Thursday, 20th September, 1792.

I was sorry I had not a letter ready for you, my dear John, when Mr. Otto called, as it would have been so convenient to have sent it by him; and I have now scarce time more than to inform you, that I enclose a ten dollar note, and to tell you that your letter was exceedingly pleasing to me, as by it I find you have passed your time agreeably, and I have no doubt profitably. Indeed, my dear John, I cannot help anticipating the happiness I expect to experience from your future conduct, as I already have from your past; relying on the rectitude of your heart, and the kindness of that Providence who will, I trust, continue to give you every good disposition, and to bless every laudable endeavour, if you fail not humbly to seek it from him. It is a great satisfaction to me to find your situation is still agreeable to you, and I hope it will continue to be so, as a knowledge of your happiness always contributes to mine. But, my dear John, you do not tell me you are well: I want to know if you have any cough, or have been at any time sick since you left home; if you are, do not keep the knowledge of it from me. I would earnestly beseech you to have a regard to your health. I know your desire to acquire knowledge is great, and it is commendable; but I would wish you to think it of at least as much consequence to preserve health, as to improve your mind, since without health you can do nothing, so that the preservation of that should be your first, though not your only care.

Your brothers and sisters and little nephews are all well, and with the hope of seeing you soon, join in much love to you, with, my dear John, your affectionate

H. HOBART.'

A chance letter of the son's has been preserved, which, though without date, seems to be in answer to this: he says,

I have been some time waiting to write to you by G. Bullock; but as his going seems very uncertain, I now write by post, to ease you of the anxiety I fear you feel in not hearing from me. I wish, my dear Mamma, you would not be so apprehensive that

I shall injure my health by application; you may depend upon it, the preservation of that shall always be a primary concern, and that study shall never injure it. As my dear Mamma's concern is an evidence of her affection for her son, so I assure her that son's heart is too full to express as it ought, how much he is indebted to her; but it would add greatly to my happiness, if I knew you were not oppressed with unnecessary fears. I am not now troubled with a cough, but am as hearty as I have been at any time since I came here. The situation is so healthy, that it is very rarely the students have any complaints.

Your very affectionate son,

J. H. H.'

'Wednesday Evening, January 2, 1793.

I am happy my dear John, to hear you are well, and am much pleased with the account your sister tells me Mr. Tatem gives of your exhibition on Monday evening. I have just got your speech from your sister, but must defer reading it till to-morrow. I am so much engaged with your sister Polly, that I can scarce take time to write a line, or I should before now have told you I was highly gratified in hearing that Dr. Smith, when he was last in Philadelphia, spoke of you in terms of the highest commendation, as to your disposition, capacity, and conduct. I hope my dear son, you will always behave so as to merit (and I doubt it not) the approbation of all, whose good opinion you ought to desire to have. I enclose a five dollar note, and assure my dear boy, that so far from feeling reluctance at sending you necessary supplies, I do it with the utmost cheerfulness when in my power, because I have confidence in your prudent disposal of it, and hope the end will be your advantage and improvement. Your brother has given up business in town, and removed to Pottsgrove. I heard this afternoon they were all well.

Your affectionate Mother,

H. HOBART.'

If his mother's affection was thus fearful under ordinary circumstances, it may easily be imagined how painful was the separation during the ravages of the yellow fever which broke out in the summer of this year (1793.) Her

letters were almost daily, and filled with injunctions of care, and caution, and preventive remedies.

On the close of his final examinations in the summer of this fatal year, he had proceeded to pay a long-promised visit to a dear college friend at Jamaica, Long-Island. While there, the fever broke out with violence in Philadelphia; and so great was the alarm, that to avoid the danger arising from public travel, his friend himself took him back to Princeton in a private conveyance, and through by-roads.

It was now his time to be anxious for his mother's safety; he thus writes from Jamaica:

'My dear Mamma's two letters have filled me with more anxiety than I can express. I am very sure you cannot be safe in the city, and if you are so anxious I should not come there, I wish you would be equally concerned on your own account. I cannot be easy any where, my dear Mamma, till you are out of the city, as long as the disease continues. O, my dear Mother, if you knew how anxious I am, I am sure you would not continue in town. I would therefore beg and entreat you to leave the city. I cannot be convinced you are safe there. I should suppose you might go either to Frankfort or to Pottsgrove, but in the city I hope you will not continue. I have felt very much for you to-day, the weather has been unusually warm. I wish, my dear Mamma, you would go into the country. I shall anxiously wait for a letter. With a great deal of love and anxiety, I remain your sincerely affectionate, J. H. HOBART.

Friday Evening.'

Her removal to Frankfort, which immediately took place, was not, however, sufficient to quiet his fears. His next is as follows:

I feel daily more and more anxiety for your safety, my dear Mamma, and that of my brother and sisters, who still continue within the reach of this alarming fever. The accounts we have

from Philadelphia are extremely distressing, and represent the fever as continuing to rage with the greatest fury, and carrying off daily a great number of the citizens. But what adds to my anxiety and distress is, that you are by no means yet safe from the contagion. Mr. Tennent, one of our trustees, has mentioned here that three or four persons have died of the disorder in the neighbourhood of Abingdon, which is farther from the city than Frankfort. I wish very much if it were possible, that you would all move to Pottsgrove, where you would be more secure from danger. Were you there, I should be much less anxious-I should not be near so much distressed. I have never been more distracted with doubt and anxiety than to-day. I am extremely anxious to be with you, and my dear Robert and his family. O, how easy I should feel, if you were all out of the reach of danger. Skinner has returned. I do not know that I have ever suffered so much as in parting from him. I knew he was very dear to me, but I did not know how dear till he left me. With heartfelt love and affection for my dear Mamma, I remain her dutiful son, JOHN H. HOBART.

P. S. We have received degrees privately.'

My dear Sister,

'Princeton, Sept. 28. Saturday Evening.

I wrote to Mamma by Wednesday's, Thursday's, and Friday's post. I am in continual anxiety not only for your safety, but for our relations who still remain in the city. I hope, my dear sister, that you will not venture into town with Mr. Smith, and I wish you could persuade him to leave the business of the bank, when he cannot attend to it but with such imminent hazard. I dare not think of the consequences that may follow his so frequently going into the city. Mamma informs me that she is well; indeed it is my chief consolation. Neglectful as I may be in acknowledging the common mercies of Providence, such a distinguished instance of his goodness in the preservation of those who are most dear to me in this time of danger, awakens in my heart the liveliest gratitude. And while those who lament the loss of friends, must take warning from the solemn dispensation, it ought to operate no less forcibly on those who have reason to acknowledge its goodness in not having such loss to lament.

My dear friend Skinner left me on Thursday last, depriving me of my chief source of happiness while absent from you all. I wish it were possible for us to be always together, and I must indulge in the pleasing anticipation that such may be the case. I wish, my dear sister, that you only knew him, and then you wouid not wonder, as you now may, at the warmth of my attachment to him.

Your affectionate brother,

JOHN H. HOBART.'

At this season of wide spread alarm, the fears of those separated were mutual. His mother's letter, a few days previous, is as follows:

'Frankfort, 24th September, 1793.

I wrote to you, my dear John, last Thursday; since then, I have received yours from Jamaica of the 17th. I expect you are in Princeton before now, and know it will give you pleasure to hear that we are all well at Frankfort. I don't find that the disorder is abated in the city, but cannot hear that it is any where in this neighbourhood, or has been. I am impatiently expecting to hear from you, and hope there are letters now at the post-office; but it is seldom we can get them till the day after they are there. I am very glad you wrote to Mr. Smith; his kindness to us all, and attention to you called for a return, and I know it gave him a great deal of pleasure, as it did also your sister. Wherever you travel, I wish you to use every prudent precaution in your power; but do not let apprehension affect your spirits, but look to that Providence who is able, and I trust will preserve you from every danger. I would have you carry camphor about you, and your handkerchief wet with vinegar: if you could have a little vial of spirits of camphor, and sometimes take a drop or two in your mouth, and wet your handkerchief as often as you can with vinegar, unless you can conveniently carry that also about you.

I would not wish you, my dear John, to distress yourself so much with apprehensions for our safety: we cannot insure it, in truth, any where; but we will hope the best, and trust that a kind Providence, who has in so many instances dispensed his favours to us, will continue to preserve you, as well as us, from