Letter from James Kay Jr. to John Sullivan Dwight, May 10, 1846

Phila., 10 May 1846 My Dear Friend, Your favour of the 24th ult. has lain by me so long, from a dire necessity, owing to the water cure, I have so little time & so little power of concentrating my thoughts even on favourite subjects, and moreover I have so much to do, that I feel as if it were unavailing to make an attempt to get it out of the way. Is it not singular moreover that, after staying away so long from Brook Farm on account primarily of variolosis, I should have returned to Philadelphia & the water cure, to be plunged into the midst of it. Our water doctor, & every one in his family, except myself & the only two other patients, are or have been sufferers from it. But enough! My health has much improved. In fact I felt better in two days after I treated myself hydropathically. I have still some trouble in my throat & lungs, although less; but the horrid nervous trouble is nearly gone. Cold water would have relieved you of your biliousness also; but labour, if equally effective, was probably the shorter course. I assume Mr Channing's disease to be nervous - and both spiritual & bodily. If our Doctor was continuing here for 2 months longer, & if it were March & not in May, I should certainly invite him to try hydropathy. It would soon restore him; for the water cure produces, in my experience, still higher spiritual than even physical restoration. If there was only a fitting work for him, when he was restored! The information conveyed in your letter of your movements at B. F. is certainly very hopeful. You have accomplished much - more than I thought you could. Perhaps there is no hope that a lady will change her opinions; but, as it seems, abundant hope that she will change her measures. I feel as if Mrs Ripley had saved her life by accepting assistance in the school. To accomplish this end was

was my primary object in urging the measure; but I soon saw that additional good would grow out of it, by the union in cooperation of several competent persons, whilst the relief thus obtained by Mrs Ripley (without the sacrifice of the laudable purpose which she had in view - the restoration of the success & reputation of the school) could be availed of by her to operate in its favour by occasional incursions into civilization. I have myself more confidence in the worth of the education now - a confidence not at all diminished by the pleasure which you feel in meeting your class. I am truly grateful for what you say with respect to Ally. I cannot convey to any one the strength of the sense which I have [inserted]of[/inserted] responsibility to him for his progress; but I may say, how rejoiced I shall be to find that my love of Association is compatible with the retention of Alfred within its influence. He writes to me in a spirit of determination and devotion which has never manifested itself before. I shall prize exceedingly the instruction he may receive from you in music; it will be so far above & beyond any thing that can be done for him by any one else. I have only to add respecting the school, that it seems to me indispensible that some improvements & purchases should be made in its behalf. I cannot subscribe to the idea that all other interests are to be preferred in your expenditures. My opinion is precisely the reverse. At all hazards the school should be provided with suitable apparatus & instruments of instruction. It should be made to present an attractive exterior alike to pupils, members & visitors. I do not know how much money will be required for this purpose; but a beginning should be made. I have not [inserted]had[/inserted] time to attempt any small collections in your behalf as yet here; although I have two or three promises: but I feel free to offer my subscription of $100 to be devoted to this object & to be expended by or under the express direction of the school group, not for current expenses, but for the purchase or manufacture of such apparatus & instruments as may be needed. This sum I will send when I shall be able to collect something to add to it; or if you want it at once, you can draw for it at one day's sight. It will be convenient to part

with it now as at any other time. I feel malicious enough to make you a further donation of a loan which I made to the Fancy Group of the same amount, to be very sacredly devoted to the same purpose. For this sum you can apply to two very attractive ladies of our acquaintance - the Lady of the [Eyrie?] & the [Divine?] Fanny. If they refer you to the Association, as doubtless they will, I will hope that responsible & solvent body will admit the justice of the claim & honour it by prompt payment.

You have got rid of some persons who were burthens, although not without their good qualities. I must [illegible, crossed out] urge the continuance of the winnowing process. It must be done of necessity. It will be most agreeable if private obligations should harmonize with imperious fate in the case of each & all of them. In justice to myself I must say, that I have not in view a single individual when I make this reiterated suggestion. The rule which Mr Ripley laid down before the Association that each person should consider his fitness to continue with you dependent on his pe- cuniary ability or his ability to support himself, is the true & just measure. Exceptions doubtless there would be, as there should be. It is truly pleasant to find that you have friends in Civilization willing to help you; "but it is not pleasant to think that you are eating this money up daily" - indeed it is [ruin?], & ruin [undeniable?]. For if you fail to hold your ground after this public appeal which you have made, you can [crossed out] never open your mouth again. And you [underlined]can[/underlined] hold your ground; if you will be impersonal enough to prefer the cause for which you are working to private fancies & whims, I repeat Mr Emerson's words, so prophetic of the good which awaits you if you be faithful - if you will let your Angels go, Archangels will come in their places.

Have you yet dismissed those 3 or 4 boarding scholars who are living with & receiving education from you at half the fixed & publicly advertised price? I urge this measure also; or that they be at once, by communication with their parents & friends, placed on the same footing as other scholars. It must paralyze your ex- ertions to know that you are not receiving the cost of their physical support from

these children. No business in civilization could withstand such a drain; and my own experience ]has made [inserted]me[/inserted] exceedingly careful that we do no business by which loss is incurred. Beside which it is a wrong done to those who place their children with you at your advertised prices - particularly to those who are influenced by the compound motive of giving help to the Association and obtaining culture for their children.

I have one remark more to make, & that is, respecting the presence of impure children. My views, I know, are well understood; but I must claim the privilege of friendship to insist on them - if you will, "in season & out of season". Little importance as you attach to them, I am a true prophet when I say, that [?] difference or contumacy in this matter will break you down, if all other conditions were excellent. You cannot know how much harm has been done to you from this cause already; nor do you seem to be aware that the public are perhaps over-well informed of past events. I have heard much from time to time on the subject in [Massa[chusetts?]; and strange as it may seem, more than a few here are better informed than they are willing to say. I know not where or from whom they procured their knowledge, nor whether it is of [crossed out] truths; but the story is here. I say that this ernormous evil ought to be abated.

Having disposed of criticisms which I hope will be not be unacceptable, I would remark, that I entirely approve of the report of your Committee on the Industry. I am in favour of retaining every person of worth who can support himself, every branch of industry which can show a barely living profit. These industries have cost too much in their establishment to be lightly thrown away. The printing can certainly be safely enlarged - but ever so gradually. Mr Treadwell can conduct the process admirably, if force be given to him by conference wth him & interested manifested in the subject. [in square brackets:] Let me mention (what I had forgotten) that Mr Shute of the Boston Type & Stereotype Foundry wishes to subscribe to the Harbinger. Please send him the whole of the first year's numbers. After I parted with you in Boston, I barely saved my

passage to New York, by talking with him on the subject of enlarging the printing operations at B. F. I wonder if he would incur some little ink by the by in helping you to a portion of what few additional printing materials you may need from time to time. He is well disposed to Association. [close square brackets] With regard to the abandonment of rating by hour, I am glad of it in part, & doubtful also somewhat. If rating by labour has been [illegible] stituted as far as practicable, you have done well; and you have done better, if meas- ures have been instituted for discovering modes of rating by labour applicable to [employments?] which seem not now to admit of it. There are some kinds of course which will not permit of it at any time. But rating by hour should be retained, I think, wherever rating by labour is inpracticable - as in the school; if we except the labour of your literary department. I hope that you have not destroyed too much in the change. In effect to the payments on account of the stipends, certainly and at once they should be respect to the payments on account of the stipends, certainly and at once they should be in money, and if I understand your arrangements, equally to each person in amount & time. I wonder exceedingly that the non-observance of this obvious rule has not [illegible] a tremendous convulsion in the Association. But, as you remark, all these questions deplorably difficult of solution. Nowhere, but in Association could they be [illegible] but to be [crossed out] rejected.

I anticipate much, when I shall be able to be with you [illegible] from Mendelsohn's "Songs without Words." And with this hope I must be content. [illegible] I recollect the exalted enjoyment I received from your lectures, & then endeavour to think who here could understand even a sentence of their profoundest & best [illegible] I cannot muster even one. What is to be done? Your lectures, as they now stand, are entirely too good for our region of country. I shall hope to talk with you on the matter.

But I must close a communication which has been frequently interrupted?. I hope it will be thought worthy your perusal. I must beg to be commended to all my friends at Brook Farm - Mr J M Ripley, Mr & Mrs [Dana?], Miss Fanny Macdaniel