Letter from R. C. Moïse to Isaac Leeser · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from R. C. Moïse to Isaac Leeser

Author

R. C. Moïse

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Location(s)

Augusta

Philadelphia

Format

Letter. 6 page(s) on 3 sheet(s).

Letter

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3rb6wj6c/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3rb6wj6c

Physical Characteristics

Unlined Paper

Wax Seal

Manuscript

content

Augusta October 5th
Rev Isaac Leeser
Dear Sir
I was anxious to reply to yours of 16th immediately on its receit? & to thank you for putting me in conceit with myself but a variety of domestic arrangements & some family letters of importance compell'd me to delay replying to your very flattering favor. Tis very pleasant when out of humor with the world & yourself to break the seal of a letter (from a kind of friend in a quiet corner of the world) which excites yourself love & throws a little rose colour on the dark tints of life. In a constant intercourse with the world I have had much to mortify & distress me but as yet my sincerity in friendship has never been doubted & you do me only justice my kind friend, in judging that I am as jealous, in your cause, as you have found me in that of newer friends. Think not you are alone in receiving censure where you expected approbation. Although not a public character, my motives are often misconstrued & wrong interpretations given to them even by some very dear to me, I regret it but sorrow not, as one without hope; for I know ere a little while, all that appears dark, in my actions, will be illumed by the light of truth! The task is a painful one to extract the sweet from the bitter which the hand of malevolence is too apt to surround us with, but I should feel prouder of you, my respected friend, if there was less of the human & more of the humane feeling in your expression of discontent towards the fair dames of Charleston remember “To these who suffer much, much shall be given”
For patience wears the brightest wealth in Heaven.” God has endowed you with so much deeper knowledge than your

fellow, has gifted you with perception so far superior to ours; has inspired you with power to illumine the path of your benighted people, has blessed you with the power of elevating the Jewish character so as to place it (if not superior) on a level with the religionists of other faith that we marvel when we finding you entering into the sarcasms of those inferior to you in mental blessings — methinks I hear you exclaim “But does Mrs Moise think, because I am more endowed with intellectual resources, more deeply versed in a knowledge of God & his perfectibility than those around me I am exempt from human passions & human weaknesses & by no means my dear Sir, but that you have the ability to root out with a stronger hand, the tares that spring up among your wheat & when we find you wanting where are we to look for examples to pattern by. Our letters of late have all contained, something relative to Mr. P, let us by mutual consent, banish him, for I wish at this distance, to see none of the dark shades thrown around your portrait & I fear he can never be introduced without producing frowns, where I desire smiles, I have read the poems of the Misses Moise some years ago & was much pleased with them, as they gave much promise of a rich poetic fancy accompani-ed by the freshness of youth, you are happy in having such contributors to your labors & I should be most happy to enlist as a subaltern even in your company, had I the time to devote to literary pursuits In bygone days I had leisure & would have repaid your patronage by a promise of future usefulness but alas now I must check all ambitious aspirations & plodd on in the every day walks of life satisfied, if I can as an accountable being, act my part in my path in life amidst its trials & its duties & reconcile myself with the reflect-ion that the soul is invigorated by the difficulties, & purified

by the trials it meets & overcomes in the journey of life — I have 3 or 4 unfinished communications which have been commenced since your Occident but I have not the time nor desire to appear before the public under your scrutinizing eye. I have had much lately to distract my mind from gleaning any of the honors you are ready to bestow on humble aspirants in the cause of Israel. A beloved brother who I always viewed as a pattern of piety who I was proud of for his beauty, his talents & filial piety has doomed me to despair & his parents to sorrow by marrying gentile woman; had he in youth allowed his fancy to get the better of all those lessons inculcated with a mothers watchfulness I would have pitied & forgiven but when at the age of 40 when the passions are cooled by reason when reflection must awaken the decree issued against all who marry with the heathens how can I excuse him! He was my favorite brother my pride & glory & how has he disappointed my fondest hopes; yet if God will forgive him ?? surely ought & yet I feel it hard to write the word my son too my first born is about to leave the home of his fathers & seek his future in New Orleans he will not go without my consent & I have given it because I know that when our influence fails opposition will avail naught. his object is to render his mother's & orphan sisters & brothers life more affluent, but I am selfish & would rather have a scanty pittance surrounded by my children & bringing the sunshine of their love than the wealth of indies I fear that absence may do its work of forgetfulness & what would life be to me without the certainty of being beloved & having something to love on earth

you say I am impulsive therefore you must not scrutinize my letters, for as my thoughts pious so do I pen them & you must be thankful that my pen cannot fly as swiftly as they do or what a heterogeneous mass you would be taxed to read But I have some correspondents, that I have to compose my letters for, & they are anything but agreeable ones; but to those whose friendship I can depend on, I throw them on paper, as they rush to my mind without any regard to style penmanship or order. I have read several numbers of the women of Israel & am much pleased with them Miss A with a happy talent imparts interest & character to many which in the sacred book are only remarkable as the wives of good & great men & as being mothers of the Jewish family. We have bought it for our Library thereby enabling those scholars who can appreciate them to read them, as well as children of a larger ? I often sigh, that my means, will not sanction, my indulgence in possessing, every book that comes out, relative to our people. I am a great admirer of Charlotte Elizabeth, but have just finished a little work (sent to Rosalie by a gentile friend) that savors quite too much of the Saviour to suit my taste — I shall not allow her to read it, as I cannot expunge, what is objectionable which I often do, in works sent to her, there being such as connection as to render it quite unintelligible by so doing — Aprospos do you know what her real name is? Have you heard that Miss Henry Myers is married to Tuckerman the ? And Charlotte to Griswold the authors Intermarriages are bad enough when the young & thoughtless enter into them, but

when women who are in the paper ripped & yellow leaf of time enter into such engagements what can they hope for. The report of Miss H's marriage has only reached me but Mrs H has received a letter from Charlotte informing her, of her marriage I have a pretty piece of poetry, called the “Dying Hebrew” if you will receive it, without the authors name I will forward it our weather is cool & delightful, the autumnal leaves have not yet begun to fall & remind us, of our departure from this beautiful world; and we will have no depressing heat to render our appro-aching fast, uncomfortable, may you be written in the book of a happy & prosperous life, is my fervent prayers and at the intercession of the good, for their fallen & sinful sisters, avails much I hope you will not be unmindful of one, who stands much in need of forgiveness for positive as well as negative sins — My daughter & son both desire their regards, they have a pleasant circle & enjoy all the benefits of the best society, although I often ask myself, if my precepts are sufficiently impressed to prevent their marrying with the stranger God must watch over them; cut off from their own people I cannot deprive them of the charms of society — I found my-self on the 5th side without being aware with this moment how I am taxing your time & patience. Let me soon hear from you & do inform me if there is more union among your congregation than in 1840 — Remember me to my Cousins good fortune seems to some to follow them through life; few are more deserving, but if we judge only by the prosperity of our friends of their goodness, what a sorry chance some of us will have — I cry you mercy & will subscribe my self
your friend
R C Moise

Mail
Revd I. Leeser
Philadelphia
Pa
The books are recd — will write in relation to them when the money is collected. Yours &c Thos S Moise Many thanks in for the Saturday post it afforded amusement to many of us & S A says her scrap books has benefitted materially by it.

Identifier

LSDCBx3FF11_5