I promiss'd to write you by the Post when your Furniture Sail'd but Doctor Tufts Said he had done it—1 I hope you have it safe & that it has been more fortunate than in its last voyage— I heard you did not leave Providence till the monday after you left us. I want to hear of your arrival reception &c—how you found mr Adams mrs Smith & her little ones—whether she will continue in the House with you & whether you have not all been made Sick with the continue'd heat of the last fortnight. we have not had such for several years. it has fallen hard upon me because I have had such poor help. Ester Baxter has been with me for the last week or I believe I should have been quite sick.2 I have now got a Girl from milton who appears as if she would do after I have taught her to cook & do twenty other things which she knows nothing of at present— It is very unreasonable that such an one should demand the same wages that a Girl, has who does not want such teaching but so it is—

mrs Palmer has mov'd into your house3 I have been their but a few moments since They appear to be much gratified with their situation mrs Brisler has been very well for her has been threaten'd once or twice with one of her ill turns but they went of. her eldest child will soon run alone she leads about prittily

I heard last week from both your sons they were well— uncle Quincy was at meeting last Sabbath— what a life he leads without a creature about him in whos Society he can take any pleasure— I could not live so

I saw your mother Hall today she was as well as usual. every thing in Braintree remains as when you left it excepting that old Benjamin cleaverly dy'd last week & that Becca Field made young—Ben—pay her four dollars for attempting to get into her Lodging room window in the night4 she came with a complant to mr Cranch & he write him a Letter which frightned him heartlly

Mr Guild I hear is gone to New york by him I hope you will write me. you are in the midst of the busy world I almost out of it. I have very little variety in my circle & what I tell you in one Letter I must repeat in another. I should write oftener if my stock of inteligence was greater or more important.—

July 6th

I have just been gratified with a Letter from my dear sister, mr woodward took it out of the Post office this morning I am indeed rejoic'd to hear of your safe arrival after so painful & dangerous a voyage. Hear I was pleasing my self that you had fine weather & a good wind for such we had hear— I should have been distress'd indeed if I had known your situation— I have an oppertunity to send this immediately

adieu yours most affectionatly

I thank you my dear Son, for your dutiful Letter of the 28th. of June, and rejoice, with exceeding Joy, in the recovery of your health

My Advice is, to give yourself very little Thought about the Place of your future Residence. a few Months will produce changes that will easily Settle that Question for you. Mr Parsons's great Law Abilities make me wish that the Public may be availed of them, in one of the most respectable Situations, and I doubt not that he will be promoted either on the State Bench or an higher.

I Shall be very happy, my Son, to See you here, whenever the Journey may be most convenient to you and to Mr Parsons: but I should wish you to be here when the House is Sitting, that you may hear the Debates, and know the Members. Charles has been very industrious and useful to me, Since his Arrival. He is gone with his Brother and Sister, on a visit to Jamaica. I will enjoin upon him a constant Correspondence with you.

I am of Mr Parsons's opinion that Six Judges are not enough. his objection to joining the district Judge to the other two in the Circuits, has been obviated, by excluding him from a Voice in any Cause, which he may have adjudged before.

Your Letter my Son is full of matter, and has given me great pleasure. I wish you to write me, once a Week.— I am at a loss to guess, how you came by the Anecdote, that I turned the Vote for 3 Cents on Molasses. one Penny a gallon, would go so far towards paying my Salary that I think the Molasses Eaters ought not to be so stingy as they are to me. but neither Molasses, nor fish nor millions upon millions of Acres of Land, will ever be of any Service to you, or even make me comfortable. I must be pinched and Streightened till I die, and you must have to toil and drudge as I have done. do it, my dear son with out murmuring. This is entre nous.— Independence, my Boy and freedom from humiliating obligations, are greater Sources of happiness, than Riches.

My office requires, rather Severe duty, and it is a kind of Duty, which if I do not flatter myself too much, is not quite adapted to my Character.— I mean it is too inactive, and mechanical.— The Chancellor sometimes wishes to leave the Woolsack,1 and engage in debate. but as it cannot be done, I am content, tho it sometimes happens that I am much enclined to think I could throw a little light upon a subject.— if my health and Patience should hold out my four Years, I can retire and make Way for some of you younger folk, for one Vacancy makes many Promotions.

if you have turned Quaker, with our H. of Reps, as from the outside of your Letter one would suspect, I think you ought to have Thee'd and Thou'd your Correspondent in the Inside.—2 if not, you ought to have given him the Title of Goodman, or Something, according to the Doctrine in Shenestones School Mistress.

I am my dear Child, with the tenderest / Affection your Father