[A few paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]Danvers Centre July 3/65 - 10 A.M.
Dear Clara:
You see by this date alone that I am out of my usual season on writing, but I wished to send you this week and did not see how I could do it if I did not today, as tomorrow will be an active day and Wednesday and Thursday I purpose to go to see Jacob Welch. The stitching room is all quiet as we shut that up until Thursday but the men are at work below. The indication this way or that, the fourth of July will be celebrated with more [...tiation] than ever before. Probably we shall go to Salem on the fivenoon but cannot say about the rest of the day.
We received your letter Saturday as usual, was glad you have so fine a time on your trip to Mt Holyoke. I was not awhere [sic] that it was a place so much frequented by the traveling public. I suppose Mielia will write to you as usual so I may leave all the little family affairs. We look for Care & Seniors this P.M. As the time for your examination is so near I suppose every house is full of Codgers. [...] has them encouraged.
But I must come to my reading in [...] before however saying one word on Goldsmith I wish to say that I am reading Todds book to school girls in which I have been quite interested. I think it contains many valuable suggestions & hints. Is it in your library & have you read it. If not it will keep you well for doing it.
As to Goldsmith I have read as far as the 134th [age & the two poems. Traveller & Deserted Village Knowing the last piece was so much admired & so often quoted, I was not prepared to find the private life [...ed] such as it was. It may not be very creditable to me that I have not known this before. I have learned long ago that it was quite dangerous to have superior gifts for the lives of such men are often such commentaries on the truth of thus this life must be devoid of good influence and might help [...] in the road to ruin.
I was attracted to another habit in English life among literary men that of their frequent gathering. Suppers and the like and meetings of their Literary Club. These seemed to be the centerpoint of their life and then writing for the stage seemed one of their chief aims, but I suppose al these points so different from American life is to be traced to the difference in the structure of society. The [...] of him are valuable as throwing so much light upon his life and also on other eminent men of his time. When I go eat I may take the book with me & complete it & reread some portions.
With regard to the poems that I have read, I am not able to see so much in the Traveller as some do. I shall read it again, but the Deserted Village is most charming. It runs so smoothly & so sweet that I should like to commit it to memory if I can find time. Suppose you could do it without much labor. Would it not be a good exercise for you. I presume this is his crowning work and that I should not be so much interested in the other pieces.
But I must now close as my time is all gone. If you read the back of Todds to which I refered observe what he says about thinking too much about home, that is, it is not best to have your present happiness marred by desires for what you cannot have. It is a good rule in life to follow to let nothing prevent every day from being a happy one. This is the great secret of life to enjoy the present and not be expecting tomorrow is to be [...]
Much loving
From your loving
FatherThis may help you to celebrate Independence Think of us as in Salem Lynn or Boston in the eve -