Troy, N. Y., Oct. 6, 1851.
Dear Children,
— As I am still detained at this place, I improve a leisure moment to write
you, as the only means of communicating with a part of my family in whose
present and future interests I have an inexpressible concern. Words and actions
are but feeble means of conveying an idea of what I always feel whenever my
absent children come into mind; so I will not enlarge on that head. . . .
I wish you to say to Mr. Epps1 that if Mr. Hall
does not soon take care of the boards that are fallen down about the house he
built, I wish he and Mr. Dickson would go and take them away, as I paid for
them, and am the rightful owner of them. I wish to have them confine themselves
entirely to those of the roof and gable-ends. I mean to let Hall have them if
he will occupy the building, or have any one do it on his account; but I do not
mean to have him let them lie year after year and rot, and do no one any good.
I wish this to be attended to before the snow covers them up again.
_______________
1 One of his colored neighbors at North Elba.
SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of
John Brown, p. 108
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