1858-02-15 Unknown Author to Henrietta Webb

Townesville, Granville Co., N.C. Feby 15th, 1858.

My Dear Miss Henrietta, Your kind letter of the 14th of December last was duly rec'd and should have been replied to before but owning to the irregularity of my professional engagements I am not able at all times to answer letters which I greatly desire to do and particularly to yours, breathing of purity, sinlessness, and (I regret to know it) of grief. Your letter carries me back my dear Miss Henrietta to other scenes and other days, when "Life was young and Hope was in its Spring," before I commenced the battle of life when everything seemed full of beauty and promise and my soul was unscarred by sin. Alas those days are past to return no more but from them Memory returns with recollec-tions so sad so hopeless that it fits me to be a sympathizer with you. My heart felt a throb of pain when I read those words "When my heart was broke" Ah how many

are broken. More a_ thousand times more than tell of their woes to each other. Beneath a joyful guise and smiling face how many bleed in secret and throb and pant for death. Would that I could comfort you. Happily you have had recourse to a power mighty to succor and to save. May you then find the consolation to enable you to bear this otherwise irremediable grief.

You speak of Sally. She is all in heart & soul and mind that I could desire, but yet I tremble for her. What heart what soul what mind can escape such troubles as you have experienced. This will be my constant aim to avoid for her.

You speak of your Aunt Mary. It's no doubt you have not heard a true reason of the transaction with John which led to her anger I will give it to you. You know that the young man broke his thigh. It was a serious injury attended with great displacement. I was called to see him & had been attending on him two days before his master would come to see him even and his wife had not even sent him food. They are in such a passion on account of his disobeying their orders about going about the Rail Road. When John came down to Townesville he said he was determined to sell him if he could not get any thing like his value. I advised him not to do so but he said he would. He then offered him to several people for $450-- but no one would give it. The next days having a patient at his house I saw him again. He then told me he was about to sell the negro to a man named Peoples for $450. but greatly preferred that I should have him--I advised him not to sell him again--He however followed me out to the gate and said if I did not buy him he would sell him to Mr. Peoples. Now Mr. Peoples was an irresponsible man already in debt to me for years & unable to pay who intended to buy him on speculation, get me to care him, sell him again. Dear me with another addition to the debts he owed me. I therefore concluded I would be better

for me to buy the negro and take the risk. That risk was a great one. The boy was confined for 3 months & had to be see almost daily--It's true that I was profited by the trade but it was a perfectly fair transaction. Mad at his own earnest repeated solicitations against my advice as a Physician and Frend. I would not give $450 for another negro in the same condition. Mr. Blackwell has no one to blame but himself about it. It was on account of her prejudice against the negro (justly or not entertained I do not know) & her declaration that the negro should never come home again which excited John so much that he determined to sell him. I regret that I should think it necessary to give you this [disapecable?] detail of which every word is true, but that your Aunt Mary is entirely in the wrong I leave to her own kindred. I also feel a great desire to stand fairly in your estimation. I shall be very happy to