Scope and Contents Brownson congratulates Henry on his birthday. He learned of it from Mrs. Brownson who keeps the family records. Brownson himself rejoices in his birthday only as it brings him so much nearer the time when he shall be called home. And yet the old are not less reluctant to die than the young, perhaps are even more unwilling to depart. The habit of life makes us unwilling to leave it, and then our work is never done and we have also much to do. Mrs. Brownson sends as a token of her remembrance...

Scope and Contents Henry is appointed to the 25th Reg. but Brownson does not know where it is and asks Henry to inform him as soon as possible. Brownson returned yesterday from Boston. He was absent a fortnight and is quite well excepting a cold and stopped about half the time with Mrs. Smith and all the rest except one night at Cousin John's. Anna Brownson returned with him and is now here. He likes her much. Brownson encloses a check for $50. $20 is from Mrs. Smith in payment of a debt principal and interest...

Scope and Contents Brownson received Henry's letter of the 23th inst. this morning. He wrote Henry on the 21st enclosing a check on the Nat. State Bank of Elizabeth which Henry had not received when he wrote. Brownson wishes Henry Godspeed at the Biddle House. The $75 he sent Henry with the $10 in his last letter he begs Henry to accept as his Christmas present to Henry and Fifine. Brownson never expected Henry to pay him. Brownson is glad Henry has resigned and has no doubt Henry will be able to support his...

Scope and Contents Brownson's letter to Henry is the first of the new year and express Brownson's pleasure at his son's presence in Detroit rather than in St. Paul. Brownson taught school at Springwells, 11 miles from Detroit in 1824. The outlying River Rough section is infected with malaria although the city of Detroit itself is pleasant and healthy. In Brownson's day there General Cass was Governor of Michigan and Judge Woodbridge was Chief Justice. Detroit's population was from eleven to twelve hundred of...

Scope and Contents Brownson grieves at Henry's disappointment over a certain section of the Bill which was unjust and unfair, and he has written to Senators Wilson and Frelinghuysen in protest. He feels, however, that it will do no good since this ex-volunteer army is so numerous and so powerful through their vote that there is hardly a member of Congress who dares resist them. Henry is asked if he, with his fellow officers, could bring pressure to bear on Senators Chandler and Howard or consult Judge Watkins...

Scope and Contents Brownson has been prevented from writing sooner by bad eyes, a lame hand, and an unusual press of writing. He finds he has undertaken more than he can accomplish. He could not write for the Catholic World and the Tablet and have any time left to prepare the series of works he has in contemplation. Consequently he has broken off with the Catholic World. The immediate occasion of his doing it was the rejection of his article on Ontologism and Ontology, and another on Reason and Revelation....

Scope and Contents Henry's mother and sister have been very ill for two months and over and Brownson has been engrossed with his book which is more labor than Brownson had bargained for. Sarah Brownson is very ill but Mrs. Brownson is getting better and Brownson has finished his book. Father Leo G. The baud is pastor now, a brother of Mrs. Grant ?. His health is not very firm, but bids fair to be a very worthy and efficient priest. Brownson is not well and is suffering from his eyes, for he abuses them too...

Scope and Contents Brownson is glad to hear the family is well but sorry that Henry is not. He misses more than he can tell Henry's mother, so long his devoted and self-sacrificing wife. But while he mourns for himself and his children he cannot mourn for her. If she was not prepared for heaven, Brownson does not know who can be. Dr. Augustine Hewit who says he is not much in the way of praying says he prayed to Mrs. Brownson not for her. Her worth was little known in this world, but God whom she loved and...

Scope and Contents Brownson is glad to hear the family is well but sorry that Henry is not. He misses more than he can tell Henry's mother, so long his devoted and self-sacrificing wife. But while he mourns for himself and his children he cannot mourn for her. If she was not prepared for heaven, Brownson does not know who can be. Dr. Augustine Hewit who says he is not much in the way of praying says he prayed to Mrs. Brownson not for her. Her worth was little known in this world, but God whom she loved and...

Scope and Contents Brownson has been very busy preparing a book on the Papal Supremacy, made up of articles in the Review, for the most part in 1853, with a preface and two fresh articles written expressly for the volume, and an elaborate preface. It is nearly ready for the press. The Refutation of Atheism is corrected and ready for the printer, but he has not decided which work he will publish first. Father Augustin Hewit in the last Catholic World has an article on philosophy, which has damaged him much in...

Scope and Contents Brownson is sorry to hear by Father Ernest Van Dyke that Fifine Brownson's eyes are worse than ever He thinks it must be owing to her being kept awake and worn out with Orestes Brownson. Brownson saw Father Van Dyke but for a moment, as his visit was paid to Sarah Brownson . He seems to be in better health. He told Brownson nothing, since he knows nothing, how Henry's law business is prospering, but his manner left the impression that Henry is not doing very well. Brownson wishes to be told...

Scope and Contents Brownson congratulates Henry on his freedom. He has no fears of his steady application to his profession and is sure that by diligence Henry will succeed. Brownson approves of Henry going into partnership with his brother-in-law, to whom Brownson sends his regards. The gas fixtures will be sent as soon as Brownson can get someone to pack them. The boy can hardly go up town to get someone and Henry's mother, though better, cannot go out yet. She has had a severe attack of bronchitis. Brownson...

Scope and Contents Henry's mother and Brownson have concluded that the gas fixtures are not worth the expense of sending. They were damaged in the moving from N. York. The Brownsons have thought it best to send 50 dollars toward meeting the expense of purchasing new ones. Henry is to regard it as a wedding present as yesterday was the anniversary of his marriage. Brownson advises Henry not to use gas for light. Brownson much prefers kerosene. It makes a better and steadier light, is far less hurtful to the...

Scope and Contents Brownson has had a severe attack of gout in his left wrist which disabled him for several weeks from writings. His wrist is not yet well, but is tolerably free from inflamation and pain. The attack was brought on by an over amount of Intellectual labor. Brownson finds, if he goes beyond a certain point, he is sure to bring on the gout, especially if Father Isaac T. Hecker wants him to write an article of extra difficulty at a brief notice. Brownson thinks the good Father feels that his...

Scope and Contents Brownson has been intending to write Henry for months, but exhaustion, indolence or a horror of writing more than he is actually obliged to has prevented him from doing so. As Henry has never written an encouraging word about his Review, Brownson presumes Henry is disappointed in it. Its permanent sale will be about 1000 copies He has been unfortunate in his printers and publishers both. He is promised a better proof-reader hereafter. His health has been pretty good thus far, though his...

Scope and Contents Brownson has been intending to write Henry for months, but exhaustion, indolence or a horror of writing more than he is actually obliged to has prevented him from doing so. As Henry has never written an encouraging word about his Review, Brownson presumes Henry is disappointed in it. Its permanent sale will be about 1000 copies. He has been unfortunate in his printers and publishers both. He is promised a better proof-reader hereafter. His health has been pretty good thus far, though his...

Scope and Contents Brownson has had no heart to write Henry for a long time. Sarah has probably informed Henry of her coming marriage to that old codger Judge William J. Tenney . She can get married providing she gets off Brownson's hands. But that has not been her intention. She had made all her arrangements without his Knowledge or suspicion, got him to consent to move into one of the judge's houses and to let her fit it up. She had engaged herself to the judge and between them they had arranged for her,...

Scope and Contents Henry must excuse Brownson for not writing for the two months since Henry left him because of the gout in his hand and the work connected with the April number. Brownson was inexpressibly shocked and grieved at the death of Elise Van Dyke ?, so bright, so loving, and so young. He offers his condolence to Mr. Miran and to her and to Fifine as well as to him. Sarah Brownson Tenney lives in the judge's William J. Tenney old house at 85 Elizabeth Avenue. She appears to be very contented and...

Scope and Contents Mr. Moran requested Brownson to lecture the coming season. He has delayed answering. If he discontinues his Review, he could accept. But he has finally concluded to continue it another year and asks Henry to inform Mr. Moran that he must decline. Brownson learns through Sarah M. Brownson Tenney that he has another grandson. He hopes he will be like his noble uncle Edward Patrick Brownson after whom he is named. He has heard nothing form Henry for a long time. Brownson has not written for he...

Scope and Contents Brownson thanks Henry for remembering his birthday. The day was passed in great suffering for he was very ill. He was thoughtful, however, that he was let alone, and no virago entered his room to scold and abuse him. He is glad to hear Fifine gains strength in the country air. Children cannot well be brought up in cities. New York ought to be a healthy city and yet the weekly list of deaths uniformly exceeds the list of births and left to itself the population of the city would show a...

Scope and Contents Brownson has been very ill and suffering also from his eyes and the little time he has been able to write, he has had so much other writing that he could not write Henry. Yet not a day has passed without his thinking of Henry, dear Fifine and the children. He thanks Henry for the photographs. Phippy Philip Brownson is a fine looking boy but rather slender and delicate. Sally Brownson is very bright and intelligent looking and as she grows up will look like her mother, though somewhat like...

Scope and Contents Brownson has received from Healy Harmon ? $10 which he says Brownson loaned him in the fell of 1860. Brownson has no recollection of this and Sarah M. Brownson Tenney is pretty sure Henry did. Henry certainly was very kind to him and gave him far more than ten dollars' worth of clothes. Henry is entitled to the money and needs it more than Brownson does. Healy seems to have left off drink and to have become sober and rational: but the Harmon blood has insanity in it. Brownson has been very...

Scope and Contents Brownson's mind is made up for he feels he has no home here. He thanks dear Fifine, in whom he counts on finding an affectionate daughter. But as Brownson gives Henry his library from the time it enters his house, and pays all expenses, Henry could do no less than come to take charge of the moving. What may be only a slight hill to Henry is a mountain to Brownson in his loss of physical energy. It may be difficult for Henry to spare the time, but he needs not be tied down to a particular...

Scope and Contents Brownson feels no uneasiness about the house or the rooms Henry proposes to assign him. He has full confidence that Henry and Fifine will make him comfortable. Brownson only wants to be able to go to Church He will take his two great chairs, desk, card table an the library table. Henry is to bring the dimensions of any room Brownson is expected to furnish. Brownson will also take along his bed, bedstead and perhaps a few other articles so Henry will have no expense for furniture. The rest of...

Scope and Contents Brownson has this moment received General Sherman's reply which is enclosed. It is respectful and kind, but perhaps Henry will not be perfectly satisfied with it. Henry undoubtedly can return to Detroit, but Brownson thinks there must be some mistake about Henry's been on recruiting service at Fort Leavenworth. Henry knows better what course to take. Brownson presumes the Army Bill will pass before the adjournment of Congress and at any rate Henry will do well to make his application to to...

Scope and Contents Brownson asks Henry if he received a letter from him enclosing one from General William Tecumseh Sherman . Not having heard from Henry he is afraid the letter has not reached him. The General says Henry is highly appreciated and that they found an old law which permitted them to retire 176 instead of 160, only that under it they had retired sixteen officers selected from the whole army with great care; that as soon as the Army Bill passes, he will appoint a retiring board. In the meantime,...

Scope and Contents Brownson is unable to determine why Henry has not written him. He has led a solitary life since Christmas, unable to go to church and receive the consolation of the sacraments, with no one but his wife and an occasional neighbor to visit him. Henry has not written him since the marriage. He must not forget his love for his parents because of the love he has for his wife. The fight between Father Isaac Hecker and Brownson grew out of the former neglecting one of Brownson's artiċles and...

Scope and Contents Brownson answered Henry's letter immediately in the hope that it may reach him before he leaves. Both Henry's parents are very disappointed that they will not see their son and his wife this spring. Henry is being sent to Atlanta, a healthy and pleasant city according to him. The coast of Georgia is unhealthy but the interior, is healthier than Henry's native state. The nights are cold there due to the cool winds from the mountains. Brownson is still suffering from the gout and while not...

Scope and Contents An attack of the gout in his foot and little finger of his left hand prevented Brownson from answering Henry's letter. He asks Henry about his attitude towards his new commander. Brownson hopes that the matter of impeachment is ended now. If Ben Wade becomes acting President Henry most likely will get on a step for Sickles will probably go on a foreign mission. Everything seems to indicate that Grant will be the next president and Sherman will command the army and Brownson is of the opinion...

Scope and Contents Henry's mother writing him today, Brownson sends a line in the same envelope. Ned has gone; Brownson hopes he arrived safe at General Fremont's headquarters. Brownson received the money Frank sent; he felt bad to receive it but it went out to fit Sarah out as bridesmaid to Jenny White and to help fit Ned out for the wars. He is sorry he spoke to Frank so unkindly; Frank must forgive him. His eyes are about as they were when Frank was at home; he has had a severe attack of rheumatic gout. His...