Worcester Jany 29, 1850

Dear Bradburn,

     I thank you most truly for overlooking my apparent negligence, and giving me a letter. I should have written you, had I had any thing of interest to write.

     I am sorry to hear that you feel your circumstances to be so unhappy. I wish you had some proper field for doing good to others and yourself. I trust you will yet find such a one.

     And Wright! Is it not a thousand times a shame that the Chronotype should die? I hope Wright himself may now be able to live. To see him live, will be some consolation. Indeed I am sometimes disposed to think that mere living, is almost the only positive duty of mankind, as it is almost the only one that is possible to be performed. If one attempts to do anything but live, he is nearly sure to starve to death.

     My postage project has hardly advanced at all since I saw you—although I still hope something from it. When I shall know the issue of it is uncertain.

     For a few weeks I have had some clinical employment, at 8/-per day- a perfect Godsend to such a poor devil as I. But for it, I know not how I should have lived through the winter.

     I was at Athol the last of December—on my way to Burlington Vt, in business for others. The Doctor’s folks were well as usual. Mrs. Hoyt made many kind inquiries about you. She also read to me a letter from Mrs. Brackett, (formerly Mrs. Sargeant), giving an account of her divorce, marriage, husband, etc. etc. Her divorce was granted on the allegation that her husband had refused to support her, for the space of two years. Such it seems is the law of Illinois. I presume that Sargeant did not oppose the divorce, or give his reasons for refusing to support her. Of course the divorce was granted.

     I suppose her marriage took place very soon after the divorce. Her husband is a lawyer, formerly from Cherry Valley N.Y. Has a rich father, I believe—besides other merits in her eyes. She seems very proud of him. Her residence is Rock Island, Illinois. I saw her father a day or two since—he thought she and her husband would probably come on here next summer.

     It is rumored that Sargeant is about to console himself by taking another helpmate. I hope it may be so.

     What do I think of Wirt[?]? I have not read his life—and but few of his arguments. I think there have been but few great legal minds in this country—and I have no particular evidence that he was one of them.

     I have not read the article in the North American. From some criticisms in the newspapers I had supposed the article was unjust and false. Are you sure that such is not the case now? I wish I could send you an article that I saw in the Tribune a day or two sine taken I think from the London News. Gov. Ujhazy[?] also, in one of his speeches lately, said that a majority, I think a large majority, of the Hungarian[?] assembly, were in the favor of a republican government and that 3,000,000 (or was it more?) of the population had been freed from serfdom, and made landholders, and that that change in their condition could not be reversed by the Austrian government. We ought not to expect perfection of a people in their condition. I should think they did much better, almost infinitely better than the Americas in their revolution—for the latter hardly freed a single slave while fighting for their own freedom, and professedly “for the rights of man.”

     I intended to say something of Smith in this letter, but I think I will postpone it for a few days.

     I agree with you that as long as we both stay on this planet, we ought at least to hear from each other occasionally. And I hope I shall ere long hear of some improvement in your fortunes.

     Please remember me to Mrs. Parker and Mr. Robinson, and believe me ever

                                  Yours truly,

                                  L. Spooner

                                      Cleveland, ____ 18, 1851

[Margin:] Smith had written to Vaughan (privately), proposing a union of the Anti-Slavery men on the basis of the Unconstitutionality of slavery, & the impossibility of its legalization.

Dear Spooner,

     I enclose this in one of yr’s [?] to Mrs. Hildreth. I wish, as I have been so long wishing, I have something to say to you of myself that you could be glad to hear. But, I am still as unsettled as ever. A telegraphic error prevented me from concluding the announcement I had contemplated with the True [?] Democrats. The error occurred when I was in Boston, but I did not learn of it until after getting hither. I had written: “I can not hurry.” This was telegraphed: “I cannot comply.” So, Vaughan concluded I would have nothing to do with him, or says so, so far as the announcement we had talked of ever concerned. But between us, there has been some play in the premises, nay, a deal of it, that such plain folks as you & I would not hesitate to pronounce dishonest. A subsequent arrangement proposed by them, & cemented [?] to be me, was defeated by the refusal by one of them to let it be expressed in writing!  And in regard to recording other propositions made to me by Vaughan, who had assured me of his power to negotiate, they were broken down by the interposition of his partner. My difficulty with this partner has been owing to an offer he rec’d from a fourth person, during my absence at Boston, of $3000 for one fourth of the paper, cash down; an offer which he accepted. That person is to solicit subscribers for the paper, & Brown (V’s partner) thinks he would be worith more to the paper than I should. He has no faith in editorial ability, supposing me to possess any[?], such as he has in cute soliciting.

     The Chicago officer will not be able, I am very sure, to command the requisite means.

     I do wish you may be in better luck. Bower, the blind man, with Leach, called at my brother’s, the other day, to sell the family a copy of the former’s book. He spoke well and kindly of you. I was glad to be able to say, that you do not think ill of him, that I remembered to have heard you speak well of his mind.

     I suppose you have seen Mrs. Brackett. I trust you did not neglect to say to her a good word for me.

     “Turn ye, turn ye,” with [?] the scripture. How well the injunction has been _____ by the managers of the “Commonwealth”!

     I have not seen a copy of Douglass’s paper since his conversion.

     Pray, let us hear from you, & often. It would be almost insulting for us to repent[?] how much, & how well, & with what satisfaction, we think of you.  

                                  Geo. Bradburn