17

2. With regard to my becoming instructor to your son I say as follows. I have both
thought upon the subject myself and conversed about it with Mr Olmsted. The state
of Mr Olmsted's family is such as to forbid his receiving a youth into his house. Without
any particle of that feeling which influenced the fox to aver respecting the grapes that
they were sour I can say I thank God I have no children. With me therefore the same
obstacle does not exist as with him. When Judge Murphy applied to me a while ago -
to take a son of his I told him I consented with reluctance- but on the whole I don't-
know that I shall be unwilling to spend a portion of time every day for a year or two-
to come in teaching the languages that I may become more thoroughly grounded in-
the rudiments. But before I agree to take your son or you to send him let us understand
what we are both to expect. I sent for my brother in law from Yankee land and I undertook
to fit him for college and have since taken 3 others who could go on in a class with
him and to these I devote one hour in the day between 2 and 4 besides getting time
late in the evening to cast my eye over the lesson; I received Judge Murphy's -
son and to him two others have since joined themselves and to these also I de-
-vote an hour every day. My brother in law also teaches them as well as he-
can for an hour. Now should your son come down to C. Hill to live with me
I could only engage to spend an hour with him [crossed out] or with a chap
that should go on with him if there should be others whom I might receive on ac
-count of their being of the same standing every day and that my brother should
do as much. For this together with his board wood washing etc I should ask 15.
dollars per Month and if he were older I should ask more. I could not even
if you should conclude to send him receive him under three months from
the present time and during the vacations I should probably be away.
I give it you as my opinion that if Mr Rogers were going to stay in
Hillsborough it were better for your son to stay with him and perhaps
you had best do nothing about the business till that point is
ascertained.

3. With respect to our salaries. According to the tenour of the communications
made me by the committee of appointment I am undoubtedly entitled to about
1500 Dollars in place of the 1240 I receive. Nor was I at all consulted when the
reduction was made. I must confess I was a little disturbed when I was told
that the matter had been settled without so much as the compliment of "by your
leave" but I learned afterwards that the Trustees had yielded the thing entirely to
the representations and solicitations of Dr Caldwell and soon satisfied myself
that this excellent man whose value we shall know when he is in his grave
had not only intended but done all things well. The Trustees proceeded upon the
ground that Dr Caldwell proposed nothing which did not meet the approbation
of his brothers and the Dr himself proceeded upon the ground that we were like
himself ready to yield [up?] something for the common good and to suppose otherwise
were to think very meanly of us. I do not suppose that any [crossed out] intimations