North Bridgewater, Mass
United States, America
30 Dec. ‘50
My dearest and beloved Elizabeth,
You will doubtless in this have received the note I wrote to
you before I left Dedham for here, & the other letter I wrote informing you
of our misfortune with fire here on the 18th inst. I expect to be at Dedham again soon as my
employers only allowed me to come here on condition I would go back there when
their new shop is finished, which I suppose will be in a week or two. I received your letter which was forwarded to
me by my friend T. P. from Dedham, and I must need say that I am indeed very
sorry to ascertain the death of your poor father, but I suppose it was nothing
more than you all expected, as I understood from one of your letters that he
had been very feeble for some time past.
My worthy friend Mr. Gleave had informed me of his death in a letter
which I received from him a few days previous to yours. I am thankful to think that you have done all
that laid in your power to do for him, as I am sure it will bestow great credit
upon you in the eyes of the public as you are well aware of their readiness to
talk and gossip about anything but their own business, especially the ___ of
Flint above all others, which I think that they pride themselves upon it.
In regard to your coming to this country, nothing would give
me greater pleasure than to witness the day of your safe arrival in Boston, as
I believe that I have expressed the same to you in some of my former
letters. As respects my sister coming
with you, I am quite unable to say anything on the subject as yet, but I shall
endeavor to do all that lays in my power to your satisfaction, as I am going to
Dedham on Wednesday to attend a very large party that is coming off on that evening,
& I am invited to attend as one of the guests. It’s a party of the fire department of the
town. When there I shall consult with
my friend Price as to some of his friends who intend coming over here next spring. I expect one of them is his intended wife,
therefore if it so happens I think you will be able to have some good
company. They are all from south Wales
and I suppose they will come by the way of Liverpool. I should very much like you all to come in
the same ship as you say you have taken claim to the linen and silver. I am happy to hear of it as they will be very
acceptable as linen is dearer here than in England, & so is woolen goods. In other articles of clothing there is very
little difference. I shall be better
able to tell you what other things you will require after my return from
Dedham. Anyhow, you can be doing the
best you can for yourself between this & the spring and try to get your
money from your uncle. Do not be put off
with him. I think that you can demand
immediate payment of the entire amount due to you from him, but I have not the
least doubt but what he will try to put you off, especially if he hears you are
coming to this country. I should advise
you not to utter a sentence about it to anyone until you start, which I think
will be decidedly the best way. I shall,
if possible, speak to the captain of some of the ships by which you will be
most likely to come over in, so that I shall be able to let you know the
expense of the passage. You must, of
course, take a first class passage so that you will not have to provide for
yourself any provisions at all, nor any
bed or bed clothes as the ship provides everything in the first style of
fashion. I dare say that in this you
have seen my friends at home. You will
please let me know in your next letter if they ever said anything to you about
your coming out here. If so, what they
had to say on the subject as I have never said anything to them about it, but I
most certainly shall do so after I receive an answer to this from you, &
let me know if they ever expressed their desire of my sister M. Ellen coming to
this country & also let me know what your brother has to say as I suppose that
they must know ere this of your intentions.
I must draw to a close for the present for I fear that I
shall be too late for the mail. I shall
write you again to let you know the result of my visit to see Price. In the meantime I shall expect an answer to
this before you will receive the next letter from me, as I find that the next
mail from here don’t leave until the 15th January, ’51. I expect you will have received this before
that time. Please to remember me most
kindly to your brother and sister. As
Merry Xmas has gone by I must wish you one & all a happy new year, and
believe me, my dearest Elizabeth, to remain yours most faithfully,
John
Please to excuse haste as my time is short.
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