Sam has been with us a week or ten days & won everybodyⒶemendation completely. He is a lovable boy. His few months knocking around on his own hook have been a valuable education to him. It has brought out his manliness—it has made a very manly fellow of him. He is able to take care of himself, now, & is not afraid to try, I think. I am so glad he has had to hoe his own row unassisted.

There’s nothing like it in the world to keep a human being from being a stick. Sam conducts himself in a simple, unaffected way in company which is very attractive. He shows in many ways that at 18 he has added to his great capacities & acquirements that thing which most people only get at twice his age—wisdom. I hope he will have to fight his own way without help for a few years yet. I hope none of you will ever do anythingⒶemendation for him which he can do for himself—or let anybody else do it. And I hope you won’t do anythingⒶemendation which he can do for you. Put him in the fore-front all the time, & make him take the brunt of everything.

There’s the making of a man in him—though I doubted if he ever would be a man when I saw him last in Fredonia— Livy & Clara Spaulding are mourning because Sam is to be with us so short a time—indeed, we all are.

We leave for Paris (address, care Monroe & Co, Bankers) next Thursday. Tomorrow Sam takes boarding, lodging & German conversation for as long or short a time as he pleases, in the family of that finest character & perfectest woman in Europe, the Baroness Freundenberg.

He will see much company there, many with good minds, & all of them with the soundest good hearts in the world. We are all well & send love. O hang it, I forgot—the children are both sick—been sick ten days, with ear-aches & terrific colds. There, now, Ma, I have written in a very small hand—I forgot you are hard of hearing.