Arvine Wales letter to Arvine C. Wales,May 6, 1845

              D-430-10
page 1

   Dear Son                     May 6th 1845
                        Enclosed I send you $20.00. I heard from you last week by way of Louisa & am pleased with the acct you send of the progress you are making in your studies and so long as you have made your Election in your future prospect, persevere with industry to the end. And be resolute to not have a stain upon your character in the various ways to which youth are exposed particuarly the [illegible] of all our villages & Citys I more particularly large Citys. Another request I have to make to you is I would be verry select in my correspondents & be select upon the subjects which you write for instance in a Village of the size of ours & the same remark will apply to every other village in the Country some two or three familys want to be the head of the heap & to sustain their position they will let others go the same way they pointing the distance they shall take in their line of march, but should any one attempt to take a step in advance of the front rank & have any pretentions of sustaining his post envy is engenderd verry foible is magnified & all keeping step to the same time will thrust those in advance to the rear of the Column. Other families equally powerfull having their adherents disturbed, the discipline and lessons the evil to some extent Virtue, industry & intellectual attainments should be the posts of distinction in the land of equal rites.