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Peleg Wadsworth to Lucia Wadsworth, 17 February 1795
Manuscript letter
Philadelphia 17thFeby1795
My dear Lucia
Yours of 4th Inst: gave me the more Pleasure as it was the only One I receiv’d Yesterday From the Family – It is true there was One accompanying yours sign’d H Wordsworth, which I should have thot had been from your Brother Harry had it not been for the Name. Surely my Son Henry Wadsworth would not have changed his Name without consulting his Papa about it, or at least giving him Notice of the Alteration.
I observe that my Children often abre-viate[sic] their Christian Names when writing to their Papa – I believe it is partly my own fault, for I do not recollect to have in-structed them otherwise – but I believe the Rule is when Children write to their - (p. 2) Parents, or to superiors in Age or Rank to sign their Proper Names at full length without any Abreviation[sic] at all – I am sure I need only hint this to my Chil-dren, as I know they are fond of Pleasing their Parents –
I begin to fear that the French Books & the Sweet Potatoes are gone to leeward as the Sailors say; for if the Vessel had not been cast away, surely she must have arived[sic] before the time of writing Yours. O! the Sweet Potatoes! I fear the little Boys will meet with a disappointment. If they should You must learn them a Lesson of Patience & resignation upon the occasion; which if rightly impressed may be of more importance to them than a Bushel of sweet Potatoes – tho not so delicious to their taste for the present (p. 3) it might prevent their Tasting many a bitter piece in future – the Pleasure of the One would be temporary & of short duration, the Effect of the other perma-nent & lasting. I do not mean by this Lecture to suggest a wish that the potatoes may be lost; but only if they should, that a good use might be made of the misfortune – Believe it may apply in any other case as well as ^ in this. For the great Art of being, happy in this life, I conceive to be ^ in a habit of turning our misfortunes to our advan advantage, ^ & to blunt their Edge by a considerate reflection ^ on them, as well as ^ by knowing too ^ how to make a temperate use of the good things that fall to our Share – “Well, Pa, according to your Doc-trine we shall be happy at any rate – if the Potatoes arrive safe we shall easily be (p. 4) happy, & if they do not we must improve the misfortune so as to be made the happier by the misfortune ^ it – so in either Case I think we must be happy – or in any Case we may be happy.”
Is it so you mean Pa? Yes, my dear, it is my meaning – And I do be-lieve it is in our Power so to lessen Disappoint-ments or to convert them to useful purposes, & so to augment the Blessings we daily enjoy that our whole Lives shall be a scene of hap-piness – “but how shall we enlarge our Blessings? Pa? I will tell you my dear in my next, For I have not the time now. – Go on & improve your Dancing your French, your writing & reading & your Composition – as well as all your domestick[sic] accomplishments – your care & Atten-tion to your little Brothers & be assured, thereby you be much endeared to your Affectionate Papa
P Wadsworth
Miss Lucia –
[Dated:] February 17th 1795
[Numbered:] 22.
My dear Lucia
Yours of 4th Inst: gave me the more Pleasure as it was the only One I receiv’d Yesterday From the Family – It is true there was One accompanying yours sign’d H Wordsworth, which I should have thot had been from your Brother Harry had it not been for the Name. Surely my Son Henry Wadsworth would not have changed his Name without consulting his Papa about it, or at least giving him Notice of the Alteration.
I observe that my Children often abre-viate[sic] their Christian Names when writing to their Papa – I believe it is partly my own fault, for I do not recollect to have in-structed them otherwise – but I believe the Rule is when Children write to their - (p. 2) Parents, or to superiors in Age or Rank to sign their Proper Names at full length without any Abreviation[sic] at all – I am sure I need only hint this to my Chil-dren, as I know they are fond of Pleasing their Parents –
I begin to fear that the French Books & the Sweet Potatoes are gone to leeward as the Sailors say; for if the Vessel had not been cast away, surely she must have arived[sic] before the time of writing Yours. O! the Sweet Potatoes! I fear the little Boys will meet with a disappointment. If they should You must learn them a Lesson of Patience & resignation upon the occasion; which if rightly impressed may be of more importance to them than a Bushel of sweet Potatoes – tho not so delicious to their taste for the present (p. 3) it might prevent their Tasting many a bitter piece in future – the Pleasure of the One would be temporary & of short duration, the Effect of the other perma-nent & lasting. I do not mean by this Lecture to suggest a wish that the potatoes may be lost; but only if they should, that a good use might be made of the misfortune – Believe it may apply in any other case as well as ^ in this. For the great Art of being, happy in this life, I conceive to be ^ in a habit of turning our misfortunes to our advan advantage, ^ & to blunt their Edge by a considerate reflection ^ on them, as well as ^ by knowing too ^ how to make a temperate use of the good things that fall to our Share – “Well, Pa, according to your Doc-trine we shall be happy at any rate – if the Potatoes arrive safe we shall easily be (p. 4) happy, & if they do not we must improve the misfortune so as to be made the happier by the misfortune ^ it – so in either Case I think we must be happy – or in any Case we may be happy.”
Is it so you mean Pa? Yes, my dear, it is my meaning – And I do be-lieve it is in our Power so to lessen Disappoint-ments or to convert them to useful purposes, & so to augment the Blessings we daily enjoy that our whole Lives shall be a scene of hap-piness – “but how shall we enlarge our Blessings? Pa? I will tell you my dear in my next, For I have not the time now. – Go on & improve your Dancing your French, your writing & reading & your Composition – as well as all your domestick[sic] accomplishments – your care & Atten-tion to your little Brothers & be assured, thereby you be much endeared to your Affectionate Papa
P Wadsworth
Miss Lucia –
[Dated:] February 17th 1795
[Numbered:] 22.
Archives Number: 1005/4.1.1-03#29
U. S. National Park Service
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Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site (1005/4.1.1-3#29)
Public domain
Peleg Wadsworth Papers (1005/004.001), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Correspondence - Outgoing (1005/004.001.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, Letterbook - 1794-1807 (1005/004.001.001-003), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Correspondence - Outgoing (1005/004.001.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, Letterbook - 1794-1807 (1005/004.001.001-003), (LONG-FileUnitName)
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Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Code: LONG
Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
NPS Museum Catalog Number : LONG 27923
Title: Finding Aid to the Wadsworth-Longfellow Family (1610-1971) Papers, 1610-1971 (bulk dates 1745-1950)
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#WL
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#WL
2021/06/03
02/17/1795
Manuscript letter in the Wadsworth-Longfellow Family Papers, Peleg Wadsworth and Family Papers, Peleg Wadsworth Papers, Correspondence, Outgoing, Letterbook - 1794-1807. (1005/4.1.1-3#29)
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Organization: Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
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