RK-497

[printed letterhead] No. Smithsonian Institution, [written, circled] 119 [printed] Washington, D.C. [handwritten] March 15/? [printed] 18 [handwritten] 58 St Patricks Day -

Dear Father

Yours announcing Mr Reynolds offer to Charlie respecting the nursery at Salem - recd yesterday - Good! - If Charlie likes the thing I doubt his getting a better man - Mr Reynolds is not only a gentleman and a man of mind and education but to the best of my knowledge he is a right good man. All I have seen of him was in his favor.

Mrs Reynolds is a most excellent woman. - Charlie cant help liking her - She is really something superior - you know she is daughter of Gov Bebb. So far as having a pleasant home and society is concerned Charlie cannot but be pleased - Respecting the chance of money making I am less competent to advise - But you will doubtless remember that

I wrote you last summer that I thought twould be a good notion for some of us to accept Mr Reynolds offer made at that time - The distance from R. R.. Depots is so little and the oppertunities for sending in five! different so desirable taht this should be taken into consideration -

Mr Reynolds soil seemed to me very good - his farm is a fine one - Mr Reynolds himself is a worker and I fancy a good manager - I cannot but hope that Charlie will make such a bargain with Mr Reynolds as will put him on a good pecuniary footing for if this can be arranged satisfactorily I doubt not his liking the place - I must think it will be better in the end for Charlie to go to work for himself - It will give him a much better backbone finally though it may cost some hardship at first - I doubt not the Major will come up to the mark, though probably at first Charlie's absence will make much loss. If need be I [would?] [page torn] willingly work at

[printed letterhead] No. Smithsonian Institution, [written, circled] 121 [written] 2 [printed] Washington, D. C. 18

[handwritten] home - but you would all get along better without me and the Major's success depends upon his being thrown entirely upon his own responsibility - He is a better manager in the main than I and we would never agree - As it is he will improve mightily Ill warrant the first year for tho he will not take advise with a good face - I wot he knows how to profit by this or by experience gained in any way and with his peculiar notions of his duty to his own dignity (in which he is really right so far as the principle is concerned) he has got to learn certain things by experience, which when learned he will profit by - tho he would ignore their existance if any explanation were offered - I think decidedly that the Major has got far more business tact than Charlie and certanly than I. and when once he gets to know that some of his notions are very wrong he will get to be more ready to take advice and will then make a good manager.

He is not unjust and when he really

sees himself in the wrong he will give up the point. So let him slide, when his notions are not to expensive and by next spring he will have things going well enough - I fully sympathize with your hard times but I stick to my text that intelligent work in poverty is better immoral vegetation in wealth - For Major and I had you been rich there would have been a a very dirty road to travel - I fairly think we would have gone to the D-l in as fine a style as any of the "nice young men" whose elegant hours of leisure are spent in immentionable pursuits - Sorry for you and mother to have to work of course - Wish Charlie had enough to get married on - no more - but for the rest am glad of it - we can work when we have to but we wont when we can help it - Tell Alice to let me know what rich yong lady she would like to change places with. Let her keep a true heart and when she is a woman she will not regret her hard work now - nothing good comes without exertion - Idleness is only enjoyed as rest from hard labor and when she stops a few days tis jolly - but let her

[printed letterhead] No. Smithsonian Institution, [written, circled] 123 [printed] Washington, D. C. 18 [written] 3

be idle a year and she will find it another affair - not that she must not have real cause for just regret at present privations but then there are [word struck out] the two sides to be viewed.

I recieved the $10. and am sorry you sent it as you must need it more than I. The university must pay up or they must do without me I know my market value now better than I did and they have got to pay the fiddler if they want the good music I can give them

Love to all In a Hurry. Bob

It is probably no figures will be published with the next Pat office report but this will only insure my setting in the full 60 pages -