Weymoh. June the 12 1758 Dear Brother,

Your last visit you damp'd all my hopes of a future Correspondence With Miss Molly,1 by assuring me She Wou'd not advance the first farthing to begin with; I had promise'd myself much pleasure as Well as profit, from a Person So admirably Qualified to keep up the Spirits: & cant patiently bear the disappointment, tho' have no merrit to plead nor Stock to offer; the proposal was to send at first a how do ye if the return was only pretty Well. From this prevailing Principle; The hope of a return: I Send the first complement but Submit it to your better judgment whether tis best to deliver it or not. I wou'd Willingly have a Small Share of the World (tho' I've no desire to Engage in it). If it Can be Conveniently done it may fill up a vacant hour & keep off the destroyer of human peace. I durst no more Engage too Earnestly in Bussness then pleasure so find I want amusing Scenes. Pray further it if you Can Prudently.

Wensday 14. I have been to the Justice, & sworn but tis an ugly Jobb I dont like; tis as bad as being married. Inclosed I send the Certificate but Pray dont Expose tis a Shocking thing but mum twill answer I suppose I have made your Drawes & hope to send E'm but dont know how I shall Convey this; Why did you not Send the papers to be acknowlodged? Tis97a Glorious Day I shou'd like to spend among Some particular freinds but I can't budge. Oh! that my Wings were Grown.

Remember me Where I'm Enquired after and accept this Scrawl from yours as usual,

E: PAINE

My hands are very lame & I'm much in the Dumps.

RC ; addressed: "For Mr. Robert Treat Paine at Boston"; endorsed.

1.

Possibly Mary Fletcher.

Boston June 20th. 1758 Dear Eunice,

the last day of service, no business on hand, but yet Expectation won't suffer me to study, therefore I improve this moment to write you a just what comes uppermost. I delivered yrs. to Mary1 & she sends you one inclos'd. My Dunstable Katey2 has got as far as Cambridge. I went on Saturday P.M. to visit her, found her very week, but bidding fair to recover. She enquired much after you, & was disappointed in not seeing you at Dunstable. I think she has the Gift of utterance to as great perfection as I ever see any & accompanied with a great vivacity of Imagination renders her exceeding good Company especially when proceeding from so agreable a person. I wish you could be with her a while. I am satisfy'd 'twould enliven you much. If you were not so straitned for Room I would bring her down to tarry with you a while. The Middle of this Week I should set out for Connetticut were it not that freind Abel is with me & so I purpose to tarry till the End of it. If Mr. Dyar wants to send there let him send the Letter to me soon; you must fall too & exercise your Ingenuity in making me a pair of Leather Stockins. I shall send you the leather by this Opportunity as also an old pair for a Pattern. NB if you can mend the old ones likewise, do. By all means drink Salt Water stoutly. Sprague says 'tis the best thing for you & likewise go down by the sea side and take the little Bladders of the Sea Oak (a Plant so called which grows on the Rocks & bears little bladders that look like small olives & are full of a slimy Juice) & break them & rub yr. Scrophulous joints with the inside of them & then wash it off with the98salt water which has been proved abundantly serviceable in those cases, & I doubt not but by degrees you'll grow rampant.

My Compliments where they belong. I think of nothing else but that I am yr. loving brother &c.

R. T. PAINE

P.S. Wednesday. Hindred & doubt I shall not be able to send the leather. Expect to go to morrow or next day.

R. T. P.

RC ; endorsed.

1.

Possibly Mary Fletcher.

2.

Catherine Blanchard (1736–1817), daughter of Col. Joseph Blanchard of Dunstable, married Rev. Elias Smith (1731–1791) in 1759 (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 13:351–355).