This comes hopein to find you in good health as it leaves me safe anckor’d here yesterday at 4 P.M. arter a pleasant voyage tolerable short and a few squalls.――Dear Tom――hopes to find poor old father stout, and am quite out of pig-tail.――Sights of pig-tail at Gravesend, but unfortinly not fit for a dog to chor. Dear Tom, Captain’s boy will bring you this, and put pig-tail in his pocket when bort. Best in London at the Black Boy in 7 diles, where go acks for best pig-tail――pound a pig-tail will do, and am short of shirts. Dear Tom, as for shirts ony took 2 whereof one is quite wored out and tuther most, but don’t forget the pig-tail, as I aint had a quid to chor never since Thursday. Dear Tom, as for shirts, your size will do, only longer. I liks um long――get one at present, best at Tower-hill, and cheap, but be particler to go to 7 diles for the pig-tail at the Black Boy, and Dear Tom, acks for pound best pig-tail, and let it be good. Captain’s boy will put the pig-tail in his pocket he likes pigtail, so ty it up. Dear Tom, shall be up about Monday there or thereabouts. Not so perticuler for the shirt, as the present can be washed, but dont forgit the pig-tail without fail, so am your loving brother, _Timothy Parsons._ P. S.――Dont forget the pig-tail. ――――:o:―――― THE INDIAN WEED. Many versions exist of the following very old song, and the history of it is somewhat contradictory and confusing. It has been ascribed to George Wither (1588-1667), and was originally published in 1631, in a volume entitled _The Soules Solace_, by Thomas Jenner. Another version was printed in 1672 in “Two Broadsides against Tobacco.” One version commenced with the following stanza: Why should we so much despise So good and sweet an exercise As, early and late, to meditate? Thus think, and drink tobacco.[26] The most usually accepted version runs as follows:―― The Indian weed withered quite, Green at noon, cut down at night, Shows thy decay,―― All flesh is hay: Thus think, then drink tobacco. The pipe that is so lily-white, Shows thee to be a mortal wight, And even such, Gone with a touch: Thus think, then drink tobacco. And when the smoke ascends on high, Think thou behold’st the vanity Of worldly stuff, Gone with a puff: Thus think, then drink tobacco. And when the pipe grows foul within, Think on thy soul defiled with sin; And then the fire It doth require: Thus think, then drink tobacco. The ashes that are left behind, May serve to put thee still in mind, That unto dust, Return thou must, Thus think, then drink tobacco.