From Thomas Waters Sr. to his wife Elizabeth Waters (April 17, 1840)

[Thomas Waters, R.M., to his wife, Elizabeth]

Addressed to Mrs Capt. Waters R.M., King Street, Woolwich, Kent

Birmingham 17 April 1840

My dear Wife

Your letter of the 16th with the two enclosures came to hand the following morning, poor John he seems very anxious, I am afraid that plaguy chest has troubled him a great deal, to be taken in so, must to him have been very provoking to him, poor fellow I am afraid he thinks too much, particularly when any thing goes cross, and parting with his brother too, he is certainly fond of his brothers and sisters and I believe would do any thing for them, and then his mother he feels for her situation and troubles, and perhaps for himself, he is apt rather now and then to dispond, though I trust, he has no reason to, for I have no doubt but, by the Almighty’s Blessing, we shall all get through very well by-and-by, but we must have patience and learn to bear with troubles and
disapointments, they make a part of our education, for we should know but little of the world without them, we should know neither how to help others or ourselves, by beginning to know them early we can much better bear with them in riper years.  And Thomas I hope will do very well in time, if he has a firm heart, with resolution to get on in the world, I have no doubt he will succeed, he seems to have been taken by surprise, the Ship having been ordered away so suddenly, but it helps to teach us to be always on the alert and look out, it was very feeling of John to go up with the chest and see his dear Brother to bid him goodby. I am pleased to see that my Sister shows some thought towards you now, but if she had shown it when I was on the coast of Africa and in her prosperity how much more gratified I should have been, she would have laid me under an obligation that I never could have forgotten, but however kindness is always acceptable and I feel obliged to her for it now. My Cousin writes a good letter for a poor person, and an excellent hand, one would not have expected such good writing and she seems very pious she must be a very worthy and I should suppose clever woman indeed I would say a superior woman, if she had had health and opportunity to have got forward in the world I have no doubt she would, poor woman how much she must be oppressed in her mind, what are our troubles compared to hers, where she appears to be in the midst of poverty, distress and sickness and yet she seems to bear it all well up, with pious resignation in God’s providence, and her poor mother, what an aged woman in the midst of affliction, I pity them but it is all I can do for them, God can provide for them, I cannot, for I cannot provide for my own to my satisfaction, and I am not conscious that any crumbs fall from our table that we do not pick up and eat, but, God help us all. My Cousin’s letter is worth preserving it shows her in the midst of affliction bearing up firmly with a trust in Gracious Providence- I hope to send up a couple of recruits in a week or 10 days if neither of them suddenly leave me, we do not like to send them off immediately now that it is Easter, the time for getting more, for one of them is of this town and the other tolerably acquainted here. I got up last Monday at half past three in the morning and walked to Wolverhampton, where Capt.Heriot once recruited, a distance of 14 miles from my lodgings, and found my recruiting Sergeant,Callard, there, not up at a 1/4 after 7 oClock. I astonished him I believe a little, on my returning I found a four-penny piece, I got back about 1/2 past one in the afternoon, you see I am writing any nonsense to you rather than that you should think me negligent in not answering your letter, but really at times I do not know what to say, and I make so many blunders that I am ashamed of myself, but however I hope you will attribute it to the right cause, the devotion of my mind to my family while at the same time I must attend to my duties, for any the least neglect or error in them may be fatal to our future prosperity and now at my time of life too, whereas a man in business may now and then slumber and forget himself, and if he makes a false step or two, with resolution he may rise again and overcome all difficulties, but I must not expect to be able to, although all things are possible with God, I must not expect Him to work miracles with me, it pleases Him to leave us to our own resources, though we cannot account for the very extraordinary circumstances which take place, in favour of or against some People.

I remain with love to children

Your most affectionate Husband
        Tho^s. Waters