Hazel run January the 19—1822
I am happy in meeting with so favourable and Safe an
opportunity, to write to my dear abcent Sons—as now presents, by the
two Buffys,—and I am truly sorry it tis not in my power to Send
on the Certificate of James B Austins Baptism Mr B[ryan] and
myself have made the moast diligent search for it amoungst his
papers and can not find it. Frances Vally [Vallé] staid with us last
night. I requested him to get another coppy he assured me he
would attend to it without delay and send it out as soon as possibly,
for he thinks as you do, that it tis all Important for your Brother
to have it and I still hope he will Send it out in time to Send by Mr
B[ruffey]—you wish to know if you was Baptised, in the same
church, no my Son, you and your Sister was baptised at Austin Vill
by a protestant Clerjyman and a Certificate of the Same is now with
your Fathers papers—your letter of the 5 of novr, to your Brother
did not reach this place till nearly two weecks after his departure,
I should have exerted, myself in fitting him out agreeable to you[r]
wishes—Especially in geting him a Suite of buck skin, it greives me
when ever I think what a poor outfit he had, so improper for the
worck he will find necessary to be done, when I reflect on the
difficultys fatigue and danger that my dear Son will have to encounter,
it fills my mind with anxiety and a thousand fears for your Safety—
let me Intreat you my dear Stephen not to expose yourself, as you
did on red river, recollect that your Mother and Brothers, future
happyniss and Comfort depend on you, if kind providence
preserves your valluable health and life, I can not help Anticipating
future pleasurs and pleasing tranquility of mind in the Society of
my beloved Children, I well know you will have Innumerable
difficultys and dangers to go through before that happy period arrives,
when you will have a plain but comfortable home for yourselves
and Mother moast ardently do I pray that your health and
Constitution may be equal to your Industry and resolution, the latter
will eneable my Sons to Surmount every difficulty-—if diprived of
the former you can do nothing, may heaven, in mercy, avert this
great calamity I hope and trust, your Brother will be of great
Service to you in many Instances, you will discover a great
Similar[i]ty of disposition and manners to his dear Father, which is a
Sattesfaction to me [to] see his Counterpart,—although I fear he
prossesses two much of his Sanguine temper and will, licke [like]
his unfortunate parent, Anticipate a thousand pleasing projects
which he will never realize, god forbid he should meet with as many
disappointments and Sevear mortifications as his poor Father
experienced in consequence of this, and placeing Confidence in men
that deceived and defrauded him, indeed my Son the more I See of
the world, the more reason I have to dislike its Inhabitants, Bryan
is now Ingaged in Setling what is left of our once Indipendant
Estate—and I apprehend he will have trouble for even those who
gave notes, trumps up accounts and presents them as of sets to their
notes, none has been accepted and theay must prove them before
theay will be—he has conversed with J. Austin on the Subject of a
Settlement but he puits him of [f] in the same way he did your
Father for years— I well know he was anxious for their accounts
to be Settled long before he left the mines and numerous periods
was set to adjust them and I am convinced it was his fault that their
old business was not arranged long since, although he now says it
was the fault of your father, their appears a mistory in his conduct,
he now Says the Estate Justly owes him 16 hund dollors—now you
know the Situattion he has been in for years past and at times much
Embariessed and you father has to my knowledge releived him in
Several Instances, and my Idea, was that he was Indebtted to us
instead of the estate oweing him so large a Sum, however I Shall not
multiply words on this Subject—but mearly obse[r]ve that a final
Settlement with J A—and E Bates will never be effectd without
your aid—Bryan thinks, and not without some cause, the latter
has Injurd him to Such a degree, he can never forgive him and their
is no Intercoars whatever between the two famalys—as
administrator B—must call on him, but I have no Idea that any thing will be
Settled, E B account was drawn of [f] before your Father made his
last visit to the mines and charged him to have his ready by the
time he returnd as he wished to have all his business closed before
his departure, during his absence I saw E B, accot in the office and
think it amounted to near Six thousand dollars, but the account has
never been seen since I left it locked up in the office and as I had
the key with me I can not account for its disappearing— I find
from your letter to J B A[ustin] we Shall not have the happiness
of seeing you for a long time to come. I can not express the
disappointment I felt when I read that part of your letter that Speaks
of the multiplicity of businiss you have to attend to and no time
set for your comeing to Missouri your Sister and myself had
flattered ourselves, with the pleasing Anticipation of Embraceing you in
the Spring when we found the nature of your Arduous undertaking
in forming your new Coloney prevented your Comeing in the fall,
great as my desire is to See you, I do not wish you to return, untill
you can in a measure, Extricate yourself from difficulty, this I
think you can do in the coars of next Summer from the money you
will receive from Emigrants, this was the way your dear father
expected to rais a fund Sufficient to put all his plans in opperation in
Texas and to redeem Lucy and her Children his Credittors had given
him three years to pay them, I am very Sertain my dear Son would
not be distressed by those you owe provided you write them and give
them reason to think you will pay them all as soon as possibly—
every Sole within my knowledge has the moast exalted opinion of
the enterprise, every mail brings letters from all quarters. Mr B
is kept busy in answering letters, in Short nothing is Spoken of but
the Texes fever, the times is So hard and the people so dissatfyd,
with the country, or rather with those who govorn it, I really think
one half of the farmers will move this year, provided no Stop is put
to emigration may god in his Infiinite goodniss prosper your
exertions and hasten the period when you will have a home for your
mother in hur diclineing years, for the remainder of my days I must
be dependant upon my Children for Support, ... I can not
close this long epistle without making Some observations on a
Subject which has deeply interested my mind ever Since I recoverd from
my late Illniss and find that Mr Bryan will move next fall, if you
Succeed; he will dispose of this property and the Idea of leaveing
the body of my dear Husband on the land of Strangers, in an open
field, is truly distressing to my feelings I have thought if it was
possibly for my dear Son to come to this Country next fall, the
body could be taken up and placed in another Coffin, the one he was
laid in was of pine and of the roughest worck, the heat of the weather
was so Intensely warm, together with the high state of Inflamation
the body was in, made it necessary to bury it as Soon as possibly,
you will let me know by Mr Bruffy, your opinion and if it coincides
with mine and your Sisters it will be Some satisfaction to us, to
remove your dear parent from a Country where he had,been So
crually persicuted, however the day of retribution is duly arriveing
and the greater number of those men that distressed him are now
ruined with disgrace attached to it. Price who ownes the mine
Estate is in desperate Circumstances and it tis Said it will be sold
again ere long— I refer you to our friend B for all news of the
day you will find many whome you left roleing in affluence are
gown to pot. I find from memorands Dr Cunningham has property
in his hands to the amount of 5 or Six hund dollars Mr B has
wrote him Several times about it, but as yet have heard nothing from
him, perhaps you had better write him by Elliott and if he has
disposed of any of the things left him to Sell for money, Such as the,
bell, stove, and some other things, request him to Send a few doll or s
to me, I expected to have had Some money from Jersey, for the
back rents of the farm I Sold, I orderd it to be paid to Cousen E
Sharp, but for some unknown cause he has neither transmitted, the
money nor answerd the letters I have rote him on the subject, had
the money came on it was my intention to redeem part of the things
E B, bought in for me, I gave them all up to him when I left
Herculm So that he is Safe on that score, may god grant you success
and a favourable change in life that you may have it in your power
to redeem Lucy, She was bought in for me at five Hund dollors, but
at the money co[u]ld never be raised I gave hur up all so to E B—, I
have scribled a long letter and my son must think it tis time to
conclude, tell my dear James I will write Shortly Scarcely a weeck
passes but some Stop here bound for Texas, so that you or him will
here from some of the famaly frequently in the coars of the ensuing
summer I beg you or your brother will write very often and let us
know how you progress, everything will be interesting to us, you
know not how ansoious I am for your happyniss and wellfare—
persevere, put your trust in god and no doubt you will be amply
rewarded for all your tryals, with this hope we must not murmer
nor complain at the dispensations of providence and endeavour to
hold out to the end and receive the blessing promised, oh that I
could be with my dear Sons and have it in my power to contribute
to their comfort and happyness. I shall indulge the pleasing Idea
of our once more meeting together and being happyly settled at the
mouth of the Colorador, your little Nephews Sends their love to you
and uncle B, theay are fine loocking boys, but my little Guy is the
beauty of the famaly— Emily joines me in love to you boath god
bless you and preserve you in all things is the Sineear wish of your
affectionate Mother till death
Mary Austin
[Addressed:] Stephen F. Austin Esqr Mouth of Colorado Province
of Texas Favd Mr Bruffy