Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/79

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McLoughlin Letters, 1827–49
63

has since your last letter given me Great satisfaction he has taken to his studies with an Ardor and with a tenacity which shows he is not acting under the spur of the Moment but from conviction and from a sincere desire to profit of the Advantages he has if his Zeal for Study continues and that he throws the Whole of his mental faculties into the scale he must succeed in distinguishing himself" with such accounts of John I could not hesitate to send his Brother last March David was at Edmonton nigh London. with Best Wishes Believe me to be

Your Affectionate Nephew
John McLoughlin

PS Please make my Compliments to the Honble Rod McKenzie and Mrs McKenzie John has had the impudence to write me—of course I do not write him he has applied to be Allowed to come to this Country. I have suffered enough of Mortification from the Reports I had of him. he shall not come to this Country. When I say impudence I do not mean to say it was impudent in him to write me no it was proper and Right for him to do so and to do this in a proper way—to shew that he sees his Error and will reform instead of this he complains he could not get Money. A man to say so who spends £84 from Dec to April (and rather than starve in Canada requests I would allow him to come to this Country) But not a word of Regret for the pain his Misconduct must give he writes that he wishes to Discontinue his Studies on Account he says of the large sum it will cost to enable him to take his Diploma while he tells Mr. Moffatt (as the latter wrote me) that he will prepare to pass at Quebec in August. What can be more Disgraceful than such Deceitful conduct and to shew you the little spirit he has on reference to Gov Simpsons letters that on seeing he could not get a passage to come to this Country nor be taken in the service he offered to come up as a Common Engagee. I wrote Mr Moffatt not to pay one farthing for John Unless he has an order from you and I must repeat that though I have set apart a hundred and fifty pounds pr Annum to Educate him still his conduct has been such that you will please to act as you have hitherto done and not give him one farthing more than you consider absolutely Necessary and that his conduct deserves he must have no pocket Money he complained to Gov Simpson of the Want of Pocket