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At any rate, at the worst a gloomy thought can think, thank God. Mothers youngest sons are what they are. All, each, or any one of them know, able, willing, happy & maintain her declining years if and that to too so that to be as well as seem, not so much duty as pleasure of course, family difficuly, in quarrel, there will not, must not, shall not, be. As for the precaution you propose, I think highly of? it! Hope you will go forward and set the example immediately. You seem glad that "Big Bugs" R.R. Co.s & c. take the worst of it in the present monetary difficulties. Is that right? Which suppor? occasions the most trouble the embarrasment of a thousand sm? Merchants for example, or that of one great Manufacturing Co, or R.R. In neither case is there any suffering in the principals. Not to mention many overseers, engineers &c. &c. who earn their livelihood not by their mon? but by their labor; just look at the thousands of poor laborers in the employ of a single company; their wages as now cut down to $.70, .60 perhaps .50 per day. They may not make more than 15 or 20 days per month either you know. Board not less than $2.30 per week. Perhaps throngs as m? are out of employ entirely; What shall those laborers, what shall their families do? To say nothing of the thousands less intimately connected with the [[]] for every such thing benefits more or less every producer near. Feb. 22nd Well, it seems I have not sent this letter yet. Several reasons have detained it. One, that I wanted to send some money in it, and that did? not even yet come along. I thought at first I would send $40.00, but it h? run along so I haven't but two or three dollars left, the board & every thing. And now I do not know but I must get a case of instruments immediately and that ought to cost 25 or 30 dolls. In which case there wouldn't be much to send to you. Another reason of delay, we have been far more than usually busy since return from Brattleboro. Another, you sent some poetry desiring my "criticism"! and I did not know how to criticize and kept waiting, hoping some thought or other might possibly happen to hit me, to give me something to write on that subject; but I do not know but I shall be obliged to give it up. There is to be a Temperance Celebration this eve Washington's birthday. I have got to go and I suppose try to make a speech! Oh Dear. Then I have go to be up, out on the bridge, to oversee pile driving all the rest of the night. And to begin with I feel like a "Stewed fool" today. I do not know whether because I ran away with another man's wife last night, or because I slept to much after it, or because it is a drizzly, foggy day today. There are often many things in your letters which I should best answer by some reference to Proverbial Philosophy, but it is sometimes too much trouble to hunt up what I want. I advise you to attentively reperuse said book, knowing that whatever you find therein is exactly my sentiments. I do not know whether I upper thought with my brains, or whether