Jan. 13,1851 John Benjamin-1823 to Elizabeth Garner

Northbridge Water Works

United States, America

13^th Jan, ‘51

My dearest Elizabeth,

I once more take up my pen to drop a line to you hoping that they will find you enjoying perfect health, as I am happy to say that they leave me quite well at present, thanks be to God for it. 

I have to inform you according to promise of my visit to Dedham to see my friend T. P.  I was there last week.  When I went there he could not give me any answer as to whether his friends from the south were coming out or not, until the other day he received a letter from his intended wife informing him of the death of her father and mother within a few weeks of each other.  He wrote to her last night to inform of all this & I believe that all the property has been left to her, which consists of timber, as her father was a timber merchant in Bucon.  As soon as all the stock is sold I believe she is coming over here.  I suppose it will be sold by auction.  T. P.’s sister & her husband & his brother is coming over at the same time for his brother lives with them in Bucon.  At present his father has been dead for some years.  Therefore I expect you will have good company, for T. P. and myself will arrange matters as well as we possibly can.   I shall be back to Dedham again some time this week for they have got the new shop finished, and as I have agreed to go there before I came here.  Therefore, when we get together we shall consult each other as to our meeting at Liverpool before starting, & what ship you are to come by, & what you will be required to bring along with you.  I have some books at home that I shall want you to bring with you.  I have no time to write home this time but I shall write to them by the next mail, if all well, to inform them of your coming out, for I don’t suppose that they know anything about it unless you have told them.  Please to remember we won’t ___ to them all when you see them.  I expect that by the time you receive this I shall have one from you in answer to my letter of the 30^th inst.  When you call at our house let me beg of you not to urge upon them to have my sister get to this country for I think that my mother would take it very hard to let her come, although she could do better here ten times over than she can at home, but at the same time I don’t want her to come until such time as some of the rest of the family are ready to come along with her.  Let me beg of you to prepare yourself as fast as you can for the time is short and we can’t correspond with each other, that is to wait for an answer to each letter, for it takes about five weeks before we can get an answer from each other’s letters.  Therefore I shall keep writing to you as often as I think there is any need of my doing so, until the happy hour comes when I shall hear of your  departure from Liverpool, which I am looking forward to with no little anxiety.  I hope that you will be able to make all straight with your uncle (old Bob) as you sometimes call him.  Do not lose any time with him for you know that your time is but short.  Now, therefore, it behooves you to be rather sharp with him.  I hope that your brother will render you every assistance to settle affairs with him.  

I have nothing more to add in this letter that I know of, so I hope you will excuse so short an epistle this time for I have had but very little time to write this in to get in this mail.  I shall send you two Yankee Nations along with this letter.  I thank you most kindly for the papers you have sent me.  I received a letter from my friend Robert Williams this last week.  He tells a great deal of the giddings of the Miss Phillpot & other young ladies of Flint.  His letter is the most comical one that I ever read in my life.  I shall send him some papers this week. 

Please to remember kindly to your brother and sister,

& believe me my dearest dear to remain yours most affectionately,
J. Benjamin

(Pardon imperfection)