slc/mtfarmington avenue, hartford.
May 29.
My Dear Mother:
I am glad you wrote the old gentleman. I don’t bear him a bit of malice, but the thing he asked me to do for him I wouldn’t do for [myself] nor for a man who had saved my life, nor for a brother or a father, or any human being.
As for the young man who prints the paper, he doesn’t need any “Encouragement;” [his cheek], his ignorance & his vanity together will carry him through this world a-booming. Whenever I can do anything to [dsiscourage] him, I shall be entirely at his service. I have a strong aversion for him. I have a more constant contact with a selfish world than you have, Ma, & consequently my heart is much harder toward it than yours is. You see, you owe a debt of gratitude to a grandfather, & would pay it to a worthless grandson; whereas I should pay it to the grandson only on condition that he be worthy of it.
The trip to Keokuk is a good idea—go ahead, & let me pay the cost. If you could go from Buffalo to Chicago by water, or from Pittsburgh to Keokuk by water, I should think it would be more comfortable & less fatiguing than by rail.
Love to all
Yr son
Sam
[letter docketed, probably by JLC:] Let me pay cost
Textual Commentary
Source text(s):Previous publication:
MTBus, 186.
Provenance:
See McKinney Family Papers in Description of Provenance.
Emendations and textual notes:
myself • my- | self self [rewritten for clarity]
his cheek • his che his cheek [corrected miswriting]
dsiscourage • [‘dis’ underlined after revision]
