Boston March 24. 1749 1748/9 Dear Brother,

I have just had the pleasure of Receiving a line from you and of entertaining two of your friends who inform me of your health. As to the affair of a Commencment I can say nothing at present for I have had no time with father but shall improve the first Leasure to inform him & know his mind. It seems Strange to me to hear Such news, for Mr. Green told father (Since you went up) that he was determin'd to do nothing. I'm affraid we shall be deceiv'd too long, father is so low in health and spirrits that he will be glad to believe that they have Concluded upon no preparation but you may depend upon my interest in knowing assoon as possible.

I am not insinsible of the Snare we have falen into on the account of the Stir that fathers affairs have made in the world but allass tis I'm affraid for nothing. He has heard of Erskins & Beauforts being taken at the bay.1 How transient are all the injoyments of wealth & honour &c, and how folish is it to have any dependdance upon them and yet as you observe how easily are our minds led Captive by the Cares and pleasures of flesh and Sence, and how hard is it to disengage our Selves from the world when we wish to be imploy'd in matters of far greater importance things that relate to our evelasting wellfare.

Dear Brother how great is our Obligations to him who is the great Director of our minds for his percular favour in affording us this inestimable token of his Divine Love to us in giving us a heart to seek his favour and devote the flower of our Life to his Service, he has in his word given great incouragement to such as early turn their feet into his testimonies, and acknoledge him the guide of their youth.

Dear Brother I hope we shall be made Blessing to each other in our Christian Race, many are the difficultys we have to encounter both from within and without many and great are the temptations that youth are expos'd too but if you fix your dependance upon him who has Said Call upon me in trouble and I will answer & thou shalt Glorifie me, you will be Strenthen'd and made to rejoice even under Chastizements, for the ways of vertue are pleasantness and all her paths are peace.

Pray let us improve what time we can in writing to each other when absent that so we may be in some measure aquainted with each others joys and Sorroys, and be often joining in our inquiring the way to Zion 54and assisting each other under dificultys that we may not be Strangers here Since we hope to be the partakers of the Same Hapiness where no Strangers dwell but are all united in the Same heavenly imploy, may you be assisted and made meet for that Glorious world of perfected Spirits is the earnest desire of your Loving Sisster,

ABIGAIL PAINE

Pray Excuse the writing & all other Errors for I am in great haste. Your old Companion James Leech2 lies in a dying State if alive. I depend upon Seeing you next week next Sabbath being S——3

RC ; endorsed.

1.

Thomas Paine suffered severe financial losses at this time owing to the capture of some of his vessels and cargoes by French privateers and the depressed state of business generally (Paine, Paine Ancestry, 20; Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 6:205).

2.

James Leach (1730–1749), who died Mar. 27, 1749, was the son of John Leach, a "retailer" on Battery March Street, and his wife Ruth (Gravestone Inscriptions... in the Granary Burying Ground, Boston, Mass. [Salem, Mass., 1918], 150; Thwing Index).

3.

Sacrament.

Boston Aprill 6. 1749 Dear Brother,

I have no time to acknoledg your favour Recd. this day. I have nothing to Say Concerning your Bottles1 but that I hope father will taken Some Speedy Care to promote it. I Shall use my utmost endeavours. Your Loving Sisster,

ABIGAIL PAINE

RC ; endorsed.

1.

In his diary RTP records in shorthand on Apr. 12, 1749: "Cato brought me up from Boston 7 dozen and 11 bottles from Boston. I had 3 dozen and 11 up here before. P.M. I filled them with cider."

Boston May 1749 Dear Brother,

Your repeated favour which I Received this day has afforded me great Satisfaction and the more Since I was so much indebted to you. I hope you have got your pills for they were left with Mrs. Apleton. I have told the Doctr. of your infirmity & he urges your taking 55them. I'm glad to hear you were so wise as to ride and make no doubt but more Such exercise wou'd Serve you much and I think it our duty to Strive to attain to all the Blessing of Providence and Especialy that of health Since tis that alone which makes us Capable of injoying all the other good things that are bestow'd upon us, and makes us more Capable of Serving him who is the author of all our Happiness. But tho' Health be so great a favour of Providence and the want of it a frown yet we must not be Cast down when we are bereav'd of it for even the want has often Blessings attending it when it is Sanctified & made a Monitor to quicken us in our preparation to Leave this fleshly dwelling, and how natural does the least disease lead us to Consider our mortallity as Doctr. Watts Says How weak the prison is where I dwell, Flesh but a tottering wall, The Breaches Chearfully fortell The house must Shortly fall. 1 and this reflection will be of great Service to us in keeping us upon our guard against every evill and quicken us in our desire after perfection. And tho' the want of health may hinder us from a regular preformance of many dutys and much Service which if health was granted we might do in this life yet how much goodness appears in this that where the desires are Strong tho' the flesh be weak yet it is accepted and we shall be Receiv'd even for wishing to be Serviceble to him.

Dear Brother, tis with Sorrow that I think of your weakly Constitution but how much greater wou'd my Sorow be if I Saw you in health and Strenth of body persuing all the vanitys of youth & thoughtless about the great Concern of Life, the difference is too great for me to discribe for now tho' you are under afflictive Curcumstances yet I can recount the many Blessings promis'd to early piety and have great reason to hope you are a Subject of them which raises my Spirits to trust for you in that Allmighty Arm that will Strengthen & uphold them who Seek for it and trust in it and that you may do this is the ernest desire of your ever Loving Sisster,

ABIGAIL PAINE

PS. The matter of a private Commencement2 is not yet determin'd. Mr. Oliver Came to get father to Subcribe three hunderd Pounds to promote it but he refus'd. If it be agreable to you I Shall be glad to have it private but shou'd be Sorry if it Crosses your inclination. Sisster is disa­56pointed in not having a Letter. She is not well and is to vissit Cambridge next week.

RC ; addressed: "To Mr. Robert Treat Paine att Cambridge"; endorsed.

1.

From "Happy Frailty," in Horæ Lyriraæ: Poems, Chiefly or the Lyric Kind in Three Books, by Isaac Watts. 9th ed., corrected. (Boston, 1748), 71.

2.

RTP records in his diary that the Corporation of Harvard College voted on May 15 to have commencement exercises private, but the Overseers negatived this vote on May 18. Commencement took place on Friday, June 30, when RTP received his A.B. degree.