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I suppose enter upon it with a liberal education; if a young man has spent four years the very best of his life in cultivating, improving, and furnishing his mental powers, he ought to set for himself a high standard, and take a higher stand than than others, he ought to be looked up to, and bear sway over their minds: you say you have been ahead in every laborious employment: perhaps that is well, but it is not well to do what will let down your own dignity and importance in the view of others; not it may be real dignity: but so called: I believe in general, what you claim for yourself, others will accord you, I mean in regard to the estimation in which you are held. It seems to me too that a habit of deciding and expressing one's self, promptly, especially in that business, would do much to help one forward. I know you need to cultivate that habit, and manner of speaking- leaving out the ifs and perhaps and 'I do'nt know, from your vocabulary: Perhaps this from me is quite unnecessary,- Joseph has not I believe a very good opinion of giving advice, but I speak as you know from deep interest in your well doing and wellbeing, and I know that suggestions have sometimes been of much use to me.- In your latest letters you have not mentioned to friends there do you see them often, and have you yet seen cousin Ardelia? She is a decided Christian and an interesting one, she was convinced of the truth when quite young, living in Warwick: she was much caressed in the Unitarian Society, was the principal singer and a fine one, the idol of her father: she took a decided stand in favor of the new and there much despised Orthodox church, long before she experienced religion: her father was a bitter opposer, all her connections there were Unitarians the minister's wife her own cousin: when she became convinced of her duty she talked with her father about it, told him that nothing but her conscientious convictions of duty could induce her to take a course so contrary to his wishes asking his consent will follow her sense of duty, which he gave readily & never afterwards opposed her though it was a great trial to hire. The course she took and her manner of doing is too, does great