Boston June 21^st '62

 

My dear Brother

                        Anything in the shape of a letter from the East you'll be glad to receive, I know it from experience so this morning commence one to you. I have received your letter to Abbie and by that learn that you had a pretty hard time getting to Call. Jeff Davis is far more honorable than the proprietors of the Call Steamers. I would like to see the whole pack of them "hung by the neck till dead". Here we are all well, that is Fred and myself and the others at the store. Fred goes home soon and after he returns I may go down, two weeks only they allow me this year. Wouldn't you give all your old clothes to be there too? I wish you was to be / there, we would enjoy ourselves a little, riding, walking and fishing. hope to have better luck than we had last year. I rec'd a letter from there a few days since, all well.

 

Fred and I are at the same old business but instead of doing all that's in our power to retain our situation are doing the opposite. I don't believe three months from this time will see me there, tis a miserable wooden business and the sooner I am out of it the better it will be for me. I am simply wasting my time. I have written to Lewis asking him if he wants my services in the tree business and am hoping every day to get a favorable answer. You don't know how I hate to leave Boston! I like here better and better every day. I shall be homesick enough for weeks and months after I leave / School St. Church, the Ballou Association and our Division I shall think of often. Our Division has changed greatly within three months. Perhaps you remember of my writing that we were going to "kill or cure" and we are fast curing it. The jades and tough boys are finding it a little too warm for comfort. many have left and good ones are filling their places.

 

            Next Wednesday is the night for election of officers. my friend Small will be elected U.P. and if I was old enough I should go in W.A. but as I am not I shall have to take up with Condet. R.S. or any thing else that has much writing to do with it I won't take. We have got to work or our plans will not succeed as the old members or a part of them are trying to run us off the track and had they been really smart they might have done it but / they told the secret to the wrong man one who is more friendly to us than to them and he let the cat out of the bag, now if they beat us they have got to work for it. B.L.A. boys are noted for their electioneering qualitys and we have quite a number of them in the Div.

 

Last Monday night our Div. visited one at West Newton and we had a gay time chartered a car and so went by ourselves and came home when we got ready. I enjoyed much, more perhaps than two others who were a little late. perhaps you see the point any way I had, pretty good company.

 

Next Wednesday our Sabbath-School has a picnic, wish I could go but don't expect I can get away, may in the afternoon.

 

But I was writing about changing business. I have about made up my mind that I will not remain / on my present salary, even if I have to go down home and go to farming it, thats honorable, can hardly say that of my present business and there is but little hope of my ever getting into the shoe department. McKinney has about sixteen brothers-in-law and cousins to provide for, after that there wont be much left. What shall I do? I haven't a great love for the tree business and perhaps they will not want me, farming is very good business for the kind but a plagy poor kind. I think I can get a situation in the market in the butter, cheese & eggs business and wholesale too. It's a paying business many get rich in it but I hardly fancy the business, don't know that it would hurt me either. I should get 350. or 400.$ the first year. In that business one is obliged to make pretty long days. the market opens at sunrise the year / round and closes in the summer season at six and earlier in the winter. Do you think I could go the white frock? There are many real gentlemen in that market and there are many more hard boys. I hardly know yet what I shall do, can not decide upon anything yet awhile.

 

Since you left I have changed my boarding-place, now have a good one, tis but a short distance from the old one. This is a small house, more of a private family than a boarding-house. I like here much, its quite a different place from the other one. There they are decidedly down on me, when I was paying them my money I was one of the best fellows about now I am the meanest one in town. I don't care for them.

 

            Monday night 22^d. To-night at 7.30 the mail for Call closes / so I must hurry up this letter if I wish it to go in the next steamer I have just returned from the store and feel quite tired, am a little unwell to-day but its but a 24 hours sickness. This morning I found a letter from at the P.O. from Chase Bro^s and it came just in the right time too as I was anxious to hear from them before I decided upon anything, now things look as though I might put on the frock and go into the butter cheese & eggs—

 

Eathan writes that Martin has retired from the firm of Chase Bro^s and what they shall do they hardly know. Now Lewis is trying to get up a small sale on their old ground but doesn't expect to do much, its hard times there as well as here. Martin is getting up a sale on his own hook in N.S. hope he will / have a good time of it. Ethan is going to N.Y. the 1^st of July to see what can be done and they can find a field where we can all work I think they would be glad to give me a chance. I know Lewis would.

 

I saw Bowman as he returned from N.S. He did not realize what he expected to. I offered him enough, should have hardly got 100 dollars for my trouble and but a small part of that in cash.

 

The place in the market which I have mentioned once or twice I know nothing definite about. Two young men are thinking of going into business and if they do there will be vacancies where they now are and I think I can safely count on one of them. I hardly know whether or not to take it, don't exactly like the business still there is money in and they are nice people, quite wealthy and live in good style. I visit at the house of one of the Firm. I shall think the matter all over and then decide upon something. Excuse this rambling letter. I have written it along as I got time and don't know whether or not there is head or tail to it. Hoping that you will meet with good success I now close. write often

                                                                                                                       

Charles

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