Eleazar Wheelock, letter, to Sarah Simon, 1768 June 27

Author Eleazar Wheelock

Date27 June, 1768

ms number768377.2

abstractWheelock informs Simon that if she does not want her son to stay in school until his education is finished and he is ready to teach, she should say so at once so that no more money will be spent on him.

handwritingFormal and legible handwriting is not Wheelock's; the trailer, however, is in Wheelock's hand.

paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good condition, with light-to-moderate creasing, yellowing and wear.

inkBrown.

Persistent Identifier
Mrs Symons.
I receivd your James not to [illegible] pleaſe myself but at your earneſt Deſire by your Daughter Sarah, Who told me you had tgiven him to me to bring up and deſpoſe of as my own Son, and only upon such Conſiderations I took him, and have kept him to School ever since he has been with me till about three Weeks ago, I hired a Man to take him & instruct him in Husbandry which I found he was who­lly ignorant of, and next winter I deſignd to take him into the School again, & fit him as faſt as I can for a School, Maſter, & when he is fit for it I deſignd to put him into good Buſineſs as I would a Child of my own — Theſe were my Vi^e^ws & so I understood your proposal by your Daughter — but if I have not understood you right — if you intend to take him away from me, or encourage his going away as others have done after I have been at great Expence to educate him; or when he has half got his Education, I inſist upon it that you let me know it now, before I spend any more Money to be thrown away upon him, there are hundreds who would be glad to come into his Room and be at my dispoſe as much as my own Children are — —
Pleaſe to send me word what I may depend upon, and if you chuſe to have him come back to you, I aſsure you I dont want to Keep him, as I never had any view but to his Good and the Good of the Indians in my taking him at firſt — —
you may depend upon it if he tarries with me I shall take the moſt Affectual Method to learn him Husbandry as well as to read and wright, — pleaſe to let Mr Deake see this and deſire him to write your Anſwer to me — It greives & breaks my Heart that while I am wearing my Life out to do good to the poor Indians, they themselves have no more Deſire to help forward the great Deſign of their Happineſs here and Eternal Salvation in the World to come, but are so many of them, and some of them too, thoſe on whom I have beſtowed much Pains & Coſt pulling the other way and as faſt as they can undoing all I have done. Oh! that God would shew them their Miſery, and the only way of their Relief.
Your Daughter Sarah carries herself very well, but I think it not beſt she should come home to viſit you till the Fall — I wiſh you Proſperity with all my Heart and am
your Real Friend Eleazar Wheelock
P.S. The Conditions I upon which I take all the Engliſh Boys in my School are, that if they leve me before they have got their Learning, or go into other Buſineſs after wards that pleaſes them better than the Indian Service they shall pay me all the Expence of their Learn­ ing. and I think the Reaſon is as good with reſpect to your Son James
Blank page.
Lett.r to Sarah Symons at Charlestown June 27. 1768. Reſpecting her ſon James
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