Dato: 5. juli 1857
Fra: Rebecca Spring, f. Buffum   Til: H.C. Andersen
Sprog: engelsk.

[Brevpapir med landskab med to huse. Under landskabet: Eagleswood, Perth Amboy, N.J.]

[Marcus Springs håndskrift:] Eagleswood, Perth Amboy N.J.

July 5 1857

My dear friend Anderson;

The newspapers give us the pleasant news that you have turned your steps westward, and that you are already as far as England, on your way to our new World. We are thinking how pleasant it will be to us to have a visit from you in our country home which is the house on the leeft (see above)

Pray drop us a line telling us when we may hope to see you, and what is your plan of travel in the country. I suppose you will scarcely think of going South unless you spend the winter in the country. Thus I wish you could spend part of the coming winter in the freed West Indies, and then on your back through our slave states, contrast the slavery of the negro with his freedom. I cannot but believe a good work for freedom is to be done all along by som gifted pen, in telling the world how much better freedom works in those beautiful islands, than slavery, spite in statistics showing that / the exportations of sugar & has so greatly diminished since emancipation. What low standards of success the world sets up, when, as the noble Channing said "a few pounds of sugar are weighed against human freedom, virtue & happinesss."

The slavery question here with us continues to occupy all our best minds, as the inevitable great crisis - whatever it may be - approaches and such vast issues hang on its decision that we wish to bespeak, beforehand, the aid of every lover of human progress who comes here from across the water, to give an impulse to the good cause. We have just had a charming young girl visiting us from Kentucky, wo has leeft home & kindred & admiring friends, for conscience & freedom's sake, intending so soon as she comes in legal possession of her slaves, in which her patrimony consists, to give them their freedom. Very likely you may meet her at Eagleswood when you come. She has written a book - the autobiography of a female slave - we hope much for the influence of her example on her brethren countrywomen. But all these & many other things we shall have to talk of when we see you in our home. Till then farewell - God bless you & give you a safe & pleasant passage to our shores with love from all my family for all love you whether they haev seen you or not.

Marcus Spring

[Rebecca Springs håndskrift]

Dear Friend

I also rejoice that you are thus far on your way to our country. We want you to make our home your home while you are here.

Your friend Rebecca

Tekst fra: Solveig Brunholm