It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from this/these transcript(s) must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collection Coordinating Committee. [Notes added by transcribers are in square brackets. Dashes in square brackets indicate unclear words or letters. indicate words the author inserted to a previously written line.] MSS 8693 – Luther Bradish Letters to John and Hannah Warner Bradish Number of Pages: 6 ----- new page (MSS8693_p001.jpg) Respected Parents. While the gay sums of Nature, the lively pleasures of youthful society, and the fatigue of studious application, all, at returning evening, invite to relaxation and amusement, dirty and that affection, which nature first awakened in my breast, and which the anxiety, you have ever expessed for my happiness, has greatly heightened, call me from the social circles of my College-brothers into the shade of retirement, to express the feelings of a tender heart.No oftener, Dear Parents, do the calm, reflecting, hours of evening return, than they bring to my mind the many specimens of parental tenderness, which I have received, and the many agree able sums, I once enjoyed in the bowers of domestic peace and happiness. But those once pleasing sums are passt never again to be realized. I was then a child of Nature, young and unentangled in the mazes and bustle of a deceitful world. Content with moving in the narrow sphere of domestic life, filial affection and a desire to please were the only passions I then knew. As yet no vain ambition or thirst for fame had disturbed my infant pleasures, or excited in my youth- -ful breast an anxious desire of shining in the splendid circles of the great. ----- new page (MSS8693_p002.jpg) [Column 1] No prophet of future eminence then urged me to learn the humble shades of inglorious case to tread the rugged paths of science, and explore the abstruse mazes of ancient absurdity or the painful subtlities of modern metaphysics. Infact, I, then, was happy, but knew it not. These thoughts, Dear Parents from any disatisfaction with my present pursuits, or from not sufficiently appreciat- ing the opportunities for improvement, which, from your benevolence, I now enjoy. Were this the case, I should not only betray great weakness, but be guilty of the barest ingratitude. No Dear Parents among the numerous kind- nesses which I have viewed from You I shall ever consider the unmarried efforts You have made and are still making for my education, however inconsistent with your own enjoyment, as entitled to my warmest gratitude. But however highly I esteem the opportunity for improvement which I now enjoy, still I think, to be deprived of every enarmament of domestic happenings is a sacrifice almost too great to make. With anxious feelings, Dear Parents, I anticipate that happy morning whose auspicious sun shall again light me to the shades of my Dearest Friends and restore to my widowed mind mildlong lost happenings. Your letter Dear Parents, noted March 4th I received [Column 2] with degree of satisfaction which I am unable to express. the pleasure with which I read the information of Rowen's recovery my previous anxiety whom cankerous for this with the other information and useful instruc- tion which your letter contained, be pliant to accept my sincere thanks. After a severe sickness this spring, of fire works out of [-]ness, then confined, I now enjoy better health than I have done since I have resided in Wms Tavern. If at no other time, our family when sick, I disire the sanity of my Parents, their prison soothes the most acute pain and calms the most troubled mind. Then not all the care and anxiety of the Stranger or the Friend can equal the tender -ness of the Parent, the Brother, or the Sister. __ _ ______ Our Friends in Hardwick, Cummington, and [---]ington in May last, enjoyed health. Aunt Palm[-] i [--]ienton enjoys very good health. Be kind enough Dear Parents to tender my love to Brothers and Sisters and all converted Accept my thanks for every favour, and be assured that while I have any resolution of myself I shall remem- ber you with Sentiments of the warmest gratitude. No 32 William College June 28th 03} Luther Bradish Late Tuesday e[-]ing} P.S. My expences still increase unexpectedly. I have been obliged to borrow and seen in debt to consider other amount You expresed in your letter that you were making some further endeavours for my college expenses the next year. Should you send it would be much more convenient to have a part or all the prop erty forever did before the first of Sept as then will the convenient time for me to propose my necessary any clothing for the next year. You likewise expressed some difficulty in con[--]s in & property to me. I was informed ----- new page (MSS8693_p003.jpg) this spring by Uncle Nye that Mr. Fairbanks had a considerable money our at Williamtown which I might pretty madily obtain if you can compromisematter with Mr Fairbanks. Please to write the next mail or otherwise [text written vertically from top to bottom] Williamtown June 29th. 17. Colo. John Bradish Palmyra Ontario Countty N York To be left Post office} [---] } ----- new page (MSS8693_p004.jpg) William College Jany 17th 1803 Dear Parents I have, this evening, by Mr. Briggs, received the unhappy information, which I am unwilling to believe, but which I fear is true, that, Rowem- has, of late, been dangerously sick, and recovering a little from his illness was wholly deprived of that which alone can attach prisons to life, his mason; and has remained in this unhappy sit- -uation since. When, Dear Parents, you consider the affection, which that natural relation, that subsists between Rowem and myself, ought ever to excite, and which has been height- ened by the many kind expressions of tenderness, which I have received from her, you must conceive of, I am unable to describe the anxious feelings the painful sen- sations, which the above information naturally excited in my breast. But my not having received this unhappy information directly from Palmyra lights in my mind darkened with gloomy fears a faint glimmering of hope, that, it is not true. Heaven grant it may not be! If it is true why have not some of my Friends at Palmyra taken the trouble to inform me directly and not left uncertain report to give to the painful fact the exaggerations of Fiction? Were it true they certainly ----- new page (MSS8693_p005.jpg) [Column 1] would have informed me directly. But still the information, which I have received from Mr. Briggs being corroborated by his belief has excited anxious feelings which nothing can remove but direct contradictory information which I earnestly request, as soon as possible, and anxiously wait for. The horse you left with me Mr. Leuzell still refuses to take out any price. There is however some prospect of disposing of him in such a manner as to answer for my board. Board has been much higher than I expected when Dadda was in Wms Town, has been the last Term from $1.50 to $167, for week $1.58 The common price for week. Those persons who have boarded the last Term now talk of asking for board the next from $1.50 to $2. It will not probably be lower than it has been the last. There having been no sleighing at all here this season wood has been from $4. to $5. for the Cord and very difficult to be attained for that. I have been in on an absolute necessity of paying for a considerable sum for books and other expenses which I did not dummuisary when I saw you last, which together with the bills I expected has taken all the money. Dadda left with me and I am below destitute of money entirely. But still, Dear Parents, when I consider the many unmerited favours which you have allready granted me, however difficult [Column 2] it has been for you to do it, and the anxiety for me which your repeated tenderness has ever bespoken, it is with reluctance and a great degree of unwillingness that I ask for any further assistance, which I know is difficult for you to grant. I have tried unwillingly to engage a school, but in vain. So what means I shall have recourse I am as yet ignorant. Be pleased, Dear Parents, to write often. any advice or instructions, you may think proper to communicate, at anytime, will be greatfully received. For be assured, Dear Parents I feel armed of parental instruction and the advice of experience to guide me in the devious path of yours[-] Be kind enough to give my to Brothers and remind them that while they [---] passing many agreeable hours in each others company, I, in lonely solitude am musi away the dull hours deprived even of the only happinings I can at present enjoy of them. Likewise that I would willingly acknowledge my great faith in not writing to them often were it not for involving them by the acknowledgement in a still greater. I hope they will mind and I promise reformation on my part. Dear Parents, Rowem is still in my mind my anxiety for her urges me again earnestly to request you to write to me the first opportunity. Now think I wish to hear from her only In the utmost Haste. I am Luther Bradish in health ----- new page (MSS8693_p006.jpg) Williamstown 27th Jany 1803 12 1/2 4 1/2 17 Colo. John Bradish Palmyra Ontario County N. York