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Stagville September 1795
Dear Brother
I was very uneasy untill Mr Watson came fearing the anxiety which I am sure you have experienced since last Saturday would have had [as?] great an effect on your spirits for [ ? ] a state of anxiety is of all the most Disagreeable to me, but let us be resigned to the will of Heaven and think oftner of the Blessings which remain than of those which are taken from us think O Brother what a mercy what a blessing it is that Papa, is restored to his heatlh again, and in all this great calamity of sickness Mamma has been blest with a tolerable [ ? ] of health. I read a piece the other Day which I think a very good lesson [to?] make people conten with their situation and to begin to think there is no happiness in this life without its concomitant evil therefore I will indeavour to make my self content in what ever station it shall please Providence to place me. Ties of Nature gives me a right to share in your pleasures as well as misfortunes to alleveate the one and augment the other will ever add to the happiness of your
Affectionate
sister
R. K. Bennehan
P. S.
We heard the other day that Mrs Davie had lost one of Daughters but are not certain which, tomorrow will be the Day that we shall pay the last Duty to Little Virgil Mr Pitchford will Preach his funeral
Thomas D Bennehan
Student
at
the University
Stagville 6th October 1795
My Dear Tom
With this you will receive a Letter from your Uncle. I sent you a Bundle via Col. Lucas some time ago which I hope you received. I had not time to write you then & no opportunity has offered since. It affords me the greatest pleasure to inform you, that the whole of our Family is once more restored to health which I hope is your happy Lot. Intend to visit you at the Examination which I expect & request Mr. Sims will please to inform me the time appointed for that purpose. Your Sister will write to you then. She has not time this Opportunity. Your Mama & Sister join with me in offering our best respects to Mr. Sims, Mr. Norris & the Boys. I hope & have no doubt as you grow older you collect firmness & more of the man which is the ardent wish of My Dear Boy yours always & most affectionately
R. Bennehan
Thomas D. Bennehan
at the
University
Mr Jones
Canterbury 2nd Novr. 1795
With much satisfaction I improve this fair opportunity of writing a few lines to you as an evidence that you have one only Uncle still living in this part of the world, who has yet a peculiar affection for you, altho we are seperated by long absence & great distance of abode, happy is it for us that we can in this way converse with our friends tho ever so far remote from us) many scenes have opend to us since we saw each other some Joyous others sorowfull and greavious, a very heavy & severe stroak of Divine Providence has lately been my deserved portion by a complicated disorder) my baby on the 5th ult. fell a Victim a young man full of strength & vigor, gone down to the grave in the bloom of life which brouht to my mind the saying of my Daddy when he heard of your Mammas Death; says he the last born the first dead. This is a new & unexperienced draught to me, tho you have drank of this bitterness before me. I hope we have both of us goodness enuf to adapt the language of good old
[In top margin:] Ever to be Respected Kinswoman.