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

Author Eleazar Wheelock

Date27 June, 1768

Call 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.

Modernized Version Deletions removed; additions added in; modern spelling and capitalization added; unfamiliar abbreviations expanded.

Persistent Identifier
Mrs. Simon.
I received your James not to please
myself but at your earnest desire by your Daughter Sarah,
Who told me you had given him to me to bring up and dispose
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 'til about three Weeks ago, I hired a Man to take
him and instruct him in Husbandry which I found he was who­
lly ignorant of, and next winter I designed to take him into
the School again, and fit him as fast as I can for a school-
master, & when he is fit for it I designed to put him into good
business as I would a Child of my own — These were my Views
and 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 expense 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 disposal as
much as my own Children are — —
Please to send me word what I may depend upon, and if you choose
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 effectual Method to learn him Husbandry as well as
to read and write, — please to let Mr. Deake see this and
desire him to write your answer to me — It grieves and
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 and cost pulling the other way and as
fast as they can undoing all I have done. Oh! that God
would show 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 'til
the Fall — I wish you prosperity with all my Heart
and am

your Real Friend
Eleazar Wheelock
P.S. The Conditions upon which I take all the English
Boys in my School are, that if they leave me before they
have got their Learning, or go into other business
afterwards that pleases them better than the Indian
Service they shall pay me all the expense of their Learn­
ing. and I think the reason is as good with respect
to your Son James
Blank page.
Letter to Sarah Simon
at Charlestown June 27.
1768
.
Respecting her son James
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