Morse Family

Charleston Augst 17 . 99 My Dear Son, I wrote you more than a week ago, & sent you some quills & paper agreeably to your request. My letter & the bundle with a letter to Mr. Brown did not go till yesterday. Mr. Phillips carried it up. Mr. Holden will carry this on Monday morning. He will return on Monday evening or Tuesday morning. I wish you to write me by him. Leave your letter at Judge Phillips' early in the after noon if you receive this in season??. Inform me whether you have received my other letter & the bundle. Request

Don't forget to fold & file all your letters in the manner I wrote you in my last letter.

Mr. Brown to inclose your letters. Write one be sure every week & more if you will take pains to write them well. Be very particular to inform me of everything which concerns you that is worth relating.

Answer in your next the following questions:--

At what hour do you rise in the morning: -

Do you constantly read a chapter in the Bible & retire by yourself for secret prayer?

Do you think what you are about while performing these duties; Do you havetake pleasure in them?

What books do you study at school?

Do you still keep at the top of your class?

Do you learn a hymn

Your grandmother & aunt Mary send [missing] love to you. I have not heard from your brothers & Nancy [missing].

One of my questions you omitted to answer - & that was, Whether you still kept at the head of your class-- Don't forget to answer it in your next. Be particular in informing me whether you receive my letters, & mention their dates, in the manner I have done at the beginning of this. I am happy to hear you are as regular in the performance of your religious duties. The longer you continue this good practice, & the more serious & sincere you are in doing these duties, the more you will love them & the happier you will feel. -- Try to love your play less, & your stories more. Keep no bad company. Consult Mr. Brown who you shall aponate with & be advised by him. Treat

all your schoolmates politely & kindly but be familiar only with those boys who are good & use no bad language, & who behave well "Each communications complete good manners." And in order to keep company with good boys, you must be good, or their parents will charge them butto avoid your company. Read over my letters very frequently, my dear Jon, [and] reguard the advise of your father, who feels much for your welfare. Your Mama & Nancy are well [and] send their love to you, as do your dear little brothers & myself. We all want to see you & at the end of the quarter we hope to find you much improved. Give my regards to Mr. & Mrs Abbot & your Mama's also. I hope you mind what they say to you, & give them as little trouble as poSible. Take care that you do no mischief. Write me every week [and] be very particular. Your Grandma & Aunt Mary set out home yesterday. Your very affectionate Father Jed. Morse.

these things & that you will be very thankful to Mr & Mrs Abbot, Mr Brown & Mr Foster for all they do for you. Be always ready to do everything to please them & make them happy. Your having such a desire to see usshows that you have an affection for us-- whiat gives us pleasure. And be assured, my son, we all want much to see you & the more because you have ben so good a boy & have improved so much as we find by your letters. You do well to show your disaapprobation of all wicked conduct & is dividing the company of those who practice it. If you reprove others for their improper conduct, remember, my son, you might be guilty of no such conduct yourself, otherwise those who you reprove will

say to you "first reform yourself before you reprove us". But I hope they will have no occassion to reproach you in this way.

Your Mama & I talk of coming to see you the last of this month or the beginning of October but it is yet uncertain. At vacation I shall come or send for you. In the mean time see how much you can improve in your reading, writing, Spelling, & whatever else you atted to.

Your Mama, & I, with Nancy & your little brothers, are all well, & Send our love to you. My regard to Mr [and] Mrs Abbot, Mr Brown [and] Mr Foster, Your Mama & I drank tea yesterday at Mr. Brown's Father's -- all well--

I am, Dear Son, yours affectionate Father Jed Morse

S. F. B. Morse.

Charlestown Sept 10th 1799

My Dear Son,

Your papa and myself had the pleasure of a letter from you this morning of Sep 5th which gave us great pleasure satisfaction. We think you improve very much indeed in your writing and are very happy to see it as nothing gives us so much pleasure and makes us more truly happy than to see our little boys improving in everything that will in future make them usefull and good. I hope you are improved in your behaviour and that you endeavour to give Mrs Abbot and Mr Brown as little trouble as possible by minding all that they say to on the first time of their speaking and by never going from home but by their particular leave be sure to be very attentive to this or you may occasion than a great deal of trouble which I should be very sorry to leave off your little brothers are very good boys and do not quarrel with one another but play together like good boys children but want much to see you they often talk of you and hope

you will soon be home. Nancy longs to see you. We expect to see you much improved in your manners attend to this but above all things attend to your Bible your catechism your prayers, and be sure you never tell an untruth nothing can excuse this it is an abhorence to that God who sees us wherever we are and will certainly punish us for that as well as every other wicked word or action. I wish you to learn by heart the 139th [psalm?] 1st part long [?] before I see you; endeavour to get it very perfectly. Your papa and myself think of going to Exeter the last of this month if we should we will call and see you. I enclose you a pair of show things. I hope you do not wear your new hat in rainey weather nor on week and days unless you go abroad by invitation you must take great care of your clothes or they will soon look very shabby. Write me an answer soon to this letter and remember my compiments to Mr & Mrs Abbot and Mr Brown & thank them for me for their attention to you. Papa will write you by this opportunity. Nancy & your brothers join in love to you my dear son. With same affectionate mother ED Morse

Sep. 10

My dear Son,

You Mama has left me ittle to add. I think you eviently improve in your hand writing. Your spelling, except in two three instances, is correct. You use the capital letters with more propriety than you did at first; it will be well to pay attention to this & your pointing These are little matters, but yet are of importance. You have expressed yourself generally with propriety. One expressionsentence might be mended. You say "It is with pleasure that I am have every opportunity of writeing to enquire after your health & happiness & of your families"-- That is superfluous so is the e in the word writing. Instead of "your families" you should have said "of the family." Mr Foster is so kind to you & so desirous that you should improve your time. I hope will endeavour all you can to please him. Let your mind be intent on your book & less on your play. Get your lessons first always & then play. When school is done go directly home & never be absent without the express leave of Mr Brown or Mr or Mrs Abbot & play with no boys but such as they advise to. You are not old enough to judge for yourself. Your desire & intention to strive?? all in your power to imrpve for your own benefit & own satisfaction is very pleasing to us. Nothing can give us more satisfaction than to see our children growing in favor with God & man as they advance in years & stature. Write us every week. I shall send your last letter to your Grandpa Breese. I wish you to write to him & enclose it in your next to me. Send your show things. regards to Mr Brown & Mr & Mrs Abbot & Mr Foster. Your affectionate Father. J. Morse

Use this inkstand carefully, my son. Keep your books, your pen & ink & all other things in nice order. Let nothing be wasted for want of due attention.-

Ask Mr Brown to insert this among your rules & to add any other which he may think necessary.

Your affectionate parent J. Morse Nov. 1 1800