Containing fragments of a letter from William O'Bryan in Brooklyn, New York to his grand daughter Eden [Thorne?].
He is very pleased to answer her delightful letter, although he is rather distracted at the moment - he is unable to enter his room because it is being painted, and the back parlour where he is writing this also contains young Henry, who is home from school, and two young women who are sewing and engaging in title tattle. He will nevertheless do the best that he can.
Spiritual matters are discussed in detail.
Eden's uncle [Ebenezer?] was about six years of age or a little older, when they came here. He was born on March 19th 1825 and the family moved to the United States in 1831. Soon after their arrival, if O'Bryan's memory serves him right, his mother told him that Ebenezer had read through both the Old and the New Testaments and as far as Jeremiah a second time. The Bible was a great delight to him and hopefully a great comfort in times of affliction. O'Bryan has reason to think that many `old professors of religion never read it through'. If a person was to read just three chapters a day and a few short psalms, the entire work could be read in a single year - `The oldest book in the world, the wisest, and the best. God's great gift to man.next to the gift of his dear son. I suppose for 40 years or more I have as a lesson read it all through, beside occasional reading in it…there you may learn your duty to God; and man too, especially to your parents…' Spiritual matters are further discussed, with particular regard to the command that children obey their parents and the curse that will fall upon those who do not, with reference to passages in the Old and New Testaments.
O'Bryan would very much wish that Eden would reply to this letter, regardless of postage. His regards should be given to Eden's brother and sisters. He has written a letter to Eden's mother which he will send with this.