Metadata
Title
Sarah Josepha Hale to David E. Hale
Creator
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Date
1832-10-16
October 16, 1832
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-143
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
Boston, Oct 16, 1832 /.
My dear Son -
Your letter enclosing the bills
reached me safely. The money was very
acceptable, but nothing in comparison
with the kind and noble resolutions you
express of future exertions. It was to
awaken such feelings that I wrote. I have
not wished to cloud your mind with the
cares of the world, any further than
[item necessity?] and your own improvement
rendered indispensable. But you
will soon be obliged to mingle in the
world as a man. You must be armed
to endure the shocks and resist the temptations.
You must begin to calculate your
course, to discriminate the objects of pursuit
most worth your exertions. I trust
I shall not be disappointed in my
hopes that you will be a blessing and
support to me and your sisters &
young brother.
Do not, however, imagine that I am suffering.
It is true, I have many perplexities.
How could it be otherwise! It is not
a trifling thing to support five persons -
and then the education of the children
is every season increasing in expense.
Still I manage to keep on. I have kind
friends, and I labor hard, and am very
prudent. I am now engaged on another
work, which will, I hope be popular as "Flora,"
and if the Magazine continues next year
as profitable as it has been this I shall
meet my expenses. But you will feel that
these uncertainties must often trouble me.
Now with respect to your own plans. What
do you wish to do when you graduate?
It is time we begin to make calculations
for that event, I named your becoming an
assistant because I do so dread to have
you stationed at the far West or the sickly
South - and then you will be too young to
be placed in a station of responsibility as an
officer or at least, I should prefer to have
you engaged in a less hazardous situation.
You entered the Academy too early, & I was not
sufficiently acquainted with the requisitions
of the Institution. But this we cannot now
help. The only course is to make the best we
can of present circumstances.
I have friends at Washington, & if my
application can do any good towards
procuring you a situation more consonant
to your wishes and to the plans for future improvement
which I hope you are forming,
I will use all my endeavors to succeed.
Now I wish you to reflect in the [hours?]
before you. What can you hope for? What are
you qualified to obtain? And what situation, of those
you believe attainable, should you prefer? And
why should you prefer it? Answer these questions
in your next, and I we will consider the subject,
and endeavor to assist you in the obtaining of
the employment we shall, on the whole, think most
beneficial.
I should prefer the Civil Engineering to a station
in the army for you.
Dr Spurzheim the great German phrenologist
is in Boston. I am delighted with
his lectures, and hope you will have the
privilege of hearing him. He will probably
visit West Point. He is very popular here,
and deserves to be, for he devotes his great
talents to the cause of education & moral
improvement. I [DE: am] have become personally acquainted
with him - and feel it a high privilege. He pronounces
Horatio's head to be very extraordinary [etc.]
Yours affectionately
S.J Hale
PS. I shall go to N.H. next week, to Newport &
Keene. Josepha is to spend the winter in Concord with
her Aunt Barton - & Marthaann will be in Boston
& Salem through the winter.
H. & W. send much love. Wm has entered
the public Latin School. - - [?]
Cadet David E. Hale
West-Point
N York.
My dear Son -
Your letter enclosing the bills
reached me safely. The money was very
acceptable, but nothing in comparison
with the kind and noble resolutions you
express of future exertions. It was to
awaken such feelings that I wrote. I have
not wished to cloud your mind with the
cares of the world, any further than
[item necessity?] and your own improvement
rendered indispensable. But you
will soon be obliged to mingle in the
world as a man. You must be armed
to endure the shocks and resist the temptations.
You must begin to calculate your
course, to discriminate the objects of pursuit
most worth your exertions. I trust
I shall not be disappointed in my
hopes that you will be a blessing and
support to me and your sisters &
young brother.
Do not, however, imagine that I am suffering.
It is true, I have many perplexities.
How could it be otherwise! It is not
a trifling thing to support five persons -
and then the education of the children
is every season increasing in expense.
Still I manage to keep on. I have kind
friends, and I labor hard, and am very
prudent. I am now engaged on another
work, which will, I hope be popular as "Flora,"
and if the Magazine continues next year
as profitable as it has been this I shall
meet my expenses. But you will feel that
these uncertainties must often trouble me.
Now with respect to your own plans. What
do you wish to do when you graduate?
It is time we begin to make calculations
for that event, I named your becoming an
assistant because I do so dread to have
you stationed at the far West or the sickly
South - and then you will be too young to
be placed in a station of responsibility as an
officer or at least, I should prefer to have
you engaged in a less hazardous situation.
You entered the Academy too early, & I was not
sufficiently acquainted with the requisitions
of the Institution. But this we cannot now
help. The only course is to make the best we
can of present circumstances.
I have friends at Washington, & if my
application can do any good towards
procuring you a situation more consonant
to your wishes and to the plans for future improvement
which I hope you are forming,
I will use all my endeavors to succeed.
Now I wish you to reflect in the [hours?]
before you. What can you hope for? What are
you qualified to obtain? And what situation, of those
you believe attainable, should you prefer? And
why should you prefer it? Answer these questions
in your next, and I we will consider the subject,
and endeavor to assist you in the obtaining of
the employment we shall, on the whole, think most
beneficial.
I should prefer the Civil Engineering to a station
in the army for you.
Dr Spurzheim the great German phrenologist
is in Boston. I am delighted with
his lectures, and hope you will have the
privilege of hearing him. He will probably
visit West Point. He is very popular here,
and deserves to be, for he devotes his great
talents to the cause of education & moral
improvement. I [DE: am] have become personally acquainted
with him - and feel it a high privilege. He pronounces
Horatio's head to be very extraordinary [etc.]
Yours affectionately
S.J Hale
PS. I shall go to N.H. next week, to Newport &
Keene. Josepha is to spend the winter in Concord with
her Aunt Barton - & Marthaann will be in Boston
& Salem through the winter.
H. & W. send much love. Wm has entered
the public Latin School. - - [?]
Cadet David E. Hale
West-Point
N York.