I received with great pleasure, my dear Mamma, your favour of the 7th: instt: which relieved me in some measure from my anxiety on account of your health, though it is now again alarmed at having no letters this evening by the Post. I want exceedingly to hear of your arrival at Philadelphia, and of the thorough restoration of your health.— I hope nothing will induce you to spend another summer in that part of the Country.

I conjure you my dear Mamma, not to suffer your anxiety on my account to add to any other evils with which you are afflicted. I have been a child to complain of my situation. It has nothing really distressing in it— So long as it shall be convenient for my Parents to favour me with a continuance of their support, I can continue here, and expect some favourable chance, or the gradual operation of a good character and unblemished reputation, to place me upon my own feet: and if that assistance should become inconvenient, I can I am perswaded find some situation in the Country where I shall be able to live upon my own industry: my situation here except in my prospects of business is as agreeable as I could wish.— Mrs: Welsh is very kind and attentive, the Doctor is a man of science and genius, in whose conversation I take much pleasure, and were it not for a degree of anxiety which is incorporated into my constitution, and for one or two other circumstances which cannot continue long, I should enjoy myself as well as if Fortune were more favourable.

The other circumstances which I have mentioned, are derived from a source upon which I did not intend to have given you any concern. But as common Fame, has carried to your Ears the report of my attachment to a young Lady, I wish to give you full satisfaction by assuring you that there shall never more be any cause on my 146part for the continuance of it. The Lady will henceforth be at the distance of 40 miles from me, and I shall have no further opportunities to indulge a weakness, which you may perhaps censure, but which if you knew the object, I am sure you would excuse.

Upon this subject as upon several others I could converse, with more freedom than I can write; and if I could meet with the perfect approbation of my Parents, I should be happy to pay them a visit of three or four weeks this winter at Philadelphia. The expence would not be much more than I should regularly incur during the same time here. The change of air, the exercice, the novelty of the place and the variety of scenes, might have a favourable effect upon my health and Spirits. The pleasure of seeing those dear friends, from whom I am almost always separated, is an inducement of great weight. And I have at present no business with which such a tour would essentially interfere.— I only mention my wish however as an idea, which has repeatedly presented itself in agreeable colours to my mind, and shall cheerfully resign it, if it should not be altogether agreeable to my father and to you: as I well know every objection you can have will arise from a consideration of my advantage. Should the proposal obtain your consent, I shall wish to go sometime in December or January, and if any business should intervene to require my presence here at that time, I can easily postpone my visit.

The money which was due to Brissler I had received before your order came, and have paid the principal part of it to Doctor Welsh for my board. I feel too grateful to attempt expressing it for the unceasing kindness and indulgence of my parents, and I faithfully assure you, that my only present real cause of complaint is that I am obliged to rely so much upon that indulgence, my only apprehension, that I shall abuse it.

I beg to be remembered affectionately to all my friends, and am your affectionate Son.

I have indeed, my dear Sister, been guilty of a neglect, in omitting so long to write to you, which I cannot upon any principle justify to 147my own heart; I am sure it has been totally inconsistent with the ardent and sincere brotherly affection which that heart invariably acknowledges for you, and which no length of time, no absence, no course of circumstances, shall ever impair: I have very frequently wished to write to you. I have many times taken my pen for the purpose, but have as often dropped it from my hand, perswaded that I could write nothing which would afford any gratification to your affection, and equally perswaded that I could not by any expressions that language affords do justice to mine.— I have been unwilling, to fatigue your patience, by a dull uniformity of peevish complaints, and I have been unable to afford pleasure to your friendship and benevolence, by any accounts of my own happiness or success.

I have indeed since I wrote you last entered upon a scene of Life different from any of those to which I have hitherto been used; I am nominally independent, though in reality very far otherwise. I have a profession without employment, and the advantage of increased present expences, with the hope of being able at some future period, (probably somewhat distant) of supporting them myself. My Causes for complaint, have been enlarging, in proportion as I have been advancing upon the Stage of Life, and when I write, I trouble my friends with a mere narrative of fears and disappointments. In this circumstance if you cannot find an excuse, I hope you will perceive at least an alleviation of my fault in having for so long a time apparently neglected you.— But, my dear Sister, better days will come: we shall all in our time, have comforts and enjoyments to boast of, and as time and chance happen to all men, the time must come when some favourable chances will occur to us.

You enquire whence arises the unpopularity of the V.P. There is no such unpopularity here. He has undoubtedly many enemies; and as most of them are equally enemies to the principles of honor and Justice, they will not be scrupulous in using the means of injuring him or his connections. But he has likewise many friends, many admirers, and many supporters who are fully sensible of the obligations for which his country is indebted to him; and of the sacrifices he has made of his own interest to the public welfare.— Excepting the President there is not a man in the United States of so respectable popularity as that which he possesses here; what it may be in the distant States I know not.— But a connection with a man in an eminent Station, who acts upon principles of Patriotism and Integrity, is a real injury, rather than an advantage. For all his enemies will naturally use every endeavour to obstruct, and depress persons 148thus connected, as their success, would not only promote his personal happiness but would tend to strengthen and confirm his public influence. His friends will never be active in their favour, because they will have personal interests and private connections, which will thoroughly counteract all active benevolence from gratitude to him.— It is one of those evils to which a man must submit, when he undertakes the generous though ungrateful task, of devoting himself to the welfare of his fellow creatures. You and I, my dear Sister, shall always find, that our near affinity, to a man, who has sacrificed himself and his family to his country, will be a real impediment to our success in the world.— I should rather have been surprized had it not deprived Coll: S. of an office, to which his merits had given him an indisputable title.—1 And I believe we shall more than once have occasion to suffer by a real partiality exerted against us in order to avoid an appearance of partiality in our favour.— For my own part, I am gradually reconciling myself to my situation. Habit enables us to endure many evils, wh[ich] would appear intolerable if contemplated only at a distance— I am alone in the world; and so long as Fortune retains the aspect in which she now presents herself to me, I shall feel a soothing consolation in the idea, that my sufferings are confined to myself, and that the happiness of no other person is dependent upon mine. I am tolerably sure of a future support for myself, and I shall I am perswaded be able to regulate my expectations and even my wishes, so as to be thoroughly satisfied with that.

I have enquired for the collection of Poems, by Tomkins, but have not as yet been able to procure them. Mr: Dawes tells me he owns them, and that they are principally valuable for the preface at the head of the volume.2 I shall continue occasionally to make enquiry for them, and if I can any where purchase them, send them to you as [soon] as possible

I sincerely sympathise with you upon the removal of our Parents from New-York. Separation from all the dearest connections which give a relish to the pleasures of life, and which alleviate its evils, has been almost constantly my fate from my infancy. Habit however has not rendered me insensible to the domestic attachments, which impart almost every thing that is valuable in this world, and I readily conceive how painful your sensations must be at the departure of your friends. But Charles will remain with you. His disposition was always amiable and his manner always calculated to make him friends. He has lately imbibed a thirst for science which will 149infallibly render him as respectable as he is agreeable. His literary improvement since he left College is very conspicuous even to his friends here in the style of his Letters. Let us take to ourselves joy, that in the midst of all our family misfortunes we can yet glory in unimpeached honour and integrity. Let us hope that the talents which in none of us are despicable, and the virtues which it will always be in our power to retain may yet carry us credibly through the world, and if the eminence of the Parent is not to be attained let us at least resolutely determine, to show ourselves really superior to the humbler stations which Providence has assigned to us.

I beg you to present my affectionate regards to Coll: Smith, and remind your sons that they have an uncle at a distance, who loves them, though they remember him not. I enclose a Letter for Charles from one of his friends.3 I will soon write to him myself.

Your ever affectionate brother.