Blackwell Family
Samuel C. Blackwell

Family Corresp.

Blackwell, John HowardJohn Howard Blackwell brother of Henry B. BlackwellMarseilles[?]
Sept 1918

Dear Sam
I got your last
letter when in Switzerland
& having been very busy during
my last fortnight in London
have put off answering as
you will see by the date
until the very moment of
my leaving for ?
- & was very glad to get the
news you gave me of the
? in America
& I wished most heartily
it had been practicable for
me to have gone to work
in America instead of India
- but as there is no doubt 
that it would have been
folly for me to have given
up such an opening as
I have in India I must
just make the best of it,
& hope to get back before
very long & if ?to return without any serious
danger to my health shall
think myself very fortunate
I have enjoyed amazingly
my time in Switzerland &
north Italy & pleasant as
it was at the time it
is still more pleasant 
to look back on & will
give me a flock of recollections
to take with me to India
& to break the monotony
of Indian life.  
I am unfortunately not
quite so rich as you suppose
in your letter if I were
I don't think I should
go to India.  The ₤2000
at which I valued myself
includes the ₤1000 I have 
received from the [?]
& is in fact the sum
total of of my possessions.
Which talking about money
matters I will mention
another which I should have 
spoken of a long time ago hold

that my position & principals
been to attend uncertain
It is that I shall have
the very greatest pleasure
in being able to contribute
to mothers income & I may
be able to return to England
on account of my health
& therefore do not feel myself
quite on firm ground - & shd prefer
to pay £20 $150 after unless 
you think Mother really 
requires more in addition to
what you & Henry [?]
-to make her really comfortable
necessarily - Ellen owes Anna
some money - Anna is also receiving
money from her editors through
your hands & I have therefore
paid her the money instead
of sending you a bill of exchange
& shall be much obliged
if you will take from
Anna's money the amount
for Mother's use.
What a life mine is I have been
so long without any fixed homeI've been so knocked about &
so completely without a circle
of relations or even friends
that I can hardly realize the
fact that I have brothers
& sisters if I could only get
hold of them; Life is
really worth very little under
such circumstances & although
I don't know that I ought on
the whole to regret having left
America & separated from you
all I certainly should hesitate
if it were to be done over
again & if I could see
the future as I now do the
past. Give my love
to everyone & particularly
to Mother.  I shall write
on board the steamer
& give you news of
my arrival in Egypt.
Yours afftly in haste
Howard

[*Sam*]