Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 1
Whither these will find you gallanting at Boston, or spinning at Weymouth I care not, if so be they find you, in any tolerable measure of Comfort & health, Tenant in Tail discontinues & dies, Pshaw this Law plagues me. I say I hope they'll find you well as I am, saving a very sore Lip occasioned for ought I know by over Exercise at Boston. Hence we learn that 'tis use & continual practice only, that fits us to go343through great fatigues. I have not wrote to you since last time the date of wch. I have forgot. The reason is I think of you so much as renders it quite needless and besides all that if the child dies before the mother I'me flung again, flung again i:e: disappointed, plaugued & put to Charge into Boot. As I was a coming up from Boston this last time, I sat away being alone as you know, & rid somewt. hard, Miss Rosanante having had but poor attendance at your Town, complain'd most sadly by the Time she had got to Concord so that for the last 2 or 3 miles the boys pointed & hooted, the Dog bark't the Cattle shook their heads & run & the old Weomen flew to the Doors with their Spectacles till at last getting to the Tavern, she call'd for a Couch & lay down, so not knowing but she might be a breeding, having been to Boston so often, I mean Breeding Botts occasioned by hard riding to Boston, I put her out to good keeping, obtain'd another Nag & fetch home. This was plague & trouble. Well then, to finish the matter I dispatch'd man & horse to fetch her home, wch. produced him much trouble & me charge, not only of Money but also of double distilld Cyder Beer & such other Liquors, which I beg & borrow in such great quantitys besides my own produce, that if my creditors don't favour me with Time to repay it, I must needs suffer greatly by such a continued Operation, in more way than need be express'd; and all this bath to her Legs, a Jade I will call 'em Legs tho' she is a Woman. However she begins to look pretty chipper & gives her compliments to you.
If you are at Weymouth tell Deacon Palmer & Family I've been quite negligent of them in Expression tho not in Thought. As for freind Cranch he & I have made a Mum, wch. I dont purpose to break. Poor Miss Dora,1 tell her, her Namesake improves in every female accomplishmt. But O Miss—I say its a Pity that Horse Beef is not as good as Cow for I expect I must kill my mare being in good Case.
But suppose you're in Boston, why then I should be glad you'd send my Shoes along for I want them. I cease coming to Boston for the present, however hope to hear from you by every Opportunity.
If you have any foreign or domestick News convey it to me who sojourn in these goings down of the sun.2 My old plush O Eunice how I miss you! If I think of any thing else I'll add it by way of P: S. as for the present I conclude yr. Loving Brother
P: S. I am abt. to set up a working School, & therefore should be glad you would send me a well wrought Sampler for marking, having forgot it344thro' long disuse, as also an assortment of needles from Cambrick to Brown thread.
Theodora Dyer.
On Feb. 2, 1756, Thomas Paine wrote to Eunice from Halifax suggesting a marriage between her and Ebenezer Prout, a Boston man who had established himself as a merchant in Halifax. Eunice wrote to Prout on March 8 concerning this "very unexpect'd Epistle which I Suppose you'll Expect an answer to." She expressed surprise that he "shou'd venture so far in an affair of so great importance" when he was "so unacquainted with the bargain." In the end, she pleaded ill health and hoped that answer would "suffice instead of a more formal refusal" (RTP Papers).
On a previous proposal of marriage, see Thomas Paine to Richard Cranch, Boston, May 1, 1753. On a subsequent affair of the heart, see Robert Treat Paine to Eunice Paine, Boston, May 6, 1759.