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          St. John New Brunswick
          June 10th, 1826

My Dear Eason
          I can scarcely forgive myself for not writing to you
before, but if you know the difficulty I had to settle myself in any
kind & decent lodgings, you would forgive me – in the midst of all
my troubles I often thought of the times we have spent together
as well in the woods as at your own hospitable friendly fireside
and often looked back upon them with pleasure – I had hardly
landed when I got almost as much business as I could attend to
& I assure you there is a fine opening here for a Doctor, he would gett
as much as would employ him well & without the long rides of
Country practice, yet my Dear Eason I will truly & honestly tell
You, the people are not half as much to my mind as those
Kind good people I have lately and with so much regret
parted from – I purpose next week commencing the business
you & I have so often talked about and I would be much o’
bliged to you if you would write to me fully, how the
Country is disposed to me since I left it, for you know that
many a man is spoken well of to his face, who perhaps would
not have many friends if his back was turned, for though
I thank God I endeavoured to treat your neighbourhood
as honestly as I could both in the way of my profession and as a man
Yet I know I have my faults – Your house was the first I ever en-
tered as a Physican in the County of Annapolis and God knows I had
no more idea of thinking of settling with you at that time than I had
of my Death, nor had I any thought of it until I got a hint of it from
you and Mr Millidge a very short time before I first mentioned it to you.