.MTIxNA.OTQyMDI

                                                                                                                 Jan 1st 1838

I wish you all a happy new year. I did not intend to wait till another year before writing again, but Almeda sent her letter the week I was intending to so I thought best to put it off. My health is very good, My school is about as usual, consisting of 23 or 24 scholars: I have rather more work than usual, which takes up my time out of school hours. I find it requires much labour, and care, and time too to do my duty in such a school. The preceding was written a fortnight ago, but having been more than usually engaged, I have put off writing from day to day since I began this letter three scholars have left, in consequence of their fathers being turned out of an office in the custom house:- So fluctuating is a private school; I feel sometimes quite discouraged, for with all my care, vigilance, and labour, I have but a scantly and precarious living, I feel sometimes ready to complain that my lot is hard but I know that is wrong, while enjoying so many blessings, & so undeserving of any. It has been you know my ambition from my girlhood to be the teacher of a genteel school and now that my object is obtained, I find it far different from what my ardent & sanguine feeling anticipated:- not that I have any special trouble or trial to complain of, on the contrary, I am every way pleasantly situated, but I have always been so prone to look forward, expecting, hoping much for the future, and laying plans for happiness that the rugged, plodding path of dull reality, seems cheerless and desolate. I can look back on my past life and see that in all the way in which I have been led, my Heavenly Teacher, has been learning me lessons, which I have been slow and unwilling to receive. I do feel some gratitude for his long suffering, and condescension, I am enabled sometimes to rejoice in all those dealings.

I live 26 Common Street.