It was with real pleasure my Dear Brother that I received a few days since your letter of july 20th—1 It was a scource of double Sattisfaction as it releived me from an anxieity I had felt least you were less disposed to be attentive to your Sister than formerly, and as it informd me of your wellfare, I had sometimes been grieved at others half offended at not hearing from you, but the date of yours and hearing from Mamma that it had been delayed some weeks, by mistake; has releived my mind from every anxiety respecting the decrease of affection or attention—on your part—

it gives me uneasiness my Dear Brother to observe from the tenor of your letter that you permit the Cross accidents of Life to affect your spirits too much, true Philosophy does not Consist in being insensible to them, but in supporting ourselvs above them with becomeing dignity, and in acquiessing with chearfullness to those events which are irremidable, and by striving to attain such a Station in Life as we may not be subjected to their influence

I am going to give you a little advice and to tell you in what respects I think you amiss in your judgement, if you should disagree with me in opinion—I shall expect you to offer your reasons in vindication of yourself—

“you say that a young Man at your time of Life aught to support himself” and regret that it is not in your power to do it— it is not 291 often the Case that young Men of your age let them have been ever so fortunate in acquiring their professions at an early period do it independant of their Parents it is most fortunate for themselvs and their friends if they possess the disposition, which will in time ensure them the ability

your absence in Europe at that period when you would have been pursueing a Profession had you been at home, was not a fault, you was necessitated to it and it will not eventually prove a disadvantage—but I hope may be advantageous to you in future, I think you were right in returning at the time you did and that you discovered a judgement above your years in the path you have pursued since your return— I dont mean to flatter you—

you are now pursueing a profession which is undoubtedly the first of all the Learned Professions—and by which a Man may acquire eminence and independance if he pleases, but you must not be impatient, nor discouraged— for a few years you must acquiesse in the Humble Station of a Student,—as you term it,—and be Content to rise by degrees,—but I see no reason why you should exclude yourself from society,— it is not Policy for you to do it, you should when an opportunity offers visit, and pay any little attention that civility may dictate, to those persons with whom you may have been formerly acquainted and keep yourself up in the minds of People, who are not obliged to remember you unless you are sometimes to be seen

your station even at this period is as respectable for your own Country as the more exalted one in which you have been known in Europe by many of your fellow Citizens excuse the freedom with which I write, and beleive me that it arrises from the interest I feel in every thing which respects your proggress and Situation in Life—

it would contribute greatly to my happiness to receive you here and it will not I flatter myself be a long time before you will find it Convenient to make us a visit— CollnSmith will I am sure be very happy to become personally acquainted with you—

I hope my Father will determine to Come on to Congress in November, if a new Election for President should take place I have no doubt but he will be chosen and if there should not—I think it will be of service to himself and to the Country if he accepts of the choise made—

I will indeavour to forward to you the debates in Congress—respecting the place at which the new Government should meet—2 you will there see—party interest interfereing and even rejecting 292arangements which in duty to their Country ought to have been early decided— tis time indeed that there was a change—

Colln Lee from Virginia a nephew of the Mr Lee's3 —and a Member of Congress told me the other day that it was his opinion, and the opinion of others, and, he spoke as a Southern Man;—that the offices of Vice President and Chief justice, would lay between my Father and MrJay,—that he wished my Father might be appointed to the latter and accept of it—for he esteemed it next to the Presidentship—the most respectable under the new Government and that it was esteemed of more importance than the Vice Presidents. I wish our Dear Father to Consider well—as he no doubt will, before he decided against accepting it,

I hope he will not be inclined to going abroad again, his Chrildren are comeing forward into Life and it will be much in his Power to assist them forward by his Precept advice and judgment— a Situation abroad however respectable it may be made—is an exclusion from his friends, and by a Long absence every one is last in the remembrance of his Countrymen—and his family neglected—(at least under our Governments) our Country is not able if they were disposed to make such provision for those Persons who have been long in their service as to render them independant at the decline of Life— nor are they disposed to make any provission for their decendants— every one must move independantly—by the force of his own respectability—in this Country—to be sure Interest and intrigue are not excluded—but this is the Principle— of such service as you can be in promoting my views and designs—so far I will give you my support—provided there is no fear of your clashing with my pursuits— I see its operation on many—and I dispise it—but I fear I shall tire your patience with my Politicks both public and private—

I Shall not dispute the subject of Federal or antefederal with you, I think that the Constitution is now too generally adopted by the States to be receded from by any one with good intentions, but of the affect I Confess myself doubtfull— there is a great deal to be done to Sattisfy the Sanguine—and perhaps there may be found more perplexity in doing than is yet suspected by any one— it is a most important and critical era in the fate of our Country— may She be so Conducted as to insure peace tranquility and happiness to her Subjects is my wish, and in this I dare say you will not dissent from your affectionate Sister

Will you be so kind as to wait upon the Govenour early on monday morning with the inclosed cards and take an answer from him; which Brisler will call for on Monday at mr Fosters. if he has any objection to thursday, let it be fryday only I would wish for a decisive answer. if he agrees to the day proposed, then I would request the favour of you to go with the card to mr Brecks,1 but if the Govenours engagements are such as to prevent him & his Ladys comeing out on either day, omit carrying the card to mr Brecks— if any thing should prevent Brisler from comeing to town on monday he will be in on tuesday morḡ. I hope your goodness will excuse my troubling you with this buisness, and believe me your truly & / affectionate / Aunt

I received, on Wednesday last, from the hands of Mr. T——, your letter, No. 4, of August 25th.1 He was so obliging as to call with it himself, in company with Mr. King. * * *

Mr. George Storer came out last evening to pass Sunday with us, and by him I propose to forward my letter. He is very civil in forwarding letters for me, and is disposed to be sociable; I am glad that he is pleased with his visits to us. There is a satisfaction in renewing our acquaintance with persons to whom we have been formerly known; and particularly so to one who is not disposed to acquire 294 new friendships, or contract new acquaintances. Unless there are some very apparently attractive traits of character to induce me to cherish the friendship of persons with whom I become acquainted, I do not find much satisfaction from them.

When we arrived in this country, I found myself in a land of strangers. There were but two or three persons that I had any knowledge of, and not one that I had any friendship for. I was visited in New-York by fifty or sixty ladies; I returned their visits, and here the acquaintance ceases. There are a few families that I have been invited to; some I have visited frequently, but with no one have I, or shall I, ever become intimate. By retiring to the country we have avoided the society of those with whom I might have (by habit) become familiarly acquainted, without finding any thing in them of much value or importance.

I have been several times to New-York, and have been treated, upon every visit, with as much civility as I had any reason to expect, or wished; but there is no family where I can make a home, and go when inclination would induce, or business necessitate me, with freedom and unreserve; so that I believe I shall pass most of my time at home, to which I find myself daily more and more attached. I have as much society as I wish in our own family, and to me it is more agreeable than any other I could find.

I cannot but wish that you could make us a visit with my father, but I think your reasons against it are very forcible. I do not at all wonder that my brothers dissuade you from it. Your presence must fill up a great vacancy in their minds.

Although I wish you to come with my father, to be here in November, yet I see the force of your objections against it. You would not be pleasantly situated in New-York, unless my father were President of Congress; but if you will come and spend a few months with us in the country, and papa go to New-York at such times as he must attend Congress, it would make us very happy. But for you to live at lodgings in New-York would not do at all. You would not be much pleased with the society. They are quite enough dissipated. Public dinners, public days, and private parties, may take up a person's whole attention, if they attend to them all. The President of Congress gives a dinner one or two or more days every week, to twenty persons, gentlemen and ladies. Mr. Jay, I believe, gives a dinner almost every week: besides the corps diplomatique on Tuesday evenings, Miss Van Berkell and Lady Temple see company;2 on 295Thursdays, Mrs. Jay and Mrs. Laforey, the wife of the French Consul, on Fridays;3 Lady Christiana, the Presidentess; and on Saturdays, Mrs. Secretary ——. Papa knows her, and to be sure, she is a curiosity.4

I begin to doubt whether the States will generally appoint new members to Congress, as their time of continuance will be so short; and I suppose the members who now hold their seats, will be too fond of retaining them as long as they can, to leave their States long unrepresented. A short time will determine the event. I think the present appearances are, that this Congress will continue together until March; or that there will be a dissolution of all government for several months. For these two months past, these wise counsellors have been disputing and debating about the place where the new Government shall meet. The question has been brought on every day for the last month, and is not yet decided. New-York and Philadelphia are the points in contest, and neither party can get strong enough to make a majority in favour of either.

I am pleased to find that my politics meet with my father's approbation. I hear from many persons, the place of Vice President, or Chief Justice, assigned to him. Many persons consider the latter as the most respectable situation, and wish my father in it, as better calculated for it than any other man. Mr. Jay has also been mentioned for both, and I suppose every State have assigned every office that is to be created, to persons belonging to themselves; as the people of Philadelphia have already found men within the city, to whom they have assigned every place that is to be at the disposal of the people. There was such a list given out not long since; and so I presume it will be in most of the States.

Mr. —— is injuring his interests, I am informed, by his conduct towards the Lieutenant G. I wonder how he comes to be so mistaken in his politics, for in general he has discovered some knowledge of the human mind, by the manner in which he enforces himself upon the opinions of the people. I see by the papers that he is now putting himself into the observation of the people, in all parts of the State. To me his motives are obvious; but to appear opposed to him would, in my opinion, be the surest means of establishing his wishes.5 But to have done with politics.

There are eccentric characters in all stations. You were not personally acquainted with Mrs. ——, but you knew her by reputation. She returned to New-York in a late ship, with her son, who is 296married to a daughter of Mr. ——. He is seventeen years of age, and the lady fifteen; but possessed of an income of £500 per year, and a fortune in reversion. He will be entitled to a fortune of £30,000 when he comes of age.

Mr. B—— came out the other day, and dined with us. What an old fop! I was sorry to hear by him that Volnay had failed in business, since we left England, and that Mrs. O—— was in great distress there.

Col. Smith had a letter from Mr. Short by the last packet, which mentioned the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Paradise in Paris.

Cutting writes volumes of speculation to Col. Smith, upon the politics of Europe, and I fear will speculate with himself until he is ruined for any station in his own country.

Your affectionate daughter,