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Dear Bradburn, I returned from The suggestions mentioned in my last
letter, touching your matters with R., are these. You, knowing all the circumstances, can
probably judge better than I, whether they are well founded. If well founded,
they excuse R’s conduct—in part certainly—on the pecuniary score. 1.Mrs.
P’s going to L, was an act of shocking imprudence—and probably she and yourself
are much more responsible for that act than R. But for yourself, he would never
have thought of it. But for your approval, he probably would not have
asked her to come. Doubtless your judgment was his controlling inducement. 2. R’s paying $200, or $300, of Mrs. P’s
debts, as a preliminary to her coming, was certainly very generous. So also was
his becoming responsible for the rent of the house for three years. 3.
His promise to make up all deficiencies, if she should not make the house
support itself, was of course made, and is to be now understood as being made,
solely with reference to the plans then in view, viz, that she should take
boarders—other boarders than himself and family. He now finds those plans
utterly defeated. Mrs. P. has had no other boarders the last year—and probably
can expect none in the future, owing to the lawsuits, past and in progress, and
the consequent notoriety. R., then, finds himself paying her a salary
for taking care of his children, paying weekly board for them and himself, and
saddled beside with the responsibility of $400, or $500, rent per annum—and all
the plans already defeated, in view of which his undertaking was entered into.
He also finds that he himself has been involved in one lawsuit—he finds you
involved in another. Mrs. P. in another—and, as I understood you, (or inferred
from what you said) that he is looked to by both you and her for the mans of
prosecuting them. Considering that he has a large family of
his own to provide for, is it not time for him to ask himself where all these
expenses are to end? All the plans—to carry out which his promise was made—have
failed—after he has done all that he was bound to do towards enabling her to
execute them. The plans having failed, his promise, based upon them, is of
course no longer obligatory. It could not have been understood by any of you,
at the time, that he was to take upon himself such a responsibility as he now
finds thrown upon him—vis, that of giving Mrs. P a costly rent for three years,
whether she succeeded in getting boarders or not—that of giving her a salary
for the same time at all events—and board for himself and family, under all
contingencies—and that of carrying out all the lawsuits in which she and
yourself might become involved in three years. I say nothing equal to this could have been
expected at the time, because it is manifestly impossible for Mrs. P, or any
other woman, to render any sort of equivalent for it. The care and instruction
of two or three children are no reasonable equivalent, because he can send them
to the best schools at a much cheaper rate. Besides, who is responsible for the failure
of all the plans on which his promise was based? And who is responsible for
these suits, which have made these unpleasant matters so notorious? Perhaps
some responsibility rests upon all three of you—but does not the smallest part
rest upon R.? Did not your violent and repeated attacks upon B____ compel him
in self-defense to attack you? Or at least was it not to have been expected
that he would rehabilitate in the way he has? I know not what provocation B____ may have
given you in the first instance—but I think hardly any provocation, given in
private, by such a fellow as he, could justify you in such violent attacks
through your paper. Besides, B____ is weak-minded constitutionally violent—he
is to be pitied and shunned, or else conciliated, rather than thus publicly and
violently assailed. A man is not to be blamed for being a fool—and to quarrel
with a fool is the height of folly. It is to be expected that he will throw
stories—right or wrong. But you will say that Mrs. P gave up her
prospects in This is the way the thing looks to me. You
of course must judge whether it be a correct view. But if it be, I do hope that
you will look all these unpleasant matters in the face, hush them up, and make
the best of them. And not ruin yourself and Mrs. P by an outbreak with R.,
which it seems to me would be almost certain ruin to both of you. The world
would certainly take sides with R.—and there would be no limits to the scandal.
Yours
truly, L. Spooner |