take himself rather seriously—­who, finding himself for the first time far from home and equal to his own responsibilities, is willing to carry the responsibility of others.  Henry, his brother, three years younger, had been left in the printing-office with Orion, who, after a long, profitless fight, is planning to remove from Hannibal.  The young traveler is concerned as to the family outlook, and will furnish advice if invited.  He feels the approach of prosperity, and will take his mother on a long-coveted trip to her old home in the spring.  His evenings?  Where should he spend them, with a free library of four thousand volumes close by?  It is distinctly a youthful letter, a bit pretentious, and wanting in the spontaneity and humor of a later time.  It invites comment, now, chiefly because it is the first surviving document in the long human story.

He was working in the printing-office of John A. Gray and Green, on Cliff Street, and remained there through the summer.  He must have written more than once during this period, but the next existing letter—­also to Sister Pamela—­was written in October.  It is perhaps a shade more natural in tone than the earlier example, and there is a hint of Mark Twain in the first paragraph.

To Mrs. Moffett, in St. Louis: 

New York . . . , Oct.  Saturday ’53.  My dear sister,—­I have not written to any of the family for some time, from the fact, firstly, that I didn’t know where they were, and secondly, because I have been fooling myself with the idea that I was going to leave New York every day for the last two weeks.  I have taken a liking to the abominable place, and every time I get ready to leave, I put it off a day or so, from some unaccountable cause.  It is as hard on my conscience to leave New York, as it was easy to leave Hannibal.  I think I shall get off Tuesday, though.

Edwin Forrest has been playing, for the last sixteen days, at the Broadway Theatre, but I never went to see him till last night.  The play was the “Gladiator.”  I did not like parts of it much, but other portions were really splendid.  In the latter part of the last act, where the “Gladiator” (Forrest) dies at his brother’s feet, (in all the fierce pleasure of gratified revenge,) the man’s whole soul seems absorbed in the part he is playing; and it is really startling to see him.  I am sorry I did not see him play “Damon and Pythias” the former character being his greatest.  He appears in Philadelphia on Monday night.

I have not received a letter from home lately, but got a “‘Journal’” the other day, in which I see the office has been sold.  I suppose Ma, Orion and Henry are in St. Louis now.  If Orion has no other project in his head, he ought to take the contract for getting out some weekly paper, if he cannot get a foremanship.  Now, for such a paper as the “Presbyterian” (containing about 60,000,—­[Sixty thousand ems, type measurement.]) he could get $20 or $25 per week, and he and Henry could easily do the work; nothing to do but set the type and make up the forms....