Lincoln Letters

Page Four

To illustrate some portion of what has been written above, I will say, that you might deport yourself after a certain manner which I might condemn as imprudent, but when told that Mrs. Smith and Mr. Bonnell said there was nothing wrong in it, I would defer to their judgment, having great confidence in those two individuals, formed at first sight. But were you to dress yourself in the habiliments of a young man and take a “stroll down town,” and then tell me that Mrs. S. and Mr. B. and all the Faculty said there was nothingwrong in it, I would say that Mrs. S. and Mr. B and the Faculty were fools. I should lose all confidence in them and scold you terribly for not knowing better yourself.

The old copy says: “Modesty is a quality that highly adorns a woman,” there are various other qualities which do the same, but all seem to be crowned by what we call character, and the character of a young lady may be swept away by a breath, when the qualities all lose their value. Is it strange then that parents should be anxious about what is so valuable to their daughters? I think not. I am nearly at the end of this sheet and must close. Be a good girl, as you have been to me always, be not anxious or ill natured, do your duty carefully and trust in God. I may not write to you regularly, it wearies me to write, but you should keep me advised. Present my kind respect to your teachers, love to all the girls.

Your very affectionate Pa

E. J. Blackshear