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  1. I am getting close to being able to read some of these Simplified postings.  I could use some help with this one.  Below is what I have so far.  Words I know I got wrong are marked with asterisks but I assume I made some other mistakes.

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    Letter Writer has furnished abundant examples of letters wise in thought or beautiful in diction, or both. The following are prized for their high interest value.

     

    Benjamin Franklin, while in France, was approached by many men of great families, men who wished letters of recommendation to the American army. They expected to become generals point blank. It was difficult for Franklin to satisfy them and inadvisable for him to send them away empty-handed; so he finally wrote a standard letter to meet his purpose. Note its contents and simple dignity together with the naivete employed in handling a difficult situation:

    The bearer of this who is going to America presses me to give him a letter of recommendation though I know nothing of him, not even his name. This may seem extraordinary but I assure you it is not uncommon here. Sometimes, indeed, one unknown person brings you another equally unknown to recommend him; and sometimes they recommend one another! As to this gentleman, I must refer you to himself for his character and merits with which he is certainly better acquainted than I can possibly be. I recommend him, however, to those civilities which every stranger of whom one knows no harm has a right to; and I request that you will do him all the good offices, all the favor that on further acquaintance you shall find him to deserve.

     

    Thomas Jefferson wrote the following beautiful note to a namesake, the young son of a close friend. The letter was to be kept until the child came two years of standing.

    Gentle he will to you be as one from the dead. The writer will be in the grave before you can weigh its councils. Your ***afcate*** and excellent father has requested that I would address to you something which might possibly have a favorable influence upon the course of life you have to run; and I too, as a namesake, feel an interest in that course. Few words will be necessary with good disposition on your part. Adore God. Reverence and cherish your parents. Love your neighbor as yourself and your country more than yourself. Be just. Be true. Murmur not of the ways of Providence. So shall the life into which you have entered by the bottle to one of eternal and ***enef*** bliss. And if to the dead it is permitted to care by for the postscript of this world every action of your life will be my regard. Farewell.

     

    On November 21, 1864, Abraham Lincoln wrote the following letter to Mrs. Bixby:

    I have been shown in the files of the War Department an estimate of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of 5 sons who have died ***glomously*** on the field of battle. I feel how ***action*** and fruitless must be any words of mine which should admit to beguile you from the grave of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you you the consolation that may be found in the thoughts of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice beneath the water of freedom.

  2. First one:

    The bearer of this who is going to America, presses me to give him a letter of recommendation, though I know nothing of him, not even his name. This may seem extraordinary, but I assure you it is not uncommon here. Sometimes indeed one unknown person brings me another equally unknown, to recommend him; and sometimes they recommend one another! As to this Gentleman, I must refer you to himself for his character and merits, with which he is certainly better acquainted than I can possibly be; I recommend him however to those civilities which every stranger, of whom one knows no harm, has a right to, and I request you will do him all the good offices and show him all the favor that on further acquaintance you shall find him to deserve.

    Second one:

    This letter will, to you, be as one from the dead. The writer will be in the grave before you can weigh its counsels. Your affectionate and excellent father has requested that I would address to you something which might possibly have a favorable influence on the course of life you have to run, and I too, as a namesake, feel an interest in that course. Few words will be necessary, with good dispositions on your part. Adore God. Reverence and cherish your parents. Love your neighbor as yourself, and your country more than yourself. Be just. Be true. Murmur not at the ways of Providence. So shall the life into which you have entered, be the portal to one of eternal and ineffable bliss. And if to the dead it is permitted to care for the things of this world, every action of your life will be under my regard. Farewell."

    Last one:

    I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.

    I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

    I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.

  3. In regard to Jeff's attempt at the prologue to Jefferson's letter:

    Jeff transcribes the second sentence as "The letter was to be kept until the child came two years of standing." Shouldn't that be "… until the child came to years of understanding"? That's how I read the shorthand, anyway.

      1. By the way, don't feel bad when we point out your transcription mistakes. We do it because we want you and other shorthand learners to keep improving. Think that just 6 months ago you weren't able to read any of this! I'm in awe at your remarkable progress: learning it on your own, without having a teacher. This is very inspiring and encouraging for other shorthand students and shows that with motivation one can learn Gregg. Congratulations!

        1. I appreciate the corrections.  I don't feel that I am learning shorthand on my own.  I have several teachers here in this blog, sharing their knowledge, providing resources, patiently answering questions that they have answered before, correcting my work, giving advice, and providing words of encouragement.  I am truly grateful.

          I'd like to single out one piece of advice I got without diminishing the importance of any of the others.  It seems so obvious that it makes me smile, but I wasn't doing it and it proved to be effective even though I still need some work on it.  It had to do with a lack of slant to my strokes; Christine told be to start the strokes farther to the right on the page.  It works!

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