Benjamin Franklin, Self-Revealed, Volume 1 (of 2): A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own WritingsBruce, Wiliam Cabell
History
Benjamin Franklin, Self-Revealed, Volume 1 (of 2): A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own Writings
Bruce, Wiliam Cabell
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790
And though [she further said] I feel myself full of
gratitude for your generosity, the conclusion of your
letter affects me more, where you say you wish we may
spend our last days together. O my dear brother, if
this could be accomplished, it would give me more joy
than anything on this side Heaven could possibly do. I
feel the want of a suitable conversation--I have but
little here. I think I could assume more freedom with
you now, and convince you of my affection for you. I
have had time to reflect and see my error in that
respect. I suffered my diffidence and the awe of your
superiority to prevent the familiarity I might have
taken with you, and ought, and (which) your kindness to
me might have convinced me would be acceptable.
A little later she wrote:
Your very affectionate and tender care of me all along
in life excites my warmest gratitude, which I cannot
even think on without tears. What manifold blessings I
enjoy beyond many of my worthy acquaintance, who have
been driven from their home, lost their interest, and
some have the addition of lost health, and one the
grievous torment of a cancer, and no kind brother to
support her, while I am kindly treated by all about me,
and ample provision made for me when I have occasion.
As heartfelt was another letter written by her while he was still in
France:
Believe me, my dear brother, your writing to me gives
me so much pleasure that the great, the very great
presents you have sent me are but a secondary joy. I
have been very sick this winter at my daughter's; kept
my chamber six weeks, but had a sufficiency for my
supply of everything that could be a comfort to me of
my own, before I received any intimation of the great
bounty from your hand, which your letter has conveyed
to me, for I have not been lavish of what I before
possessed, knowing sickness and misfortunes might
happen, and certainly old age; but I shall now be so
rich that I may indulge in a small degree a propensity
to help some poor creatures who have not the blessing I
enjoy. My good fortune came to me altogether to comfort
me in my weak state; for as I had been so unlucky as
not to receive the letter you sent me through your son
Bache's hands, though he informs me he forwarded it
immediately. His letter with a draft for twenty five
guineas came to my hand just before yours, which I
have received, and cannot find expression suitable to
acknowledge my gratitude how I am by my dear brother
enabled to live at ease in my old age (after a life of
care, labor, and anxiety) without which I must have
been miserable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account