The Andrew Wylie Family Letters - Indiana University Bloomington

[something absolutely essential] to eminence at the Bar, be punctilliously honorable.
When you take a notion to get a wife, go about it prudently as a careful lawyer goes about
bringing a suit -- see that there is not only a good chance to recover, but something worth recovering,
and be sure you look well to this before you fall in love; for after that catastrophe, you will
not be competent to judge. Love, (as some one says of “false eloquence”)
Like the prismatic glass,
Its gaudy colors spreads o’er every place.
And remember this, that a young lawyer, with a good education, a good character, good health,
and a good prospect of success in his profession, is entitled to a wife possessing not only all the
usual accomplishments of beauty, sweetness of temper, virtue, good housewifery, intellegence,
and fashionable accomplishments, but also such a fortune as will raise a poor d---l above pecuniary
embarrassment.*
And thus have I played Mentor towards you--a thing which I could not have been induced
to do, had not your letter encouraged and invited it.
Truly yrs
D. McDonald
*I dont mean to have you discard love, but only that you have an object worth loving. I mean that
a good profession is equal to $20,000 capital, which you bring into the concern, and that the lady,
in order to entitle her to half the profits, ought to be able to put into the partnership an equal sum.
I forgot to thank you for your attention to my business at Cincinnati, or to say that your
relatives here are well.
Appendix. The word fist, used in the foregoing letter to mean an impudent little dog, and
pronounced with the i long, I cant find in walker. If there is no such word in English, there ought
to be.
John H. Wylie to Andrew Wylie, Bloomington, Indiana
Richmond June 4 th 1848
Dear Father
After leaving you so early in the morning & so unceremoni ously, I reached Indianapolis
about half past three in the evening; making quite a quick trip of it, but an exceeding hard one for
my poor flesh & bones were sadly bruised by the continual jolting & jamming of the miserable
vehicle, worse than a cart. By reason of several courts being in session & well as the Grand Lodge
of Freemasons, I found it impossible to get a room at any public place in the city & was under
the necessity of sponging on my friends to that extent. I witnessed the Masonic Celebration
procession &c and was entirely disgusted with the whole concern more especially by the lame
defense of Masonry by the orator for the day -- He said among other absurd things that he “had
not understood or appreciated the bible till he had become a Mason,” and further “that it was
impossible to understand portions of it, without the aid of Masonry.” He is a Churchman & a
minister of the Gospel!! I think his name is Foster-- I was surprised to see Judge Morrison in
the procession. I called at Morrison’s & gave him your message, did not see much of him as he
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appeared to be constantly engaged -- His house was full of Todds as it usual ly is & I did not stay
about there much -- Heard of our folks, they made but a short stay.
I left them on thursday after supper traveled all night reached here next morning & got right
into business & difficulty -- The first night after my arrival was called to see a woman who had
been consulted over & thought to be dying. I relieved her of great suffering in five minutes by
removing a difficulty which was most unaccountably overlooked by her physicians -- The Drs
were turned off -- & the whole town set to talking & I think I have secured the good will &
patronage of the whole connexion & they are worth having. My health is not quite so good a little
more cough than I had at home.
I have a call just now and the mail starts soon.
Love to all. -- Aunt Abbie I have not forgotten you--I shall send you a letter in a few days.
Yours affectly
J. H. Wylie
A. Wylie D D.
Andrew Wylie to John H. Wylie, Richmond, Indiana
Bloomington 25 th Nov. 1848
Dear Son
A letter lately rec d from Sam. states that you had wounded your fingers in dissecting a
corpse & had thus received the infection of the disease of which the man had died. This has filled
us with alarm and the principal object I have in writing you now is to know what the state of the
case is. You will therefore write immediately or get some one else to write, in case you are not
able.
My horse, as I suppose you have heard fell down a bank with me, being frightened to
phrenzy at an ox-team which I was trying to pass. My left shoulder was sadly crushed but,
though not well yet, I hope to recover.
Abigail Ritchie is with us having come with Theophilus in his return from the east.
Red. & An. & Jane go to school. Jane takes ‘Rene’s place at the Piano and learns fast. Family
affairs go on as usual. The University also. As to things in town there is nothing strange except
the death of poor McKinney who hung himself a few days ago at Rockville. It is whispered
that the marriage of Miss McPher son to Wilson was the occasion: and also that there is a streak
of in[sanity] running in the blood of his family. Of the mar riage of Amanda Maxwell to the
Rev d Hughs you have heard I sup pose. The connexion it is said are much pleased. During my
confinement to my room in the vacation owing to the hurt I received I made out to use my right
hand--that side being uninjured--in putting down my thoughts from day to day on paper upon
sundry subjects which I used to touch upon in my introducto ry lecture to the sudents. Thus
I beguiled the sense of pain through the day The time passed less heavily; and the result was
126 half-pages of foolscap written over. Had I the opportunity of a publishing establishment
at hand I believe I would put it to press. In that way I might perhaps enlarge a little my sphere
of usefulness which here is more cramped in some respects than I could desire. I have lately
received from a very respectable quarter in the east an intimation that the Diocese ought to make
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