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To Mrs. Mary A. Cogswell, Hartford, Conn.

Albany, November 17th, 1816.

My dear Mary,

I wrote you by the mail the beginning of last week informing you of the progress we had then made; since then my labors have been incessant and not without a reward. The reward is $1882.00, upwards of $1100.00 in cash, and the remainder to be paid on or before the first of May. Tell Mr. Wadsworth not to despair; we will all yet live in Hartford. Providence must occasionally frown upon us when we forget our dependence upon Him, that we may be brought back to our duty and learn not to trust too much to arms of flesh. Means must be used and such as will not cost so much labor and fatigue; but if these are used, with a humble dependence on His gracious guidance, I cannot doubt of our ultimate success. The cause in which we are engaged is unquestionably the cause of truth and benevolence, and if we use the means which our Heavenly Father has put into our hands with honest hearts and industrious hands He will most Assuredly bestow His Blessing upon our efforts.

Twelve o'clock. I have just returned from hearing Mr. Gallaudet. He preached this morning for Dr. Bradford and as usual excellently; a genuine Connecticut sermon "in doctrine pure." As I have not Cowper at hand I cannot give you the whole quotation which I would gladly do, as I think we should both of us acknowledge and justness of the application. He is certainly a beautiful little Cowper, and he resembles him in more respects than one.

This afternoon I intend to hear Mr. Chester. Last evening I heard Dr. Nott of Schenectady and was not as much pleased as I had expected to be. Perhaps my expectations were too much excited, to have been reasonably gratified, however, I might have been unreasonably disappointed.

Clerc has written to Alice that we were to leave yesterday morning; and that was our intention and I went so far as to secure our passage. But on inquiry we found that the Car of Neptune in which we were going was the poorest boat of three that sail or rather paddle from here to New York. Another circumstance which determined us not to go in her was that she would probably encroach on the Sabbath, as she is much more tardy in movements than the others, especially the Richmond in which we shall go tomorrow morning. On Tuesday morning we shall probably be in New York, and the last of the week I do most sincerely hope to be once more seated in the midst of that dear domestic circle which constitutes almost all the happiness I enjoy. True I am happy elsewhere but I am inconceivably more happy at home. Besides I really want rest for the soles of my feet have had more than a little work since I left you.

Impress the kiss of love upon the lips of all our dear ones, from Mary to Catherine; tell Mr. Jones to hold fast in the faith; and to Lovinia and Lydia and James that I have not forgotten them. May the fortunes of a kind Providence not desert you until you embrace, your ever affectionate husband,

Mason P. Cogswell