Transcription: js_letter_ 1846-10-20 to C Slater

No Envelope, instead letter was folded and sealed with red wax seal with an “S” logo in it.

Addressed to 

Mr. C Slater
Eastwood
Nottinghamshire

On the bottom left-hand side is the word “free”, underlined,

Next to it is the stamp PAID 1d Chelmsford (one penny- which may have been a way the recipient might pay for a letter prior to delivery.)

Elsewhere on the outside of the package are postmarks

(faint)  21 OCT  ***AS ****  (possibly part of the destination town Eastwood)

Also ?***CHAM  OC 21 1846 D

Inside of letter, 4 sides only one side is written on.

****************
Writtle
October 20, 1846

Dear Father and Mother

I know you will think it is getting quite time that I should write to you. I am not going on very well for boots just now, the soles of both of them are through and I have no money to pay for mending them. I want you to send me a sovereign if you can spare one just now. I don’t like to ask Mr. Law though he said he would pay me quarterly, I think it would make me appear destitute and I hope I am not that nor incompetent either.
Mr. Phipson may say what he likes – Mr. Law has studied 10 years at the University of Edinburg {I think that was the one) so he knows what learning is. he has tried me in Latin, French, Greek and arithmetic and says that I know more than many young men that he has met with who have not been to University.

He gave me a sentence of Latin to translate and I did it and answered almost every question he put to me     – he says that he thinks I might take a class in French. I’m going to learn Greek and Hebrew with him.
A gentleman at Chelmsford asked him what sort of teacher he had got now whether he was as good as the other, Mr. law said “he knows 10 times as much and has ten times less opinion of himself so don’t think that all your money has been thrown away upon me. I know I ought to know more than I do, but you have laid such a foundation that will never be rooted out or forgotten.

(continued down the side of the page)
We have got one border and Mr. Law expects another at Christmas he says you must have four more and then he says it will augment my stipend at the house the Scotch people say. The day school is still morning.  I got one last night I got one more last night. I can receive the money for Chelmsford if you can send me a post office order. with kind of love to all I remain your affectionate son

John Slater

Tell William to write. give my love to Aunt and the children