Louisville June 30th 1854 Dear Brother I received your letter this morning and was glad to hear from you. I have for some days been thinking of writing to you about James' being dissatisfied and wishing to go home. We have about come to the same conclusion that you have, that it will be best for him to go home. I regret this very much as he could be of great use to us, and I have no doubt that it would be very much to his own advantage to stay if he was willing to do so and make himself useful. I know that he will regret it hereafter, it is such an opportunity as may not again offer. I suppose the great reason for his wanting to go home now is to be there on the Forth of July. The Boys have been constantly writing to him urging him to come home and be with them on that day and offering to send him money to pay his expenses and it has kept him in a perfect fever to be off. As far as Comfort and happiness are concerned I see no reason why he should not be both comfortable and happy, he boards in one of the best houses in the City, the same that Uncle Henry boards in now and has for several years and where I now board. We pay for his board the same as Uncle Henry pays and he sits at the same table, -- he sleeps in the same room that I slept in for years. Uncle Henry also sleeps in the store, as is the custom here, and I do not see that he has any thing to make him unhappy, and to judge by the way he can talk, laugh, sing and play with the boys and girls I should say he was as happy as any one could be. The only thing he has to complain of is that he is required to be in at or about ten o'clock at night as Uncle Henry goes to bed at that time. I do not believe he could complain of the work he is put to -- his duties and chores are near to half what was expected of me when I was put out to trade. As to his being bitten by the dog it was only a very slight scratch on the finger, not enough to draw blood and there is not the least danger from it. I had a talk with him yesterday about going home and he was anxious to be off right away so as to be there on the forth but I told him he would have to wait until I had written to you upon the subject. I do not suppose that there would be the least danger in sending him home by himself, he is smart enough to go any where, so I will wait to hear from you and then if he still wishes to go and you wish to have him I will get him a through ticket and send him off. Please remember me to all the family and tell them James looks as fat and hardy as ever. Your Affectionate Brother C. F. Bennett |