John Childs to William Hone, 20 December, 1828 — An Electronic Edition

I suppose you paid the postage of your letter to me, for the purpose of proving how much your views, money wise, are changed. My Dear friend, I have lived long enough to know, that men do not change, and for yourself, you will remain the same sensitive plant you have been all these years. And if instead of the glowing, vigorous, and hopeful opinions which you adopt towards mankind, you were to look at them a little oftener thro a more dusky medium, you would see their true outline more truly, and be seldomer disappointed. But I am not going to school you because you are not so wise as I am, who having seen and met with so much of the very blackguardism of man's nature and that expecting nothing for my own advantage from their suggestions and plans for my good, I am never disappointed when I see the rascals cultivating their love of approbation (don't you laugh at Phrenology) at my expense.

I enclose you a five pound Note which I beg you will accept and say nothing abt it, and I have written to my friend Shuttleworth of Manchester requesting him to send you one of the same kind on his own account, and to Baxter & each of the two Potters[?] to do the same. They are rich and increased in Goods an hundred fold more than I am, and have not amongst them all so many Bairns as I & my wife have to keep. They are disposed to serve you but the richest of the Manchester people (& Baxter & Potters are of that number) all despise those persons who cannot take special care of money. On Tuesday next the annual turkey will be ready. I had set a friend to find you out & having been told, that you were gone into Devonshire for some reason that you might be secluded[?], it was but two nights ago I begged of him to find out where Mr Hone (to whom give our Kind Love) & the Babies were, that they might not be disappointed of their Dinner as usual on Xmas day. I think as you are got to that part of the town I shall direct it to a friend at the upper end of Goswell Street where I hope you will find it on Wednesday & not be plagued as you were on that subject last year.