Pasquotank County, NC - Letters File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Jackie Hudgins Joseph Parker Elizabeth City Pasquotank County N.C. Providence 6th mo. 2 1840 Dear Parents, Now, for the second time since I was with you I take my seat to address you, and feel as if it would be a pleasure inexpressible to enjoy your company this evening, but that being impossible I must content myself with viewing you through the imagination which often pictures you as plainly to my view, as reality. And it is a source of never failing pleasure to suffer my thoughts to wander back where two months ago I was personally present enjoying the rich blessings of home and relations. Thy very acceptable epistle reached me in about six days after date bearing the glad tidings of all being pretty well; and I can return the favorable news in this, that I am very well and enjoying myself to satisfaction. I returned to the institution yesterday, from the yearly meeting which closed in the forenoon. Nearly all of our larger scholars attend and among them we had a very pleasant time and a very excellent meeting were favored with the company of a number of very able ministers. Joseph John Gurney from England, Richard Mott and Samuel Parson from New York, John P. Bulderson from Baltimore, with several eminent ministers from New England were there who impacted much waity council to the meeting. Joseph John delivered several lengthy and excellent sermons during the several sittings. The meeting was large but I guess not so fully attended as it is sometimes. The business was transacted with great unity and one universal good feeling seemed to prevail over the meeting. I spent the week very pleasantly, met with many of my friends that I should not have been likely to have seen elsewhere and one recently from Carolina that I had no idea of seeing. Miles White is the one I refer to; he told me he left Carolina the 26th of last month and came on to Baltimore and finding business very dull (and consequently, but little chance of making money) he concluded to travel through some of the New England States and then probably take a trip out west. He has not been here yet but expects to pay us a visit soon. I was very glad to meet with him; it seemed so pleasant to see some one of my acquaintances from near home. He stopped at Haverford on his way, said John and Caleb Winslow were in usual health. Cousin Daniel Tisdale’s family were tolerably well except two of the children that were quite unwell with bad colds. Cousin Elizabeth sends her love to you all. William O. White is very well and hearty, he attended the yearly meeting only a part of the week; he did not go until it was partly over or I think he would have been there all the time; he wishes to be remembered to you. I have written a letter to sister Ib since my last communication to you which I expect she received soon after the quarterli meetings, shall expect one from her soon. I have written the foregoing with a very sorry steel pen; will get a better now and try to improve my scribbling on the next page. I mentioned what studies I was pursuing in my letter to sister but perhaps you have not seen that. I have taken for a beginning History, Botany, Rhetoric, Surveying, and Latin. These are my principal studies, we generally read, and parse a lesson every day. I can assure you I do not find much time to be idle or to attend to anything but my regular studies and presentations of my health whereby being systematic, I can get along quite smoothly. I endeavor to have regular set times for each lesson and for taking exercise and by so doing every hour know what belongs to it. I retire at nine and generally use about four, allow myself three and a half or four hours for eating and exercise, about five hours during the day is generally occupied in recitations, and after deducting the time that is taken up in eating, exercise, reciting, and sleeping, there remains of the twenty four, six hours for regular hard study. The hours of recitation are not less valuable than those for studying if they are properly attended. Father how do you get along in the crops? I often very pleasantly think of Albert Edmund and the corn fields, and how the boys are getting along and what they are doing. Does Elizabeth live with you yet? I think of you all frequently and with pleasure and send my best wishes and respects to all the family; had to get well of his cold yet or does he still know how to bark. Oh how I should like to step in and see you this evening, to see the horses would be pleasant but to take a ride on Celskin or Little July would be more so, I guess. I would enjoy it more than I did when I had the privilege of taking one every day. I can see you all (apparently) as since you were when I left not regarding any change that may have taken place. I guess William and Feebe will leave there soon, if they have not before now. I heard a week ago that they were in New York, but I hardly new whether to think the report was true or not. Where will Sister and her little boys make their home after they leave; I want to hear from them very much and from Sister Margaret and her harty little crew. Please give my love to them all, and to all inquiring friends and relations. If Sister Ib has not written, when you see her put her in remembrance of this. I have not heard anything from any of our Western friends since I have been here. If you have received any late accounts, I should be glad to hear from them. When you write to the boys at Guilford, please give my respects to them. It is about commencement of haying time here with the farmers. I expect a considerable of grass will be cut next week. It is rather earlier than they usually begin. The spring is much forwarder; corn grew only a foot to a foot and a half high, quite a contrast between it and ours I guess. It would do me good now if I could feast my eyes on a field of our corn two or three hundred thousand. I have not had such a view in so long that I have almost forgotten how fine it does look. Now I have nearly come to the end of my sheet but have not dais as much as I should like to, though I guess I must bid you farewell until another month rolls round. Your affection son, Joseph R. Parker P.S. Have you heard of the decease of Daniel Wheeler? He departed this life on the night of the 11th of this month in city of New York. ============================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ==============================================================