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Your advice is good, mother's advice is good, Emily's also, I do not turn from it and countenance your advice but I have an object in view & hope to attain it. I cannot bear to drag through life poor & dependent. I have been thrown out of employment & have found nothing fit to engage in at least to be profitable & cannot work for nothing. I could not do a profitable business with my present capitol & will not work for low wages when I believe I can better myself to making some greater expectations & besides I believe that my life is a peculiar one of a roving nature & even could I afford it I would go to California on purpose to travel, but since inducements are good I am bound to go - this is certain. You cannot disappoint me. I am now 25. I can endure hardship now if ever, & by the time I am 27 or less time I can settle near you, be happier & more useful by making exertions now. I am not obliged to stay any longer than I choose. I do not wish to be away from your all, but neither be able to live near you. I have been in this town working hard. I may as well be absent in California a year, as in Boston & I will not return till I have accomplished my object. Do not think me wild & foolish, tis my own case. have considered it well & shall go, do my best & return as soon as possible. You can enclose $300 in a letter direct to me at Washington. I could make good use of more but can do with that, there is no risk in sending it; for money is sent all over the country & I do not wish to carry the note with me. I want you to send this as soon as you get this letter for the time is soon coming for us to go. Yours truly Charles
[left-hand side] If you have written & directed it to Baltimore I shall get your letter but you have not written for I should have received it. I am quite well and hearty. Emily must of course know (when she said I must not take a cent of the property to travel, which my Father worked so hard for) that I also worked very hard at home till I was 20 years old nearly when I might elsewhere have earned more than my board & got a good trade besides, but however Emily is a good sister. I hope yet to get through the world by my own efforts.
Saturday, Chandler Gen. Taylor arrived here last evening. I had the pleasure of seeing him & hearing. I tell you he is a very fine noble looking man, he looks like a fair, intellectual, and pleasant. Every body is pleased with him, He receives company today. Chandler if you have written to me already & directed it to Baltimore I shall get it for the letters are advertised and besides think I shall go there before I go on my Journey. When you get this letter, do not feel otherwise than I am perfectly sane & do not unless you think it unsafe to trust my honesty hesitate to comply with my request immediately. I have inquired further into the minutes of the company & believe it to be the best opportunity yet offered to go to California. I shall try the same thing & keep along till I go but I cannot think of going back to Boston or to Warwick till I have tried my fortune in a land tho yet wild, I believe & our first men believe is rich in Gold mines. Our President has been employed by the government, is well acquanted with mineralogy & all are hearty & steady men. It is perhaps designed for me to meet this opportunity & I am willing anxious to try my luck, even if there is no gold. I can do better than to stay here. I am quite well & cheerful