June 25, 1893
Ferry, N. C.
Florence, Bob, Charley and Sallie.
Dear Children:
First of all, I want you to be prepared for
the last day, and then try to do all you can to improve your talents,
and prepare yourselves for life's battles. You can be cheerful
if you try, and by trying it will become natural with you.
It is your duty, being the four oldest, to try
all you can to make our home pleasant, and make it pleasant for
the other children, and all that are with us at any time, servants
or company, and by so doing it will be much more pleasant for
each of you and all of us.
Nothing can please me more now than to see you
children well and good and happy. Some time, we can't tell when,
we will have to be separated, and let us all so live and try to
make our home happy so that when one is gone, those of us that
remain can look back to the pleasant days that a loving father
and eight dear children spent together. It will be so with me,
if I should be the one that remains after either of you are gone.
If we should all live long we may have to be separated on account
of business, schools or something else.
We have plenty of the comforts of life, and
you children are all, so far, blessed with good health, all of
which we ought to be thankful for. You children have not such
sore and lasting troubles as I have, and ought to be cheerful
and happy.
Try to be kind and polite to all with whom you
come in contact, and at all times if you do not know what is right
to do, ask me and I will tell you as best I know. The younger
children will follow your footsteps, and it is very important
that you lay a good example in many ways by being polite to each
other and kind too, also to every one else.
Try to cultivate a disposition to try to do
all you can for others and not to expect too much of others for
yourselves. Some people seem to always be expecting others to
show friendship and do little deeds of kindness, and never thing
of it being their duty to do the same for others.
Try to be polite and kind to all, let them be
ever so humble and by so doing you will always have friends.
All of you read this, and try to remember every
word I have written.
From your loving father,
R. R. Haynes
