My dear Father and Mother/  Metuchen October 23, 1857 

I received the epistles of Elizth John and Sarah yesterday at William Watson’s Perth Amboy, New Jersey. I left Reading on Saturday, 16th and stayed in Philadelphia Friday through Sunday over at Edward Jackson’s and went with Mrs C Jackson to the Presbyterian Church and heard the Reverend Mr. Darling preach.     He is a very clever man and has a very large congregation. The church is beautifully furnished at the far end from the entrance is the platform with a beautiful sofa and easy chairs and a reading desk in front there were four large pillars from the ground to the ceiling in front of the platform There is a lamp positioned either side of the desk with two burners everything seems to be on a magnificent scale. In the afternoon we went to hear the Reverend Albert Barnes his church is in Washington Square and the noble building it is.   There are several large lofty pillars in front and the anteroom is as large or larger than Marpool Chapel. The interior of the church has rather ancient appearance in fact it is the oldest church of that sort Mr. Barnes seems to be about 54 or 5 or thereabouts he is an excellent preacher. you may form some idea from his writings at least I found him quite up to my expectations. He is very lucid and clear in his arguments etc. etc.

 I left Philadelphia on Monday morning at 7 o’clock, crossed the Delaware and got on board the New York Cars. Seats are beautifully cushioned and with the velvet cloth and flowers, all of the appearance of stained glass windows    and pictures between each window and the stove at each end of the carriage. I arrived at Metuchen station about 10:am and inquired of the stationmaster where John Watson lived.  He directed me up the line and told me to enquire again so I set off I and left my trunk at the station after walking about a mile I came across a lad who is husking corn so I asked him where John Watson lived. He said if you will come here you can see his house so I jumped over the fence and took a view that set off with a curious kind of feeling creeping over me with thoughts of seeing Aunt Watson and relations whom I had not seen before so I kept on and on until at last I came up to the gate and saw the servant just coming out.  As soon as she saw me she went back and said there is someone – 

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coming, Who is it?  Mrs. Watson came to the door and took a look at me as if she tried to know who I was and where I came from. I walked up to her and said “Good morning. this is Mr. Watsons I believe is he at home?”  “No sir, was is the reply, walk in”.  So I went in and said “My name is Slater how do you do” so shook hands with her and walked in and saw Aunt Watson so I went up to her and gave her a kiss and shook hands sad exchanged the how do you dos. She was very glad to see me and began to bustle about to get me some dry boots to put in for mine had got wet with walking through the grass. Then she began to inquire how Aunt Riley was and how father was and how old of you were then we had a comfortable chat together She tells me that Aunt Riley’s birthday is on 12 November and if she lives till then, she will be 86 years old and her own age will be 81 years on the 14th of the same month. She says they used to have a plum pudding for both AT Aunt Watson’s last birthday she had all her children and grandchildren to see her. She had ?drivers to get her roast beef plum putting and three sons and their wives and eight grandchildren 

John W was not at home when I arrive but came in a short time and they told him I saw him that I was calm and the soon as I aware of him being come, I went to meet him he laid hold of my hand and said ‘I’m very glad to see you William.How are you? And he looked at me a minute or two right in my face to see if he could recognize any features of the of yours in my face. He could not see it at first but thought he could a little afterwards. Aunt W is very active and can set out to the table and preside also at the tea department as well as anyone need wish. She is rather short, her hair is black with only a very few gray hairs in there on her forehead and very smooth and almost without a wrinkle. She says she  would very much like to have another letter from her nephew, Caleb so you must try what you can do towards gratifying her wish, Father.

Cos John (Watson) has a very good has very good crops and requests that I spend the following –  so you shall have it word for word. Cousin John wishes me to inform you that he would has a great favor if you would go over to Kirby Woodhouse if his uncle James is alive and well and the particulars of Josh Smith’s family and tell him his son John Smith has a wife and three sons and two daughters all well and living comfortable and thanks hard that next her his father nor brothers have not wrote to him 

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Church they can direct playing to Essex County New Jersey North America he wishes to know how old the parent family families are and sent him the particulars and your next letter he sends sends his best wishes to you all his English friends.  you might get go out when you go to the pottery colliery and remember me to She will me and Walter Redgate if you see him     

Henry Jackson is here brought the horse and carriage along so we drove over on Friday to Perth Amboy to see William Watson he is a very nice pleasant free and easy sort of man and was very glad to see me. He lives in a very good house of his own and has a family and a farm a mile or two from town. They have a property in the town.  His (own) house is very nicely furnished and his wife is a good manager. His eldest daughter is a fine young woman and she has almost always has a smile on her face and talks  free as if she had known me for ever. She plays much on the melodeon and sings also She has a little sister, a very sharp looking girl and can play and sing and a little brother six or seven years old. Edward Jackson sent my letter on to Perth Amboy so I was very glad when they handed it to me. We left them on Saturday afternoon to go to John Watsons) again. I should go to see them again after a while and stay with them a few weeks. John Watson tells me I must stay with them all winter so you see I am amongst kind friends He says he should very much like to see you again and so would Aunt Watson but if they can’t see you, you can writes be sure you do I know that aunt Sally would very highly prizes a letter from you. You will see by the date of the other notes that I had been getting ready to post off to you again as soon as possible then I receive yours so I must reply to these here. 

Bessie’s letter is the longest and that she should consider and that is a consideration when you see writing so far. I am very pleased with her letter in fact and I am with each of them. You may just tell John that if he wants to write a little smaller and put the words near each other in the natural consequence would be more so that he might interest me a little longer. I expect Sarah will be quite a business woman after a while. I am very glad to hear of her and hope her first situation will be a step in the direction of a better one bye and bye.

 I am very glad the thieves were caught who were after the apples. I can imagine a little how Tony Hudson would pull down the corners of his mouth and wipe his nostrils together when he began to tell how nicely he did ?meal him and then how he’d begin to laugh as if he somethings not to wood to laugh and as he did not want to laugh and a very bad and I would pull his face and would pull his face ?straight.

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before he had done. As for Bob it’s a good while since I saw him but I suppose he’s pretty much the same and if he’d had the monkey jacket on it would have stood a chance of being cracked very audibly up the back when he’s sprung on the fellow. Tell Tony I am very I’m very glad to hear he catch’d the thief. 

I should be glad to receive some of the tonic soy fa music.  In replying to John’s question about the singing in the church I go to with Edward I may say it is something similar in the form of warship as the independents but I think that they are governed by a synod. The church as it he is commonly called is beautiful furnished inside. The Sunday school is under the church and there is a platform for the minister beautifully carpeted and a recess in the end wall, sort of half circule large enough for a sofa and two chairs/  In the front of the platform there are ornamental railings up to which the communicants stand to receive the communion. Whilst they are going from the pews to the railings in the choir sing to her three verses. When I was with Edward in the choir the minister gave out one commencing with The king of heaven and his table spreads and I think it’s ?ordered yet. We have some very good singing. There is a melodeon and six or seven female singers and sometimes another man who might as well be in bed or anywhere else for all he could hear. We practiced on Saturday evenings and then Sunday afternoon. 

Cousin John W says he shall help on Riley every time. Thomas Jackson sends her something and set it it is their duty to do it. I suppose that Thomas Jackson on first mentioning it to John and Aunt Watson and said if we write that Cousin Caleb should have all to do for her. He had just been around in Jersey to W and Amos Watsons and here also and has been trying what he can for Aunt Riley . And you may tell her that her sister sends her best love to her and hopes to meet her in heaven if they are not to meet again on the earth which is not likely.

 I hope some of you might write to Charles Slater and tell him what you can about me and give my love to him and uncle Charles and all of them and if he is coming soon get Father and Mother and Bessies likeness and send them along. They would very much like to see them so don’t put it off till he is ready to sail. Very much like to see them so don’t put it off till they’re ready to sail.

 I have not written expressly to John and Sarah this time but they must not neglect to write to me. I have just been thinking you will get to this letter and all is well about the 12th or 13th of November – just say next time how far I am off the mark. I shall try to imagine the 12th or 13th of November trying to remember you reading one note and one of the others about that time if all is well.

Accept my love and believe me still as your very affectionate son 

William Slater