Metadata
Title
Salmon K. Hale to Sarah Josepha Hale
Correction: This appears to be from an aunt in Keene, NH (possibly a S. K. Hale) to David E. Hale at West Point
Correction: This appears to be from an aunt in Keene, NH (possibly a S. K. Hale) to David E. Hale at West Point
Date
1834-06-18
June 18, 1834
Subject
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-108
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
I am glad, My dear [?], that you can account so satisfactorily
for your silence - yet seven months was a long while
for us wonder in - not too long however for you if thoughts
of your Sisters & of home brought back feelings that contrasted
painfully with the confinement of your studies
& made the discipline of West Point appear more irksome.
I rejoice that you have determined to excel, - nothing
more is necessary but to persevere - You have a
motive that must be constantly stimulating you in the
knowledge that your Mother & Sisters are expecting much
from you & that the influence of your example is all
important to your younger brothers - this alone I should
think would prevent you being a [cipher?] in the world
- besides in our country a man can hardly be respectable
let his fortune be what it will, without possessing some
kind of talent that might render him independent
& useful - There never will be a class of idle and
luxurious gentlemen here, I think - Did you ever
read the Castle of Indolence? - It is sixteen years since
I read it - but I copied in my common place book
some extracts for my own benefit, which at the risk
of you thinking I have more than a slight tinge
of azure & my "familiar letter is like a book" I
shall transcribe for you -- Industry is addressing the
sons of Indolence, & says
"It was not by vile loitering in ease
That Greece obtained the brighter palm of art
That soft yet ardent Athens learn'd to please,
To [Too] keen the wit & to [too] sublime the heart,
In all supreme! complete in every part!
It was not thence majestic Rome arose
And o'er the nations shook her conquering dart;
For sluggards brow the laurel never grows;
Renown is not the child of indolent repose.
But should to fame your hearts unfeeling be,
If right I read you please all require;
Then hear how best may be obtained this fee,
How best enjoyed this natures wide desire.
Toil & be glad! [let] industry inspire
Into your quicken'd limbs her buoyant breath!
Who does not act is dead. -
Would you then learn to dissipate the band
of the huge [threatening] difficulties dire
- - that mans
Soul appall and damp his rising fire?
Resolve, Resolve, & to be men aspire
Exert that noblest privilege, alone
Here to mankind indulg'd, controul [control] desire!
Let godlike Reason from her sovreign [sovereign] throne
Speak the commanding words - I will - and it is done."
There now - new and [ripe?] for copying this, buy committing it
to memory, & let "I Will" be your motto - I wont bore you
with any more lectures, only dont read Bulwers novels
& Byrons poetry - even tho' you are clear sighted enough to
perceive that their influence is not healthy - you are moved
by them you acknowledge - & in all cases of contagion the
most susceptible are the surest victims to this exposure -
- How amused I was at [Corrinnas?] graphic & humourous
description of the influence of Eugene Aram over her
[brother?] G- - but with "the amusing incident that occured [occurred]
at your ball" I shall leave it to the imagination! -
Martha Ann spent the vacation in Boston, while Josepha
remained with 'cousin Sarah' William also is here now & we
expect will spend some time with us -- Miss Fiskes school is
filled to overflowing -- Miss Wittington is as pretty as ever - Time
touches not that tiny amaranth - her bright eyes have charmed
him, I suspect - Miss Kent - Oh! why would you not like Miss
Kent? - by the way speaking of likes - how uncourteous of you
not to say one word of your faithful admirer Miss Dawes -
- so constant in her enquiries & her admiration of my hopeful
Nephew - [D.F.?] is still at Miss Fiskes - sweet, lovely & pensive -
Elizabeth - Oh! I pity Elizabeth - because she has no
female protection - She has kind & affectionate feelings & all
the [materil?] [material] for a very superior woman - she may
make one yet - but her Father is old & peevish & [iritable?] [irritable]
& tyrannical - but then he is her Father - Now dont be
romantic enough to think of Elizabeth to the exclusion
of "divine philosophy" -- Remember
"The man who would thrive in his art
must keep the girls away from his heart"
If I do not stop writing I shall quote my whole store
of nursery rhymes & quite shock your fastidiousness
but in sober prose without any rhyme but with
much reason believe me your affectionate
Aunt SK Hale
P.S- It has just occurred to me why there is such a quantity of verse
in my letter - I have been writing with the girls of a swan; -
but it has lost all the dignity & grace that it had upon the
water, it even was a most [DE: ?] ungraceful bird up[ED: page damaged]
land you know. - Miss Ware enquires in one of her letters "[ED: page damaged]
the swan was consecrated to Apollo & so celebrated by the [ED: page damaged]
for his song - when in fact it is a most unmusical bird?" We
looked over numerous bulky volumes to find a satisfactory
reason - Have you ever met any thing in your french mythology
upon the subject? - Speaking of Miss Ware makes me think of the
pretty new teacher who has just arrived at Miss Fiske's - only
seventeen - understands a thousand & one languages - executes
difficult Italian music - has a pretty fairy like figure - a
sunny blue eye & a complexion like a sweet pea - & her
name is Anna - not "[Commenci]"-(How classical that would
be) but [Maria?] - Oh! that is far more sentimental - -
- I have just seen her - while writing my letter, & have decided
that she is pretty - very - front view -- but much to my mortification
she has a bad profile, for therein she is said to resemble
one whom it is impolite to talk about - but who is like her
sex in putting the essence of the letter in the postscript
when she send the love of Martha & Josepha to their dear
Brother. -
Cadet D.E. Hale
West Point
N.Y.
for your silence - yet seven months was a long while
for us wonder in - not too long however for you if thoughts
of your Sisters & of home brought back feelings that contrasted
painfully with the confinement of your studies
& made the discipline of West Point appear more irksome.
I rejoice that you have determined to excel, - nothing
more is necessary but to persevere - You have a
motive that must be constantly stimulating you in the
knowledge that your Mother & Sisters are expecting much
from you & that the influence of your example is all
important to your younger brothers - this alone I should
think would prevent you being a [cipher?] in the world
- besides in our country a man can hardly be respectable
let his fortune be what it will, without possessing some
kind of talent that might render him independent
& useful - There never will be a class of idle and
luxurious gentlemen here, I think - Did you ever
read the Castle of Indolence? - It is sixteen years since
I read it - but I copied in my common place book
some extracts for my own benefit, which at the risk
of you thinking I have more than a slight tinge
of azure & my "familiar letter is like a book" I
shall transcribe for you -- Industry is addressing the
sons of Indolence, & says
"It was not by vile loitering in ease
That Greece obtained the brighter palm of art
That soft yet ardent Athens learn'd to please,
To [Too] keen the wit & to [too] sublime the heart,
In all supreme! complete in every part!
It was not thence majestic Rome arose
And o'er the nations shook her conquering dart;
For sluggards brow the laurel never grows;
Renown is not the child of indolent repose.
But should to fame your hearts unfeeling be,
If right I read you please all require;
Then hear how best may be obtained this fee,
How best enjoyed this natures wide desire.
Toil & be glad! [let] industry inspire
Into your quicken'd limbs her buoyant breath!
Who does not act is dead. -
Would you then learn to dissipate the band
of the huge [threatening] difficulties dire
- - that mans
Soul appall and damp his rising fire?
Resolve, Resolve, & to be men aspire
Exert that noblest privilege, alone
Here to mankind indulg'd, controul [control] desire!
Let godlike Reason from her sovreign [sovereign] throne
Speak the commanding words - I will - and it is done."
There now - new and [ripe?] for copying this, buy committing it
to memory, & let "I Will" be your motto - I wont bore you
with any more lectures, only dont read Bulwers novels
& Byrons poetry - even tho' you are clear sighted enough to
perceive that their influence is not healthy - you are moved
by them you acknowledge - & in all cases of contagion the
most susceptible are the surest victims to this exposure -
- How amused I was at [Corrinnas?] graphic & humourous
description of the influence of Eugene Aram over her
[brother?] G- - but with "the amusing incident that occured [occurred]
at your ball" I shall leave it to the imagination! -
Martha Ann spent the vacation in Boston, while Josepha
remained with 'cousin Sarah' William also is here now & we
expect will spend some time with us -- Miss Fiskes school is
filled to overflowing -- Miss Wittington is as pretty as ever - Time
touches not that tiny amaranth - her bright eyes have charmed
him, I suspect - Miss Kent - Oh! why would you not like Miss
Kent? - by the way speaking of likes - how uncourteous of you
not to say one word of your faithful admirer Miss Dawes -
- so constant in her enquiries & her admiration of my hopeful
Nephew - [D.F.?] is still at Miss Fiskes - sweet, lovely & pensive -
Elizabeth - Oh! I pity Elizabeth - because she has no
female protection - She has kind & affectionate feelings & all
the [materil?] [material] for a very superior woman - she may
make one yet - but her Father is old & peevish & [iritable?] [irritable]
& tyrannical - but then he is her Father - Now dont be
romantic enough to think of Elizabeth to the exclusion
of "divine philosophy" -- Remember
"The man who would thrive in his art
must keep the girls away from his heart"
If I do not stop writing I shall quote my whole store
of nursery rhymes & quite shock your fastidiousness
but in sober prose without any rhyme but with
much reason believe me your affectionate
Aunt SK Hale
P.S- It has just occurred to me why there is such a quantity of verse
in my letter - I have been writing with the girls of a swan; -
but it has lost all the dignity & grace that it had upon the
water, it even was a most [DE: ?] ungraceful bird up[ED: page damaged]
land you know. - Miss Ware enquires in one of her letters "[ED: page damaged]
the swan was consecrated to Apollo & so celebrated by the [ED: page damaged]
for his song - when in fact it is a most unmusical bird?" We
looked over numerous bulky volumes to find a satisfactory
reason - Have you ever met any thing in your french mythology
upon the subject? - Speaking of Miss Ware makes me think of the
pretty new teacher who has just arrived at Miss Fiske's - only
seventeen - understands a thousand & one languages - executes
difficult Italian music - has a pretty fairy like figure - a
sunny blue eye & a complexion like a sweet pea - & her
name is Anna - not "[Commenci]"-(How classical that would
be) but [Maria?] - Oh! that is far more sentimental - -
- I have just seen her - while writing my letter, & have decided
that she is pretty - very - front view -- but much to my mortification
she has a bad profile, for therein she is said to resemble
one whom it is impolite to talk about - but who is like her
sex in putting the essence of the letter in the postscript
when she send the love of Martha & Josepha to their dear
Brother. -
Cadet D.E. Hale
West Point
N.Y.