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Colonial Bank
Kingston 5th April 1871
My dear Uncle,
I duly received your letter of the 27th ult. & thank you for the kind
expressions therein contained. Since I last wrote you I have had a
slight attack of fever, so I got a couple of weeks leave of absence to
get away in the country. I saw a lot of our people. I was at Falmouth
for a night all there were pretty well.
My Grandmother thinks
Augustus had
better go to America from that Port, as she has some influence with
the Captain of a regular trader to New Orleans & thinks he will be
more inclined to make his charges for Passage moderate, than the
Captains trading from here, of which there are few or none, so
Augustus is to go to Falmouth this month & be ready to take advantage
of the opportunity whence it presents itself. I hope I did not write
too strongly & so give you a wrong impression of poor Augustus'
shortcomings - such was ___ my wish - I don't know that any of his
habits are really vicious at least not now. he has not had the means,
if inclined, of late, to indulge them. he used to take perhaps more
than was good for him, but I think he has got over that failing - love
of bad company & want of appreciation to work are his great failings
now.
Most men in Jamaica smoke & drink - (I do both - in moderation I
hope.) I fear with many it is not use but abuse. you must remember
what the Planters were. they have I fancy mended a little, but too
much liquor is, I fear, still consumed among them. With regard to
little George Brymer.
His mother sent me your letter to her on this subject as well as that
to George himself. He is a boy that I have always taken a great
interest in & on his return to the Island, after his Father's death, I
got him taken into the Counting House of very respectable merchants,
where I first made my entry into business. he is still with them but I
fear, does not give the satisfaction that he is capable of giving, for
he is a sharp lad. some weeks, or months,
previous to the receipt of your letter, I was informed that he was
contracting habits that a boy of his age should not know of, & that on
one or two occasions he had been seen overcome by liquor. I spoke to
him very sharply & he promised me that I should not hear of his doing
so again. I had hoped that his mother knew nothing of it for I had
once or twice asked her if George was giving her much trouble & on
each occasion she expressed herself satisfied with him. She now tells
me that she did not like to trouble me before. The fact is that she
cant manage him. When he first went into business I offered to have
him to live with me, but his Mother decided against that plan, which I
regret for I know that ______ he would have been steadier now. I have
not the same amount of influence over him that I had at first. I have
still some however which I will continue to use to the best of my
ability. I am glad to hear that my Aunt and you are pleased with my
photo. It is considered good. I shall be glad to receive yours. I hope
your expected crop will be a good one. In most parts of the Island the
Estates are now in full swing & fair returns are looked for. The total
crop may not perhaps be as large as that of last year, for the very
heavy rains in May 70 washed away, from a good many properties some of
the best yielding land then in cultivation.
I am rather pressed for time so must close this. I
return the letter sent for my perusal & also enclose one from my
Mother -- Love to you all
Yours affectionately,
R. S. Haughton |
