pray Give my Kind love and also be pleased to accept of my duty to yourself which is the present needful A Sir Your most Dutiful Son and humble Servant.

March 17th day, 1780. -- GEORGE HEARNE.

This letter (as is most all else in this old book) is written in a most excellent hand, fully equal to that of the present day, and the similarity of the handwriting all through, for two hundred years, is remarkable. The signatures of Wm. Hearne (date of 1683) and his great-great-grandson William (date from 1812 to 1852) are almost exactly the same -- indeed, I cannot distinguish one from the other and so with many others of the family, myself included, until I quit using a quill pen (1860).

I copy again. verbatim, from a page in the old book of date one to two hundred years ago:

I profess myself to be an honest farmer, for I can say that no man Could Ever Charge me with A Dishonest action. I See with great grief that all the Country is Afflicted As well as myself, Every one is Complaining and telling his grievances, but I find they do not tell how their troubles Came on them. I know It is Common for people to throw the blame of their own misdeeds on others, or At least to excuse themselves of the Charge. I am in grate tribulation, but to keep up the Above character of An honest man I Cannot in Conscience say that any one has brought my troubles on Me but myself, hard times, No money says Every one. - A Short Story of My Self will show how it Came hard times and No money With Me at the age of Sixty Five, who had lived well these Forty Years. My parents were pore And they put me at twelve years of age to a Farmer With Whome I lived till I was twenty one. My mother fitted me off with two Stout Suits home spun, four pairs of stockings, four woolen Shirts, And two pair of shoes. At twenty two I married Me A Wife and A very good voting woman she was. We took a farm of Forty Acres on rent. by industry we gained A head fast. I paid my rent punctually and laid bv money. In ten years I Was Able to buy Me A farm of Sixty Acres, on Which I became my own tenant. I then in A manner grew rich and Soon added Another Sixty acres With Which I was content. My estate increased beyond all Account. I

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