Page:Poems of Nature and Life.djvu/185

 THE RANDALL FAMILY 1 77

been from the loss of pupils. Nobody else does in this way, and, had I been the Trustee, I should have been ashamed to have made the deduction. Why should he profit by a violation of his own agreement } " They also serve who only stand and wait." I am glad you are making journeys, and think you must be dry of funds ; if so, draw on me for a hundred dollars, and more by and by. I saved last year money for printing books, and a sum to lay out in a long journey with Stanley. The war delays the one, and death denies the other. I can meet the heavy taxes of this year and have spare funds, and next year I anticipate the resurrection of one of my long buried investments, in which case I shall be better off in income than ever before. I find, also, little chance in these times to increase my collections, so that, except for the enhanced price of necessaries, a small sum would yield me a com- petency, and, when I have lost all my friends, a still smaller. I should like to hear, before you leave Detroit, if you get this letter ; as I know not when you leave.

Your friend,

J. W. Randall.

My mother and Belinda send their love to you.

��^ ^ Boston, August 3rd, 1863.

Dear Frank,

I esteemed it a satisfaction that I need write but two let- ters on Stanley's death, one to your mother and another to yourself. But, as you say it would comfort you to hear more from me, I write you again, though scarcely under- standing how a person so little under the "delusions of hope " as I am can well be a comfort to any one sharing

�� �