Oct. 18,1850 John Benjamin-1823 to Elizabeth Garner

Dedham, Mass

United States, America

Oct. 18, 1850

My Dearest Elizabeth,

I am once more taking the pleasure to write to you in answer to your which I duly received this week, & I must needs to say that I was very sorry to hear of your indifference.  I hope that in this you have quite recovered again, so I am happy to be able to say that I am in the full enjoyment of good health at present, thanks be to God for his bountiful blessings.  I was truly sorry to hear of your father’s health not being much better.  I hope there are many healthful and happy days for him in store yet, that is the sincere wish of the writer of this short letter. 

I must need say that I am extremely obliged for your kind present which you sent me in your last letter.  I must beg to thank you most kindly on my own behalf & also on behalf of my fellow wanderer, Mr. T. Price, for your kindness in making for us both a present of necessities (scarfs) which we hope soon to wear by the first convenience. 

I should very much like to know who these young men are from Flint that intend coming to this country.   I should most certainly go to greet them if they are coming to Boston, that is, if they are anybody I am acquainted with, for I should be most happy to see anyone from the famed old town of Flint & also to afford then any information after their landing here, as to the best mode of getting employment & where would be the likeliest place for them to do the best for themselves.  If you or my friend at home are going to forward them to these men, please to let me know the name of the ship they are coming in & then I shall be able to know when ship arrives by the Boston daily paper which I take regular.  If they happen to land in Boston before I get there, you can tell my father to give them directions to go to Mr. Benjamin Doughty, #42 South Marzen St., Boston, to wait for me. 

It gave me great pleasure to hear of you & your brother being at Bangor.  I assure you that I feel under great obligation to both yourself and your brother for your kindness toward my sister on the occasion.  I further assure you that no other in this world would of given me greater pleasure than to have been one amongst the rest.  I should most certainly of been highly delighted, especially when here was an object there which I feel highly interested for, but never mind, there is better days a-coming.  You have heard ___ no doubt that Mr. T. Price is working in the same shop with me.  We are working side by side again & am happy to say that we have got one of the best of shops in the country for both work & wages, & we are both boarding together in the same house not 20 yards from the shop.  Consequently it makes it very convenient for us to be so near our work. 

In regard to you having your likeness taken, I think that cousin Jones charges to [sic] high when you only want the picture of me for I suppose you intend having it put in the same locket.  I have no doubt but what you could get it done on Church St., Liverpool, cheaper, but I think that you had better not get it taken just yet for you may be going to Liverpool before long and then you could look at the place there & ask them what they charge.

As to my coming home next spring, I must needs say that I am wholly undecided as yet. I would much rather you would come over here without my coming over for you might come very well and take a first cabin passage, for I should never attempt to cross no other way although it costs a little more in the cabin, and I hope you will endeavor to do your best to come for you know that it behooves the both of us to be as economical as we can be, for our future prospects in a great measure depends upon our present economy.  You must know that with the loss of time from work & the expense of the passage it would cost me no less than the 46 to 60£ which would be ample means to set us up in some reputable trade in this country for life.  (God willing)  If I was to lose this shop I don’t suppose that I should be able to find such another in the United States, as I want to keep to work as close as ever I can so as to be able to save as much as possible so as to enable me soon to begin for myself .  I think that it is best for me to defer saying anything more on this subject for the present.   

You have never mentioned to me in any of your letters whether your uncle or any of your friends at Flint has ever said anything to you about me or whether they know of our correspondence.  You must endeavor to get old Bob to pay you your money between this & next spring.  I don’t think that it makes any difference as to yourself for I think that you can claim it at any time.

I have to inform you that I did not receive the paper you so kind to send me.  I shall send you one by this letter.  I have sent you one every week for some time past which I hope comes to hand.  I was glad to hear you saying that you were pleased with those I had sent you.  I intend writing a note to enclose in this for father if you will have the kindness to forward it for him.   I have not had an answer to that last letter I wrote to him yet.  You can instead of sending me the red postage stamps, get the 2 blue stamps & place them on the outside of the letter which is as good as paying postage for the letter which is the change on all letters coming to this country under ½ oz.   When the letter exceeds that weight the postage doubles for every extra ½ ounce.

I must draw to a conclusion for the present with my love to your father, brother, sister.  Mr. T. Price unties with me in love to you & all enquiring friends,

& believe me

my dearest

Elizabeth to remain

yours most faithfully,

 

J. Benjamin

In great haste