A three-page manuscript letter. Envelope on recto of page three. Writing on recto and verso.
The
There are more than 2500 hundred letters that are known to exist that either
pertain to the
Among friends
useless. They can overlook trivial offenses. But
am I not arrogating too much to myself, to think
that my letters can be any thing but im-
pertinent intrusions upon your more impor-
tant avocations? If you look for news I fear you
will be disappointed, for
& arar our daily routine of duties is
for years past, true we, once in a while, take
a new book, but they are all such as you are
familiar with, & consequently how interesting so ever
they may be to us, nothing I can say of them
will be interesting to you. These scenes are soon
to be changed for the untried, but I suspect
less tranquil ones of college life.
How we shall be able to pass that day, which
its & proficiency in classical lore
it with success, we should fail who have
exerted ourselves to the utmost to prepare
for it, it would be a pity. My pecuniary
circumstances are such that my getting an educa-
tion will depend upon my own exertions, & I
understand that the most effectual method
of obtaining assistance, is to endeavor to ex-
cel in my studies. This I am confident can
be done
For although I have advocated they the side of
genius, yet it will not do in practice
& I find, I can say from experience, that
any one who does in reality excel, must do
it by application. I was very sorry to
hear that your classmate
suspended. I hope however it will do him
good, though from what
his native town, I should think it
not a very good place for studying.
The college punishments although in-
tended, like the
to have a corrective influence on
the character of the scholars, yet it often
happens the reverse. This proceeds per-
haps from the government's not selecting the most proper place to
send them. I hope this will not be the case with
greater part of two days at
with
disgusted with the appearance of many
of the freshmen, mostly Southerners, whom
I saw at
that young gentlemen who were devoting
their time at least, if not their atten-
tion to
they met together converse like reason-
able beings, if not like
acters. But I was greatly disappointed.
The conversation I heard was such as
would be a disgrace to persons in the
lowest condition of life. I find that
like that he animal, he is continu-
ally braying without any sense in
he says. Your Brother is still
very studious. How he recites I know
not; since I study out & consequent-
ly hear none of the classes when they
recite. But I must conclude.
What do you think