Metadata
Title
Sarah Josepha Hale to David E. Hale
Creator
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Date
1839-02-05
February 5, 1839
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-150
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
Boston, Feby, 5, 1839
My dear Son - I have been waiting to hear
from Horatio before writing to you, and to-day
letters have come from [Rio?] - He was there
Nov. 27, in good health and spirits - collecting
and collating the Negro dialects, which the fresh
importations of slaves there constantly furnish.
He appears to be devoting himself in earnest
to the prosecution of his task and determined to
allow no pursuits of pleasure to interfere in
his course. He says he had been eight days
in that most dissipated place and had not
expended a dollar except for a few presents
to send home; he drinks no wine or strong
drink of any kind - and intends to win
his way to fame if industry and self-denial,
(or rather a course dictated by self-respect)
can succeed. - May heaven strengthen and
sustain his efforts. His letters give
me great satisfaction.
Lt. Donaldson called Feby. 1st and
paid me $63.15, which had been sent
him from Houtton for you. - Whenever
you want the money write me, and
I will try to enlarge it to $100 - Lt.
D. appeared in better spirits than I have
seen him for some time - he is coming
into the city to board, I fancy that he is
engaged in a correspondence with Miss
C. Marshall, but whether as lover or friend
I cannot say. - He said that he had been
quite unsuccessful for the last month
in obtaining recruits - had got only
six and the expense to government was
about $300 - He had attended the last ball
at [Alinarks?] -
The day after you left Boston
Mr. [Randall?] called to invite you to dine
- he had been quite ill, and regretted much
that he had not seen you - several other
invitations also came, and it seemed
that you went just as you would have
found your visit most agreeable. -
How did you find your friends at Keene?
I hear that Sarah H. is expected at Boston
soon.
We have lately had letters from Josepha,
she seems to be quite a belle and enjoys
herself much. - I wish you would
write her a long letter - Direct to
Franklin, Tenn.
[Fanny's?] vacation commences
this week - tomorrow. I wish you were
here to take a sleigh ride or two with
her, as she is so fond of it, and has
no opportunity of making a visit to
Concord or Keene.
How do you like your present
quarters? - I hope you have found
a pleasant society of persons who
are not like some with whom you
have been associated. You cannot
know the anxiety I feel on your
account. Deeply do I regret that I ever
sent you to West Point - but that cannot
be remedied. If you would
resolutely become what nature has
qualified you to be - an industrious
and successful scholar, you might now overcome
the evil tendencies of your profession.
Most of the vices [DE: which] and temptations
which [beset?] an officer's station are
indulged or fostered by idleness and
[ED: page torn] ennui. - Now you will soon
[ED: page torn] [twenty] four - an age when [reason?]
should govern if ever. I do
hope and pray that you will begin
in earnest some intellectual pursuit - say the
study of languages - French, Spanish and
Italian - or Civil engineering - or
even of the Military profession, connected
as it is with the History and Civilization
of the world. At any rate, do select
some one branch of knowledge and
pursue it - Novel-reading may do very
well for Donaldson, but your mind
requires some higher aim and pursuit.
I will not believe that you can so
disappoint all my hopes as to allow
your past errors to become habits -
No, for my sake, if not for your
own, you will now throw off the
incubus which has, for the last three or four
years, weighed down your good resolves
and be all that I wish - all that you
are capable of becoming. -
I shall write again on your birthday.
- F. & W. are well and send bushels of
love. Yr. affectionate Mother
S.J. Hale.
David E. Hale
Lt. U.S. Artillery
Rousse'Point
(near Plattsburg)
New York -
[ED: the following text appears upside down at the bottom of the page]
P.S. Your Watch has not yet reached
me - Fanny is quite in despair about
the time o' day. How shall I obtain the
watch? S.J.H.
My dear Son - I have been waiting to hear
from Horatio before writing to you, and to-day
letters have come from [Rio?] - He was there
Nov. 27, in good health and spirits - collecting
and collating the Negro dialects, which the fresh
importations of slaves there constantly furnish.
He appears to be devoting himself in earnest
to the prosecution of his task and determined to
allow no pursuits of pleasure to interfere in
his course. He says he had been eight days
in that most dissipated place and had not
expended a dollar except for a few presents
to send home; he drinks no wine or strong
drink of any kind - and intends to win
his way to fame if industry and self-denial,
(or rather a course dictated by self-respect)
can succeed. - May heaven strengthen and
sustain his efforts. His letters give
me great satisfaction.
Lt. Donaldson called Feby. 1st and
paid me $63.15, which had been sent
him from Houtton for you. - Whenever
you want the money write me, and
I will try to enlarge it to $100 - Lt.
D. appeared in better spirits than I have
seen him for some time - he is coming
into the city to board, I fancy that he is
engaged in a correspondence with Miss
C. Marshall, but whether as lover or friend
I cannot say. - He said that he had been
quite unsuccessful for the last month
in obtaining recruits - had got only
six and the expense to government was
about $300 - He had attended the last ball
at [Alinarks?] -
The day after you left Boston
Mr. [Randall?] called to invite you to dine
- he had been quite ill, and regretted much
that he had not seen you - several other
invitations also came, and it seemed
that you went just as you would have
found your visit most agreeable. -
How did you find your friends at Keene?
I hear that Sarah H. is expected at Boston
soon.
We have lately had letters from Josepha,
she seems to be quite a belle and enjoys
herself much. - I wish you would
write her a long letter - Direct to
Franklin, Tenn.
[Fanny's?] vacation commences
this week - tomorrow. I wish you were
here to take a sleigh ride or two with
her, as she is so fond of it, and has
no opportunity of making a visit to
Concord or Keene.
How do you like your present
quarters? - I hope you have found
a pleasant society of persons who
are not like some with whom you
have been associated. You cannot
know the anxiety I feel on your
account. Deeply do I regret that I ever
sent you to West Point - but that cannot
be remedied. If you would
resolutely become what nature has
qualified you to be - an industrious
and successful scholar, you might now overcome
the evil tendencies of your profession.
Most of the vices [DE: which] and temptations
which [beset?] an officer's station are
indulged or fostered by idleness and
[ED: page torn] ennui. - Now you will soon
[ED: page torn] [twenty] four - an age when [reason?]
should govern if ever. I do
hope and pray that you will begin
in earnest some intellectual pursuit - say the
study of languages - French, Spanish and
Italian - or Civil engineering - or
even of the Military profession, connected
as it is with the History and Civilization
of the world. At any rate, do select
some one branch of knowledge and
pursue it - Novel-reading may do very
well for Donaldson, but your mind
requires some higher aim and pursuit.
I will not believe that you can so
disappoint all my hopes as to allow
your past errors to become habits -
No, for my sake, if not for your
own, you will now throw off the
incubus which has, for the last three or four
years, weighed down your good resolves
and be all that I wish - all that you
are capable of becoming. -
I shall write again on your birthday.
- F. & W. are well and send bushels of
love. Yr. affectionate Mother
S.J. Hale.
David E. Hale
Lt. U.S. Artillery
Rousse'Point
(near Plattsburg)
New York -
[ED: the following text appears upside down at the bottom of the page]
P.S. Your Watch has not yet reached
me - Fanny is quite in despair about
the time o' day. How shall I obtain the
watch? S.J.H.