Henderson Letter, 1820 - Fluvanna C. VA The following constitutes a portion of a letter written by William Tucker Henderson from Frankfort, Ky., January 31, 1820 to his three daughters whom he had sent to Virginia to be educated and to live among their Virginia kin. The letter is badly mutilated and a considerable portion of it is gone but the following is written in a very clear and excellent handwriting, although the paper is very soft-and brittle with age. Frankfort, Kentucky. Janry. 31, 1820. My dear Daughters: You no doubt will be much surprised to find this letter dated in Frankfort, and more so when I inform you (next portion of letter missing) at least two weeks longer. Your mama is with me and in good health. I received a letter from your grandpa yesterday evening informing me of the return of Mr. Micajah B. Clarke and of your safe arrival among your friends and relations in Virginia and with what cordial and cheer My dear Daughters, so much good news coming on me after a lapse of more than three months most anxious suspense about you almost overcame me --- it is the first and only intelligence I have had of you since you crossed the Cumberland mountains, Let it be sufficient for you, my Dear Little Daughters, to say that such glad tidings have more than paid your mama and I for all the unhappy days we have spent for your safety. I must say again, that the knowledge of your safe arrival amongst your relatives, your good health and the loving kindness and satisfaction they expressed on receiving you, has most amply paid us for our unhappiness for you. I hope and shall expect, my dear little Cherubim, that you will cherish and increase that love and friendship manifested --- our uncles and aunts towards you. ---- to them in your future conduct -- and respect for you is worth ------ applied, is ------ to the contrary, that you are worthy of much noble love. You must observe and comply with all the admonitions and advice given you by them, with the utmost civility and exactness. I know they will advise and require nothing of you but what they will conceive to be for your ultimate good. I wish you to attend strictly to your learning and the improvement of your minds. You will thereby be enabled to appreciate the inestimable worth of virtue and sincerity, modesty and that a graceful, unassuming simplicity of demeanor, with perfect cleanliness are at least necessary qualifications in a female character. Combine these qualifications with a fund of good sense and. learning, and what is it you cannot be? For your sakes, My Dear Little Daughters, I will compare little girls and females to a whitesheet of clean nice white paper. How fair, nice and pretty it is when perfectly clean, but how easy it is to spoil and make it unseemly and disgusting to the sense or sight by splotching it over with ink ---- so it is with you and all females. My Dear Little Daughters, a few misdeeds will destroy the character and reputation of little girls and even women. ---- To see his sisters uncles and aunts, your grandpapa writes that your brothers Charles, John and sister Elizabeth are all well, and that John can walk across the room. Adieu, My Dear Daughters. Your loving father, Wm. T. Henderson Misses Sarah Ann, Mary Eliza and Lucy Frances Rebecca Henderson. N. B. Your mama sends her best love to each of you, You must write to me frequently that I may have specimens of your improvement. Wm. T. H. P. S. Dear Sir: To facilitate this letter to my daughters Sarah Ann, Mary Eliza and Lucy Frances Rebecca Henderson I have taken the liberty to direct it to you. Wm. T. Henderson Note: Sarah Ann Henderson married Robert White Ashlin in Fluvanna County March 28, 1827. Mary Eliza Henderson married Columbus W. Kent in Fluvanna County February 17, 1823. Mary Eliza Henderson and Columbus W. Kent later moved to Columbus, Ohio and lived there in the early 1850's. Submitted by Carrington Lee Coleman Originally submitted to the Fluvanna County VAGenWeb page. Many thanks to Lee & Michele for providing a copy for the Archives Project. **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************