Hewson, John (1744-1821) to Rufus Lincoln
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03849.06 Author/Creator: Hewson, John (1744-1821) Place Written: Kensington, Pennsylvania Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 20 November 1819 Pagination: 8 p. ; 24.8 x 19.4 cm. Order a Copy
References Lincoln's letter of 6 June 1819. Says he is sorry that Lincoln's hearing is so bad and goes on to explain his temporary problems with hearing. Says he put drops of oil in his ear and took a piece of smooth wood and used that to clean out the wax from his ears. Claims he pulled out two or three pea-sized balls of wax from his ear and that he repeats this every few years. Says he is writing this small script without the aid of glasses, which are in his wig. Claims he read a newspaper article about putting drops of spring water in your eyes daily and that has preserved his eyesight. Says his health is much improved from his last letter and that he goes out three or four days a week to look after his business interests. Writes at length about his faith. Relates a conversation he had with a 21-year-old youth who said the ancients were just as good as modern Christians. Hewson responded by saying "some of his heathen teachers had a boy for a bedfellow, he roundly asserted there was no more sin in it than for a man to cohabit with his Wife because it was the Custom of the Country." Says he relates the story to show where they would be without the Bible. Mentions that the fall from his gig in November 1815 has had lingering effects causing "a lethargy in my head and stupidity." Says a grandson and granddaughter were recently married. Says he now has 46 living grandchildren and 14 buried for a total of 60.
Written by Hewson, a famous textile printer who was a prisoner of war during the Revolution to Lincoln as a former fellow prisoner. Lincoln was from Massachusetts.
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