo by Alice B. Clagett, CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: “Letter of Army Physician C.A. Harding to His Betrothed Violetta Lee, page 2,” 29 April 1865, photo by Alice B. Clagett, CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: “Letter of Army Physician C.A. Harding to His Betrothed Violetta Lee, page 3,” 29 April 1865, photo by Alice B. Clagett, CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: “Letter of Army Physician C.A. Harding to His Betrothed Violetta Lee, page 3,” 29 April 1865, photo by Alice B. Clagett, CC BY-SA 4.0

Transcription of the Letter

Greensboro NC
April 29th 1865

My dear Violet

The long agony is over and the Confederacy is a failure. I am here with Johnston’s Army to be paroled, and expect to leave for Md on the 1st day of May – will travel on horse-back in company with a large number of ex-officers. Our route will be through Richmond thence to Gordon’sville & on to the Potomac, will cross it opposite Poolesville in Montgomery County. If I meet with no unforeseen interruption, expect to reach home about the 20th. I will not now attempt a narrative of the painful & eventful scene of the closing days of our struggle. This will serve for many a long talk in “brighter & happier days”

Brad Johnston is here & may accompany me homeward, he has just informed me of a public meeting which was held in Cecil Co. Md to protest against & prevent the return of Marylanders who have taken part in the Rebellion. I hope the sentiments expressed by that meeting have but few advocates in the old State – Now my dear Violet, do write me a long letter giving me all the news & informing me what I may expect from the people of the State or rather those, who I must meet. I am prepared to meet any difficulty in an effort to be with you again, only let me know that the effort meets your approbation. I will return to you with a heart unchanged & a love as ardent & sincere as when we met. Thank God the privation & exposure incident to the life I have led for the last four years, has made but little impression upon my health, time has dealt jently & kindly with me & indeed I am happy in the hope of soon being able to redeem the promise long ago made you. Confiding so entirely in your constancy & affection I am really sure that you will “gladly welcome my return” Th future is full of hope for me, happy indeed will I be, when I can devote my time in contributing to your pleasure and enjoyment, to make you happy will indeed b happiness for me. Now that the Union is restored you can have no hesitation or difficulty in writing to me, as soon as I see home, I will seek you – let me know where you will be. Can I be welcome at your home

Be sure to write me & enclose in envelope sent. I will expect you to do so, please dont’ disappoint me. Remember me to your mother, cousin & all friends.

Ever Yours
Affectionately __
C. A. Hastings

Perhaps I may not be able to leave here so soon as the 1st in that event I will not reach home as early as the 20th I will write you again from Richmond – Be sure to write me & put it in an envelope directed to me, then enclose it in the envelope I send you – by so doing no one will know that you have written me –

In love, light and joy
This is Alice B. Clagett.
I Am of the Stars … and so are you!

Filmed on 29 July 2021; published on 30 July 2021

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). Attribution: By Alice B. Clagett.
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history, chaos, fear, faith, courage, Civil War,