My dear Nephews,
I was very much pleased to receive the numbers of your Library for
Boys and Girls which you sent to me. You know I am now an old man,
and have travelled a great deal, and seen a great many strange things
in the course of my life. I am too old to travel any more, and so I
am quietly living in the cottage I built by the side of that pleasant
and shady little stream where I played when I was a boy. I read my
books, and especially that best of all of them, my Bible; and so am
patiently waiting till my Heavenly Father shall call me to take my last
journey; when I hope, for the sake of the blessed Saviour, to go to Him.
Sometimes I walk out into the village, and meet the children and have
a long talk with them. They all know me; and very often, some of them
will come to my house, and ask me to tell them about things which I have
seen in my travels or read of in books: and so I spend many happy hours
with the little creatures; for you know how much I love children. When
I had read the books you sent to me, I lent them to the children, who
were delighted; and I thought that if I should sometimes write down what
we here talked about, it might please the little boys and girls for whom
you print your books, and perhaps they might learn something from our
conversations which would be useful: and so I determined to send them to
you, from time to time, to print, if you pleased.
If you think fit to print what I send, just tell your little readers who
I am; an aged and quiet old man, who is very fond of little boys and
girls, and wishes them to be wise and good here, and happy hereafter,
and that I am your
Uncle Philip.
_Newtown, Feb_. 1833.
P.S. If you print what I send now, please to print the Preface to
Parents, which I also send; in order that they may, by reading it,
see what sort of a book Uncle Philip has been making for their dear
children, and may be satisfied that it will not harm them to read it.