In your letter to your brother,1 which is a very pretty one, you express a wish that you understood French. At your age, it is not difficult to learn that language; patience and perseverance is all that is wanting.

There are two ways, which are sure. One is to transcribe, every day, some passages from the best authors. Another is to conjugate the verbs, in writing, through all the modes and tenses and persons, both of the active and passive voice. If you are resolute to practise this every day, you are sure of the language in no long time. I have made your brother do this, and write the English in every person against 127the French, so that he has sometimes filled two sheets of paper in conjugating one verb. In this practice he has had great success.

I shall not lay down any rules for your behaviour in life, because I know the steadiness of your mind, your modesty and discretion; and you cannot find in this world, in my opinion, a better preceptor than your mamma, both in her precepts and examples.

I have so many things to do, and so many cares upon my mind, that I cannot write to you so often as I wish: but I should take great pleasure in receiving letters from you. I am, with the tenderest affection, my dear daughter, Your father,

I just now recd. your Letter of septr. ye 29th and read it with great pleasure in which you say you think that writing is not a la mode de paris. on the contrary I have wrote very often to you whether they have fail'd, or whether they have been taken by the English I do not know but your Letters have been more lucky than my Pappa's and mine for to day is the 2d time that I have received a Letter from you since my arrival in france and amongst a number of letters that we have sent to you you have not recd, but once and with the others I wrote you by captn. Tucker I hope you have recd. them before now I am now at one of the environs of Paris which is call'd Passy and am at a pension I like my situation pretty well but I had rather be in america than in any part of France you ask me if the climate of France suits me it does very well for I have not felt any sickness since I left you. you say that it has been very sickly in america last summer but I hope none of our freinds have had it I am &c

I have just now wrote to my Brother charles1 & you would not like it if I did not write to you also. but now I have my pen in my hand 128what shall I write you about for you do not encourage by writing to me; you should ask mamma to write for you I have wrote very often to you but Mamma says that you have not recd. but once from me but I hope that you have recd. some more before now surely you have not forgot me. I have two letters from Mamma, 1 from my sister and two from my Cousin billy2 but not one from my Brother charles or you, but I have wrote to him and to you very often but perhaps you have not received them I have amongst the others given you an account of my Voyage and in another all the things that I have seen that have been remarkable and amongst others the description of the dome of the invalids & the ecole militaire the description of Which would be too long to write but I will take another oportunity to do it. I have 2 or 3 more letters to write and so I must Leave you, and beleive that I am your affectionate Brother