To Thomas Archer Hirst   10th Sept. 1849

Marburg 10^th Sept. 1849.

Dear Tom –

By the time this reaches you the first gush of feeling will have found vent and you will begin to look at the realities of your position – I cannot multiply words at present – a year hence you will see something beautiful in your present calamity¹ – you will find a profit in sorrow – on one point I would do what I could to set you at rest – you told me some time ago that you were cheated out of your patrimony² – I dont know the precise nature of your worldly position but whatever it is Tom dont fear it. I have no estate to share with you, but as long as I have a hand and brain and nine years extra experience, these good and chattels and whatever marketable value they can bring is yours as well as mine – – my words may be altogether superfluous they are suggested by passages from my own early experience, and are merely thrown out for the purpose of stifling this puzzling question of board and lodging and allowing your mind to turn to more profitable thoughts – God bless you my boy – remember the Jewish proverb ‘Woe be unto you if ye quit the world without tribulations’³ – our best men have been taught in this school – sorrow rightly used is purifying and holy – this your own experience will verify far better than I can express.– a calamitous stroke often taps the eternal springs of human nature and covers the heart with herbage –

again God bless you Tom – | your affectione⁴ friend | Tyndall

Frederick⁵ sends his kind remembrances

Thomas Hirst | Horton Street | Halifax | England

RI MS JT/1/HTYP/32

RI MS JT/1/T/521