i intended to hev sent iu iz Pepers sunr, bt bii bizi frgt it.

Mr Kolman hez mended deeli: bt iur gud Mr hez bin indispoz’d ui e slit Fivr, atended ui mt fiibilnes and uirines. i uiuld nt allu mi to send iu urd v it at i tim, and iz nu beter.

i ui iu to knsider is Alfabet, and giv mi Instanses f st Ili Urds and Sunds az iu mee ink kannt perfektli bi eksprest bi it. i am persueeded it mee bi kmplited bi iur help. i greeter difiklti uil bi to bri it into ius. Huevr, if Amendments eer nevr atemted, and is kntinu to gro urs and urs, ee mst km to bi in a reted Kndin at last; st indiid i ink ur Alfabet and Riti lredi in; bt if ui go n az ui hev dn e fiu Senturiz lnger, ur urds uil graduali siis to ekspres Sunds, ee uil onli stand fr is, az i rittin urds du in i Tuiniiz Languad, huit i sspekt mit oridinali hev bin e litiral Riti lik at f Iurop, bt ru i Teendez in Pronsien brt n bi i Kors f Eedes, and ru i bstinet Adhirens f at Pipil to old Kstms and am rs to eer old manr ov Riti, i oridinal Sunds f Leters and Urds eer lst, and no lngr knsidered. i am, mi diir Frend, Iurz afeknetli,

I intended to have sent you these Papers sooner, but being busy forgot it.

Mr. Coleman has mended daily; but your good Mother has been indispos’d with a slight Fever, attended with much feebleness and weariness. She would not allow me to send you word of it at the time and is now better.

I wish you to consider this Alphabet, and give me Instances of such English Words and Sounds as you may think can not perfectly be expressed by it. I am persuaded it may be completed by your help. The greater difficulty will be to bring it into use. However, if Amendments are never attempted and things continue to grow worse and worse they must come to be in a wretched Condition at last; such indeed I think our Alphabet and Writing already in; but if we go on as we have done a few Centuries longer, our words will gradually cease to express Sounds, they will only stand for things, as the written words do in the Chinese Language, which I suspect might originally have been a literal Writing like that of Europe, but through the Changes in Pronunciation brought on by the Course of Ages and through the obstinate Adherence of that People to old Customs, and among others to their old manner of Writing, the original Sounds of Letters and Words are lost, and no longer considered. I am, my dear Friend, Yours affectionately,