(Last sheet of a letter to sister Mary; should perhaps date much earlier, before the trip West, 1848 - 1850)

 

Two days are now numbered among those that are gone which lay in the shadowy future when I finished my sheet thinking I should write no more, since which I’ve absolutely had no time to mail a letter and thinking of a few things I would like to mention I snatched up this stray scrap and will endeavour to fill this with pratering nothings.

Winter has finally set in and its fitful blasts howl gloomily around our habitations, cold and chill as the animated clay with which we dayly commingle. When I left the family mansion on the ocean of life to breast the waves and confront the storms alone I was extremely young, if inexperience is youth, but since then I’ve seen much learned much. I’ve seen humanity in many and various forms some most revolting. I’ve read many lessons from the human heart.

Much good and a great deal of bad I’ve discovered there and this is my consolation in the dark hours of my life: that my wanderings have brought me in contact with the secret workings of the mind which nothing else would give me access to. I’ve learned to discern between mind and matter, between truth and hypocrisy, between false pretenses for form and open frank cordial friendship. Knowing your disposition I need not tell you to shun all intimate intercourse with the one and cherish the other as the choicest of treasures. I’ve often thought ‘twas not true that man was naturally depraved but was made so by the bad state of society around him, by contact daily with things calculated to sour the disposition of an angel were he clothed in clay. Often have I seen the time when disgusted with the sordid, soulless, senseless being around me I’ve despised the entire race thinking I’d no friend left beneath heavens blue arch. 

I’m now working for Mr. Watters and shall probably stay here in Franklin some time.

I hope you will write to me as soon as possible and give me a fair statement of your situation- the society, the place and everything as you would tell me were you here. I hope your school may improve from what it seemed to be when you wrote home and that you may be better contented to stay. All schools and institutions must have a starting point when they cannot be expected to flourish as they will when their reputation becomes more thoroughly established. Indeed every new discovery in science, every political movement in advance of old, time honored institutions, every social reform, meet in their early development with opposition.

Ade or some of the girls will undoubtedly write to you soon and give you information in regard to school matters and Franklin affairs of which you desire much to know.

Your brother ever the same,

Whit Chase