[Letter of 1867 August 13]

[Letter of 1867 August 13]

1867-08-13

African American authors

African American abolitionists

African American businesspeople

Anderson, Caroline Still, 1848-1911 [recipient]

image/jp2

Correspondence

This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. For access to the original letter or high-resolution reproduction, please contact the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection (blockson@temple.edu; 215-204-6632).

Temple University Libraries, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection

William Still Collection

Blockson manuscripts

William Still Collection

Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Libraries

blockson@temple.edu

BMS010X0039

1946 [new handwriting] Phila Aug. 13, 1867 [?] 9 yrs [new handwriting] Dear Caddy/ Your letter of the 9th/ inst reached me yesterday & its/ tune seemed decidedly serious./ I did not mean to make/ you feel sad./ Now did you distroy[sic]/ that letter without letting/ any one[sic] see it or hear it read, ?/ as I requested you to do?/ Now as to my business/ it is doing as well as could/ be expected- and from present/ prospects it will only require/ a few months to quite re-/lieve me. Indeed if I had/ now the outstanding debts/ due me I should be quite/ easy - but I have to wait/ for some of my best custom/=ers for 2 & 3 mos. Whereas/ I have to pay cash for stock &c that/ is I have to pay my freight/ bill every week(this is a large/ item) and my coal bills have/ to be settled monthly, this only/ makes it the safer for me,/ and within another month/ the fall trade will be/ brisk, and then I hope to make/ up for lost time. Well, I/ have no reason to complain,/ for my business has been/ better this summer than/ any of my neighbors - (so/ all admit, and I think so my-/self) hence I am much en-/couraged, all though not/ a little perplexed of times./ And as regards the treatment/ of the D.C.[x?]. assn, I am some/ what inclined to think a good/ providence will grow out/ of this movement. I look/ at the matter in this/ light. Possessing desires so/ ardent as I did to see our/ people moving in the direction/ of self elevation &c, in order/ to aid the good cause. I was/ putting forth efforts far beyond/ my strength. You know every/ movement of my time was/ occupied with public and/ private business- [hence?]/ I mean now to let the time/ past suffice &- and if the/ Lord [allows?] me in future/ I shall have more leisure,/ rest & recreation- I shall/ have more time for reading/ and the improvement of my/ mind. By the way I am/ now reading Macaulay’s/ History of England with/ great interest. Several/ times before I undertook/ it but never managed to/ get through with it. This/ time I am taxing myself/(one hour a day) and I think/ I shall finish it soon./ As I am going to write/ the History of U.G.R.R./ I must do a good deal of/ reading & thinking in order/ to be able to write well./ I may commence my book/ this fall some time./ Now in relation to what/ you saying on touching leaving the/ College -- of course I do not/ wish you to leave all/ I want you to do is to be/ patient if you do not get/ quite as much money as/