10 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



Of the Little Boys, to their Father on Long Island. Dec. 4, 

 1779. "I never enjoyed a better state of health. I never 

 made so good a nurse to any of my children as I do to the 

 dear babe now in my lap. He is a fine little fat fellow, 

 as good as possible at night, and so in the daytime too, 

 if properly attended to. His little brother is very fond of 

 him ; they both sleep with me, and both awake before sun- 

 rise, when I get up and leave them to play together, a 

 sweet sight to a fond parent. Selleck and Bennie are my 

 only constant companions ; and sweet little sociable beings 

 they are. I long that you should see them." A year later, 

 my mother remarks in a letter : " Little Selleck, three 

 years and three months old, is a little chatter-box, and Ben- 

 nie, sixteen months old, begins to use his tongue." 



My father's manners were those of a dignified gentleman 

 of the old school, softened by a benignant amenity and 

 affability which made his society attractive in an uncommon 

 degree ; and being a man of great intelligence and large 

 intercourse with his fellow-men, he was an object of great 

 respect and confidence. He had high conversational pow- 

 ers, enjoyed society exceedingly, took great satisfaction in 

 female society, and held woman in high regard. He taught 

 us, his sons, to be very attentive and respectful to ladies, 

 and always to give them the preference. I have, at the 

 distance of seventy-two years, the most distinct recollection 

 of his person and manners. 



He was a decidedly religious man, but had no austerity 

 or bigotry. The family prayers were punctually attended, 

 as far as practicable, by all the circle, negro domestics 

 as well as hired white people. He was not willing that any 

 member of the family should miss the opportunity for 

 religious influence, or that any of his household should be 

 absent from public worship on the Sabbath, although in a 

 large family it was not easy to send all to church, especially 

 as there were little negro children to be taken care of, and 

 we lived two miles from the town. As, however, we had 



