My Dear Nephew could not suppose a Friend to merit, could read a Paragraph in last Saturdays Paper, without feeling themselves gratified, by finding that the opinion of Persons of the highest eminence entirly coincided with their own—1

He who has obstinately, & undeviateingly persevered in a course of Study, who “can bring back at Eve, the manners of the Morn immaculate,”2 & steadily pursue the Path of Virtue, though Pleasures allure, & Temptations await him, is the only fit Person for the Publick to confide in. They shall bear the Palm, if they faint not And though “Confidence be a Plant of slow growth in the publick Mind,”3 yet when once rooted, it generally yeilds its Possessor a rich, & valuable Product.— I presume the desire of deserving the Esteem, & obtaining the Plaudit of your Country, will not lesson your anxiety, & Concern for her Interest— The late appointment of the Presidents will be an additional weight; & the Atlas of publick Care, which has for a long time oppressed you, will now (I fear) fix an indeliable [tr]ace upon your Brow—

William Cranch of whom you ever speak with so much Love, & affection, has not yet become a Votary at the Shrine of Hymen— He pines—he languishes for the sweets of domestick Life; & as heaven has formed him with a Mind peculiarly suited for that State, I am grieved that Fortune has not blessed him with sufficient Property— As she is a fickle Dame I hope she will soon shew herself more kind—for if rectitude of Heart, & sweetness of Temper can entitle any One to her Favours W. C. has an undoubted Claim—

And now permit me, my worthy Nephew to congratulate you upon the cold apathy which you say has, (or you fancy has) taken 203 possession of your Breast— If real, it must be extremely advantageous to your Peace, & Tranquility—

When I have beheld you nobly struggling with those tender Passions, which few at your age, would have thought of contending with—& seen you sacrificing your own Inclinations, to Situation, & filial Duty, my Heart has honoured, & paid a silent Tribute to your merit— I knew that your Health suffered—& indeed I feared you would have fallen a Victim to the strength of your Reason, & your frozen Judgment

Perhaps, no one, knew better than myself, the strong emotions which tore, & agitated your Mind— I could have sat by your side & counted out Tear, for Tear— I longed to lighten your Heart—& to have you pour out all your Grief, into my feeling—faithful Bosom—

But you must pardon me, if I could not (feeling as my heart is) but smile at your fears, that the Tyrant Love, would never again take possession of your Breast, even though your Circumstances should permit you, to sollicit his recall— Believe me, my dear Nephew, if virtuous Friendship be the Basis, (& upon no other build) a Soul like yours, susceptive of every fine emotion, can never be in want of Objects to light the Torch, & place his affections upon— for there is no Principle in Phylosophy more just, than that a noble generous Heart, will gravitate towards O[ne] he finds in Unison with his own— And that there are Ladies possessed of those qualities of the Mind, & those Virtues of the Heart, which beggar the “wealth of Ormus, & of Ind”—4 every Year evinces, & introduces upon the Stage of Life, some new Candidate for the nuptial State—

Amiable Minds are said to be the most susceptive of Love— Your Heart has felt his Power, & bowed full many a time at the Shrine of Beauty, & Excellence— Yet let me hope, that whenever you may wish to pay your Vows at the Altar of Hymen, you may find a Daughter who excelleth them all—in real worth, as in Beauty—Who is deserving of your highest Esteem, & tenderest Love—One, who (as the Poet says) “looks like Nature, in the Worlds first bloom”—5 And when judgment, & cool Reason gives a sanction to your Choice, then may you find all your Sacrifices—all your Anxieties—Your daily Labours—& midnight Toils amply rewarded in the Love, & affection of this happy fair One—

“Happy they—the happiest of their kind, whom gentler Stars unite, in one fate, their Hearts—their fortunes, & their Beings blend”—6

Perhaps you may wonder that I should take up the Ideas in your Letter of May 23d. 1793,7 & notice them at so late a period— But be assured I have read it repeatedly, & felt myself soothed, & honoured by the confidence you are pleased to repose in me—though I might never have written, if the late appointment, had not have pressed it upon me as a Duty, owing to a Nephew I sincerely loved, & in whose Prosperity, & Happiness I felt myself highly interested—

If the wishes of your Friends, & the tender Affection of an Aunt, can be any inducement to you, to make us a Visit in Haverhill, you certainly will not leave America without seeing

It is a fortnight to day since my return to the City, & I have been waiting the arrival of every Post in hopes of hearing from my friends— I missed seeing my Father by one day only, & I have not yet heared of his safe arrival at home. It is probable you are busy in preparing my Brother for his departure— I hope however he will be called to Philadelphia before that takes place— I know not whether it be necessary that he should come here, but at least I wish it. It seems as if our family were destined to distant separations; it is within three Days of Six Years since your return from Europe, which I believe is the longest period for many years that the whole of our Family have sojourned in the same Land. Like the Patriarchal 205 families of old, we have wandered thro’ strange & foreign regions, not in search of “the Promised Land,” but for promised honors & expected benefit. I too have travelled. In the course of five weeks I visited the rich & fertile Counties of Pennsylvania. Wealth, Health, & consequent contentment, were the Guests of every village— Vegetation of spontaneous growth every where charmed the Eye, while the product & reward of Laborious industry afforded a gratification as pleasing to the Spectator, as it is profitable to the owner. I passed a week in each County where the Court was held, & it would be difficult for me to decide, which claims the prefference in my opinion. West Chester, York Town, Lancaster, Carlisle & Reading, were the five I visited; I also passed thro’ Harrisburg on my return. This last is situated directly upon the Fertile Banks of the Susquehannah; in point of local situation it has the advantage over all the others; but within two or three years past, it has been subject to Ague’s & Intermittant’s; particularly last Fall— it lost more inhabitants in proportion to its numbers, than the City of Philada:; but for this circumstance the growth of this town would be as rapid as it has been hitherto; there are now 2 or 300 houses, & 8 years ago, there was but one & that was the Ferry house. The water, through out the Country I visited is said to partake the qualities of the Limestone, & I found it peculiarly serviceable to my health; The exercise of riding on Horseback so long a Journey was rather more severe than I have been accustomed to, but tho’ it took away some of my flesh, it contributed much to my health. If it were not for the expence of keeping a Horse in the City, I should be fond of retaining mine till Fall— I could not have been suited better for my purpose any where— The only objection is that it is a female, which among Beasts of burthen & service is not much of a recommendation. But I am in debt for my Bard between fifty & sixty Dollars, & for other things a few more, & I must endeavor to make so good a bargain of my Beast, as to pay my last quarter’s expences.—

I have the promise of an Office in my neighborhood & hope to be in it shortly, I could have got one before at a distance from my lodgings, but the convenience of having it near me, induced my delay.—1 If I can make my Office support itself for the first year, it will be as much as I expect, tho by no means so much as I could desire—but we must all be humbled before we are exalted— I never was much in love with myself, & I feel less so [no]w than ever.

With the warmest affection / yours &ca: