Life of Count Rumford. 295 



mitted to me in your letter above mentioned, of the 5 th Dec^, 

 1798, which, together with the interest on the same since that 

 time, you will now receive. 



" I am, Sir, Your most Obedient Servant, 



"RUMFORD. 



The Hon b ! e LOAMMI BALDWIN, 

 " Senator, &c. Woburn, near Boston, 



Massachusetts. 

 "North America." 



It must have been with some misgivings of his own 

 that Colonel Baldwin, in the following letter, commu- 

 nicated to the Selectmen of Concord, N. H., the prop- 

 osition concerning a charitable institution. 



" WOBURN, 24th September, 1798. 



"GENTLEMEN, Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count of Rum- 

 ford, and his daughter, the Countess of Rumford, now at 

 Munich in Bavaria, have made provision for establishing a fund 

 of two thousand dollars, three per cent Stock of the United 

 States, the income whereof is to be appropriated to clothe annu- 

 ally in the uniform of the House of Industry at Munich, on the 

 23d of October, forever, twelve poor and industrious children 

 of the town of Concord, being the place of his daughter's birth, 

 a spot dear to her, and where she is anxious to be remembered 

 with kindness and affection. 



" The Count seems well apprised of the flourishing state of 

 your town, that it is above the need of his assistance. Yet, as 

 the encouragement of industry seems a principal object with 

 him, they hope that the scheme will meet your approbation. 

 In a letter which I received from the Count, dated the iyth 

 December, 1797, wherein this plan of the institution was pro- 

 posed, is a paragraph to the following effect : 



" ' Though the inhabitants .... of it are fulfilled.' 



"There is also in the same letter a closing paragraph, which 

 is as follows, namely : 



" l What I have to request .... this business.' 



