Lexington July 2d 1826

My Dear Mother

some lenth of time has now elapsed since I wrote to you and I have received no answer yet and I fear you have not got it— I will now tell you what I have been doing since I left you, after I arrived here with Mr Hawkins he put me to learn the tanning trade with Mr Blanchard his brother in law where I staid better than 2 years but I found that him and I could not agree so I left him and came to Lexington and have been living with Mr. Peter Hedenbergh learning the sadling trade which I like verry well, but I want to see and hear from you all verry much and I want you to write to me and be particular to send my age exactly and I want you and my sisters to send me as many books as you can (Spanish) as I have nearly lost my language in my own tounge since I came here, I have discovered that by nature I . . . [blotted] sinner, but now blessed be God . . .

God for Christ sake has pardoned . • . while I experienced the . . . on my own heart, I have . , . by immersion, and have . . .

Baptist Denomination in this town sensible that none but God can pardon sins, to him I have gone and have found for myself that he is able and willing to save My Dear Mother I want you to read the Bible for yourself and there you will find happyness read it with attention and prayer and the Spirit of God will enable you to understand it, but while I have renounced the doctrines of the Church of Rome, I have not given up prayer but still find it a blessing to my soul, but I hope, should the Lord spare me to see you again to be able to talk more at large with you on this subject My Dear Mother perhaps you may not like it so well that I have changed my spiritual views of things, but the case was this, after I came here, I became verry wicked and in the midst of this, I took to reading the Bible and going to meeting and became convinced that I was a sinner and without repentance, I should never see heaven, I think when you consider that calmly you will say I have done right and should we never meet on earth again I hope to meet you in the realms of Glory where parting will be no more pray for me that I may hold out faithful to the end, I want you to remember me to all my brothers and sisters and all my friends and tryand write to me as soon as you get this and direct to me in these words,—

Mr. Joseph M. D. Carbajal

Care of Peter Hedenbergh Sadler

Lexington, (Fayette, Cy —Kentucey—

I shall now close and believe me to be your affectionate son

Joseph M D Carbajal.

Lexington Ky

Dr Sir/

A lad of this town has a mother in St. Antonio and a brother in Law by the name of Louisano Nabaro a silver smith of the same town

The affectionate and praiseworthy conduct of this lad has endeared him to his acquaintances and I have taken upon myself to open a way for this lad and his friends to communicate freely by mail and therefore beg that you will do me the favor to have this letter delivered and hope the mother will send her letters to some one of the nearest Post offices in the united states and point out to her son the channell by which his letters may reach her and at the same time I solicit a correspondence with yourself as an old friend

Jos Fickltn

P master Lexington Ky

PS—I shall send this to my friend Cox in N Orleans—[Ad- dressed :] Stephen Austin Esqr