1802 October 21, Downingtown, to Henry S. Drinker, near Bristol Pennsylva.

              Downingtown Octor. 21. 1802.
My very dear
Son,

This ridiculous whim which thou hast adopted has
given me more pain than I can express,  I cannot conceive
what should induce thee, who is settled in the way thee
wished, on a good farm, which thee knows so well how to
manage and improve, without paying rent: To take it into thy
mind to leave thy all; a young family of precious children,
and parants in precarious health, to go 9000 miles on a
tempestuous sea, in the most dangerous season of the year,
art thou insane?  What can be thy inducement: compare thy
situation with hundred that are quite happy and contented;
Why art thou not so?  Why this unsettled idea? –  If thee
puts this scheme in practice, I hardly expect ever to see
thee again in this world, – even if thou should be spared to
return to those of thy friends that may be left –  Thee
wrote before we left town on this subject to thy father, But
I never saw the letter, WD. told me thee talk’d of going to
India, I expected thy father had wrote thee, and that it was
the thought of a moment that was now given over; thy letter
to thy father and brother rec’d yesterday, I might have
read, but that to William was enough for me, to think thou
art in earnest is more than I can, at times well bear –
consider well, my dear son what thou art [preparing]:
perhaps on thy return, if thou should be so favoured, thee
may find thy parants no more; and some of thy little ones
gone &c.  This is thee may say looking at the worst side of
things, but pray inform me what is the best side,  I see no
good that is likely to result from it–  Can thy scheme be a
view of money making, if so, will the little gain, thy
hardships may obtain, be equal to the loss and devastation
that may occur during thy absence–  do my dear Henry give up
this wild notion, be thankful for what thou hast, make the
best of it, and I trust, more will be added, if ‘tis
necessary for thee.–  thou hast, according to my ideas great
cause of