Durham Hall, June 20—1812.
My Dear Emily,
I am now bringing you in debt to me in the letter writing.—this
makes three I have written you, but I have such a pleasure in thus
holding a communication with my only Daughter, that if I were to
write twenty, without an Answer, I would write with the same
pleasure again, your Dear Mother's last letter is Dated in
Philadelphia, she says Emily is so much engaged in examining the strange
things of the Great City, that she cannot write at this time at all—
all is well you are doing just as you should do, now is the time to
examine well the things of nature and art, every thing you see will
teach you the duty and obligation we are under to our god and
society—it will prove to you how much man is capable of doing, when
his mind is properly improved, it proves to you the great and
unbounded Works of Nature, its the strongest proof that all things in
this life are under an all wise Creator, who has ordered all things
to answer his great intentions, no place exhibits man in a more
striking point of View, then in a large City—each day calls his attention
to some act of Duty towards his fellow men and proves his good or
bad inclination towards his suffering neighbour. One of the greatest
duties enjoined on man is to do as he would be done by, give unto
others what he expects others will give unto him, the rule strictly &
frankly adheared to, will always produce friends and admirers in
every country and among every Nation, it also produces an internal
Sattisfaction which nothing can take from you—let me recommend
the rule of conduct to you my Emily—its a foundation on which you
may build with safety, and happiness will be the sure consequence,
the pillars of a female character are Truth and Virtue, with a modest
deportment to all but especially towards her inferiors—let your
Deportment always be courteous to such whose situation in life has
rendered them unequal in, information or personal acquirements—
such, if persons of Common feeling have mortifications in abundance
without receiving them from those that have the happy capacity to
please and enjoy the works of nature and art—therefore always think
that you are only doing your Duty when you make all such persons
easy and satisfied in your Company—bear in mind that if you have
a talent inferior [Superior] to an Other that its your duty to
exercise it with that reserve that will give Offence to no person, however
low their situation and condition in life, for altho. you have now a
Father that takes great pleasure in labouring that you may enjoy
the advantages, yet the time will come when that Father will cease
to labour for his much esteemed Emily and altho. the sweet [sweat]
that moistens his temples are so many drops of delight when he
contemplates that he labour for his Emily and her Mother—they will
End, and then O, then, will you require all your Exertions to rise
superior to the frowns of the world—should your situation be such as
hundreds of Others are and which is many times the lott of the most
exalted to-day rich in the things of this life, to-morrow a beggar, ere
this reaches you I trust you will have the satisfaction of seeing
your brother who if nothing has detained him must be in the City
of New York or Philadelphia this event will hasten the time of your
return to Louisiana and altho. I shall be much pleased & Delighted
to again see my Emily, yet when I reflect on the Change into the
Country it greaves me that my situation detains me in this Country,
It must be so, and she must Submit—I did hope that the establishing
the charter at Washington would have made such a change in my
situation that my stay in this Country would be short, but like all
Other events in this World, they have terminated differently and I
must submit to my disappointment.
Your Mother mentioned that your stay in Philadelphia would be
short, that you return again to New York with Miss Hall to spend
an Other quarter under her tuition. I am satisfied that my Emily
should lay up a store of information, its Riches that cannot be taken
from her, and should dame fortune turn her heel against you she
cannot touch your store of Information It is a treasure no reverse of
situation can deprive you of—therefore drink deep at the fountain
of knowledge. It prepares you to discharge the duties of a child, a
friend and wife
Accept my Dear Emily of the warm and affectionate esteem of
your Father and be assured that nothing can give him so much
satisfaction as to see his child return to his fond embrace—
Moses Austin [Rubric]