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PF2.2.36
Date
12-9-1839
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Mr. Jerome Buckingham
Western Reserve College
Hudson Portage Co.
Ohio
Norwalk December 9th A.D. 1839
Friend Jerome
It is with unfeigned satisfaction, that I congratulate you upon your retreat from play-grounds of Kenyon, to a spot you can engage in study seriously, without attracting particular notice – It sounds rather odd to my Gambieritish ears, to hear of being ‘drove’ with study, at ordinary timesl but I have sufficient imagination to conceive how it may be possible where, as you say is the case at Hudson, it is customary to study hard. There must be some fatality about you as far as good classes are concerned, for I think you left perhaps the best Class at Gambier & have now entered the first at Hudson. I hope to hear you are at least among the first in it. I can easily enter into your feelings upon leaving all your old friends at Gambier, & going “solitary & alone” to an institution where all are comparatively strangers, but feelings are secondary things to judgement, & I am fully of opinion that you have acted wisely. Although it would seem to be unnatural for me to say anything against my Alma Mater, yet I can never think that it did justice to the students, at least during the 2 years that you & I were connected with it. Perhaps now it may be better, but have not any reason to think so. You could not have worsed yourself by an exchange. – but then, “That piece of sophistical reasoning” as Kenrick would say, “’towont do, ‘twont do Mr Buckingham, you must be more guarded, you are entirely, entirely mistaken Mr Buckingham, what!! Western Reserve College a ‘touch above Yale’? Never! Your reasoning is good from your premis – no fault to find with the reasoning, that is perfectly correct, - but then your premis is wrong – there’s where the fallacy lies. I can’t admit your premis.” I think I must agree with ‘Johnny’.
I have had a letter, as doubtless you have, from a Comm. Of the Philo. Society about that periodical you mentioned. The plan, it seems now, is like that you suggested, to have a monthly of 50 or 60 pages. A worse time to start a paper of the kind could not be chosen. I doubt whether it can succeed, but I will do all I can for it. They wanted 1000 subscribers at 2 dolls each. Perhaps it can be raised. I haven’t yet looked about much to see who will take it here. They think they are certain of contributions from Bp. McIlvaine Dr Sparrow, Masfield of Cincinnati & other talented writers – I hope they thing will succeed, dark as the prospect is.
Noticing since I had a letter from James & a catalogue of Yale. I believe the number of students is greater than at any previous time. James likes his situation much – thinks you would have benefitted yourself wonderfully, if you had gone there. The Worcester Society goes off regularly. At the last meeting Elder Tucker delivered an address about
‘Wisdom’. Kind of a ‘general’ thing as any particular idea of the way he treated it. I only recollect that he wound up with a fine flourish on Slander, but how he brought it in, can’t say. – as it does not appear to belong there naturally, I conclude he dragged it in by main force. Some townsmen are delivering a ‘Suit of Lectures’ before the Norwalk Seminary Lyceum. The first was by Noah Newton. His subject was the Unconstitutionality &c. of the Military Academy at West Point. Of course he painted ‘a monster of frightful mein’. The next was by Rev. A. Newton. Showing that facts make it probable that all men had a common origin, as Moses declares in Genesis. It was a very learned Lecture and so much of an argumentative kind, that I presume it appeared dry to the majority. At least I have heard several say so. It would have taken well at Kenyon The next Lecture will be by Dr. Thompson this week Wednesday. So you see what a Literary place there is here – Lectures are getting to be the order of the day. No doubt Norwalk is a ‘young Boston’. Besides there are something less than a dozen schools in town. Mrs. Worcester has about a dozen scholars. M.A. Baker about 40. M.L. Boalt 20 – Disbro (don’t know how her name is Spelt) about 30. The seminary has over a hundred, & there are other schools of minor importance that I don’t know much about. These I suppose are the effects of Louis’ (common school superintendent) address, which I think you heard. N. B. I condemn myself for forgetting to mention that our common friend Mr. L. Reding is also teaching a large school in town. The Wors. S.g talks of keeping New Years after the old fashion. Theodore is to be the orator. Success to him, don’t know his subject. Miss Moore has resigned her membership on the ground that her duties are such that she cannot attend regularly. I heard sometime since that Mrs. W. advised her to resign. Two Miss Sterns have become members. Sisters to those Sterns that attended the Seminary long time ago. Pretty fair samples – I hope you will have a short vacation about Christmas & New Years, & show yourself hereabouts. You will find me at all hours ready to receive calls at my ‘old room up stairs’ & shall be happy to entertain my friends whenever they choose to present themselves – I busy myself now a days just as I please. Have been trying to be about as regular as I was at old Kenyon, & you know what terrible regularity I exhibited there. So draw your own conclusion about the present, where I am under no kind of rules, & I guess you can’t come far out of the way. Tuesday & Friday Evening we have a Singing School at our church. The young ladies generally attend, & Chapin, Charley Jackson, Ackerman &c. &c & this child. You won’t be surprised to learn that I am trying to get my voice in tune, at least you won’t be sorry, when you recollect how it used to ‘grate harsh discord’ sometimes, much to your annoyance – it’s a hard case to make the best of it. The other evening the ‘Misses Beeve’, made a small party, - I conclude for the special benefit of the ‘Misses Stern’ – as they were the only young ladies present except Julia Williams – one or two others I believe were invited. A young Mr. Stern, Theodore, Chapin & myself composed the band of exquisites – very pleasant. There are any quantities of young ladies in town. I am generally unacquainted. Pa is, as he has always been, much opposed to my going out nights, & as I have little inclination to play the ‘loafer’ day times, you will readily suppose that I am usually right here. I thought some time since that I would try to be of some use if possible so I set about writing some account of missionary operations, the first series of which I read at our monthly concert last Monday. It was about China. The reason of my doing this, is, that I attended two meetings & found them exceedingly dull, & nobody interested in them, so I thought something of the kind would me them some more interesting, & perhaps other may be induced to write & more attend – If so I shall accomplish all & more than I except. The missionary cause is important & the more I think of what it has accomplished & what it is still doing, the more am I convinced that it is the noblest cause in which men can engage. I am glad you are looking towards the ministry with a more favorable eye, & if you see your duty lie there, of course you will embrace it. I shall not advise. You seem to think doubtless my mind is made up on that point. I wish it was – but it still hesitates between Law & Divinity. I have so long contemplated studying Law, - I never had any other business in view since I can remember until last session – that it seems still as if there was my course, but still, if I see my duty in the latter course, I trust I shall follow where duty leads. If I ever pursue the profession of Law, I believe I can say truly, that it is not ambition, that inclines me there. My only ambition is to go where I can accomplish the greatest good in the long run. If one could only see through to the very end of things, how easy it would be to decide! But we can only see a little way & how dimly! In your next if you will just give me a few of your ideas about matters & things of like kind. I did not think of troubling you with so long a letter when I commenced, but it would spin out. You people I believe are as well as usual – I remain your truly
Charles Gibbs
Write soon –
This evening Pa brought home a letter from James – he says Well Lane & all the rest of the Ohio Chaps are well – Douglas Wright of Huron has lately hone there & entered Freshman – James has joined the Linonian Society – the best he says at Yale. Pa used to belong to it. They have just brought over 300 dolls worth of books from Europe. Most as enterprising as the old Philomathesian. C.G.
Recommended Citation
Gibbs, Charles, "Letter from Charles Gibbs to Jerome Buckingham" (1839). 19th Century Correspondence. 50.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/correspondence_19thc/50