Makefield (Pennsilvania) Decr. 24th [1776]
My dearest Friend
After twelve Miles Ramble I met
Mr Shaw from whom I got your Letter of
25th Novr. which
gave me the very pleasing Account of your Mama's daily
mending. I hope before this her Recovery is complete, &
that she will find the Cure established by a firmer State
of health than She has been ever used to.
The three Lines which told me this were the only agreeable ones
in your Letter. From the rest I learn't that you still con-
tinue the Sport of Contingences, & the Prey of Melancholy &
Spleen. "You had rather hear from me than not." Forever
erased be the cold, inanimate, unfriendly Line -- but I check my
Pen -- & leave to your own Sensibility to paint my Feelings
on reading such a Close to a Letter from the Friend of my
Heart -- with this Observation on it, that though much is
due to Delicacy, Something still is due to
Friendship.
My Hopes of soon returning to
Boston
are vanished. I cannot desert a Man (& it would certainly
be Desertion in a Court of Honour) who has deserted every
Thing to defend his Country, & whose chief Misfortune among
ten thousand others, is, that a large Part of It wants Spirit
to defend itself. I have not "yet ceased to love my Country
ments, that your Friendship would revolt at the Idea
of my quitting it's Service disreputably; & that Man
must certainly do so who forsakes it at a Crisis impor-
tant as the present. If I know my own heart, I think
my last wish will be for the Happiness of America, my last
but one for yours.
Adieu Crito
A Week ago Colo. Casey
resign'd his Post of Aid
de Camp to the Commander in Chief, & immediately set off
for
Philadelphia to marry Miss Low, a young Lady of
New
York, an only Child with a Fortune of £10,000 (y. Cur) at her own
Disposal, & in Expectancy of £15,000 more. Thus has Money
at last effected, what some of the finest Girls have in vain
attempt-
ted without it -- & the "charming"
Dick Casey is a married
Man.
I saw Regnier about a month ago at
King's Ferry
on Hudson's River. He is a Field Officer in the Service of the
united States & commands 200 Frenchmen from
Canada --
& Il fit très bon fils de la Libertè -- I believe this is bad French
but I know you can mend it.
Do all the young Genius's of
Boston Still
dream & trade on? And are we Still to look to every other
Place but that, for intrep liberal Souls & intrepid
Spirits, at a Time when our bleeding, ravaged, half con-
quered Country calls for every Exertion -- I often blush for
my native Town.
--
My Compts. to Mr. Merchant
[Endorsement]
[Address]
Mr. White Boston