The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-22
BUNDLE OF OLD LETTERS.
Family Correspon ience In Rhode Islanc
During tn: Days of Washington ant
the Revolu ion.

during IN, Days OF washington ano
the Revolu ion.
February has never been favorite
month with poets and naturalists with
its short cold, often dark days but to
historians, and especially 10 Americans,
the name suggests lives and events OF the
greatest importance TO our country and
. the world.
School children ell over the land are
familiar with the historical date. "Febru-
nry % Wasbington's Birthday" and al
though the younger and more thoughtlsSs
ones may associate IL only with holiday,
10 many youthful Americans it brings
the very desirable patriotic glow which
wise teachers are trying in these days to
cultivate.
IL is not altogether pride of lineage and
name that induces tho Daughters OF the
Revolution and similar organizations TO
study long lines of descent there is some
thing OF patriotism in &C. and so far as
that spirit is Developed IL is desirable.
So, when we cherish the little. worn, bur
solid silver spoons that ara marked with
our great grandmother's name and date
which carries us back TO the colonial days.
and handle " itn cnre the old cme woven
blankets, also marked wi.h the date OF
their 1pishing and the beautiful, mimi
table intricate patterned co,erlids in
which our grandmothers took such par
donable pride, the feeling Is justifiable
and creditable.
With fesling somewhat akin, we lcok
upon tho books and papers bearipg an
oient date, or date associated with the
early history Of our country.
Imagine then. the JOY of the writer on
getting hold of a bundle Of old letters
belonging In the family, written on the
coarse paper in use a century OF so ago,
and all bearing dates from 1853 to 177s'
1t was natural to suppose that they
would contain some references 10 tn, con
ditiou Of the country and give some idea
of the feelings OF the writers in regard to
the exciting events which certainly took
place during the years Of the correspon-
dence. Notbing of the kind. however is
TO he found In them. Tney are merely
stiff, ceremonial letters expressed in the
stately phrases Of the time. in peculiar
Ienmanship and the old-fashioned suell-
ing that seems SO odd to US now.
This omission at first seemtd very
stange, but, on reflection it is plain to
be seen that the fact is more natural than
the supposition referred TO. Any one
looking over tie correspondence of every
day country people of today. couple of
centuries hence, would not be iigeiy to
gain much historical information of our
times. They would hardly contain much
reference to events that are at present
agitating the country, such as the annex
alton Of Hawaii and our relations to
Spain in our responsibility toward blesd.
ing Cuba or the vexed money question
which, ii is to be hoped, might he settled
satisfactorily by that time-and SO one
would suppose that these questions were
not of such grave importance as the his
tories would have us Believe. When we
consider that on account OF high postage
and difficulty In Transportation. letters
were infrequent. and that the people
were often unused to expressing them
selves on paper, we will sso that refer
snces 90 anything outside of family
affairs would be even more ssliom then
than now, when a letter is quickly dashed
OFT and carried iy steam from the
Atlantic to the Pacific for two cents.
In this bundle Of yellow, ime-stsined
letters besides the correspondence be-
tween cousins there IS list of Household
utensils given b7 father to Brown
University stldent who foolishly married
before be graduated, an old family
register and long poem he ided. "Refec-
tions Arising From Well. known Events,
ty Young Lady," and beginning:
'Whence or. my friend, that sadly
pensive sigh?
Whence thosa descending, sympathizinR
tearsl
dae thy firm bosom met the adverse
shock,
Or dost thou feel another's secrst woes'
The stiff lines abound in observation
and good advice set forth in qusinte st
style.
There is one letter written from Monte
Christie. rcross tho wafer, June l6 l75S,
and addressed to MIR. - O., Prov
idence, New Engl ma, by the way CT
Philadelphia. The writer, TO judge by
his letter was a sailor, who was detained
by an accident
There is q large sheet of paper contain
ing on account of visit paid by the
writer and some companion to n certain
John .Jencks, who. it is stated in quaint
language. was In u very tender state of
mind and his expressions of regret, now
that he was on sick bed, In regard to
his misspent life, are set down in full
This is dated May Il, 1875. It Is to be-
presunei that the repeDtant man was
restored To health, and, unlike an un-
namable individual. retained his good
dIslros and led IA bstter life, for we dnd
in this bundle a lsttsr written by john
Jeucks from Providence to President
.James Manning referring to his connec-
tion with the First BAPTIST church OF this
city. Apparently President Manning had
teen s,rvipe the church here as a pastor
and M ths time OF tho writing of this