There was silence in the room for a little while. Then Jonathan said earnestly:
"I wish I had some money to give Mr. Howe. Would he take my five dollars, do you think?" he asked of the inventor's uncle.
"See, I have it here; and I should be glad to give it to him without waiting to hear what the lawyers say. Do you think it would be all right to send it, Mr. Howe?" he inquired.
"And may I, Uncle William?" he added quickly, for he had almost taken his uncle's permission for granted.
Uncle William nodded; and Mr. Howe said, "You may never get it back, you know."
"I think I shall," answered Jonathan confidently. "And anyway I want to help Mr. Howe."
"Do you want to send it now?" inquired Mr. Howe.
"Then you may write your letter here, while your uncle and I go for a walk."
SPENCER, MASS., 15^{ th} 9^{ th} mo., 1849.
_Mr. Elias Howe, Jr.,_ _Cambridge, Mass._
Perhaps thee remembers the boy who saw thee run a race with thy sewing machine against five seamstresses over Quincy Hall Market four years ago. Thy uncle told me of the hard time thee has had since. I am very sorry. I want to buy a sewing machine and I want to help thee. I am sending thee five dollars. It is all the money I have. I hope thee will use it to win thy suit. Sometime when thee sells sewing machines, I hope thee will sell me one for my mother five dollars less than the usual price. Thee can see thee will not have to pay this back for a long time, for it will be a good many years before I shall have money enough to buy a sewing machine.
Thy friend and well-wisher, JONATHAN WHEELER
There is little more to tell of Jonathan's visit to Spencer. After dinner that day he started with his uncle for Worcester, where they stayed all night. The next morning, after an early breakfast, they set out again, reaching home before the forenoon grew very hot.
Not many days after Jonathan's return, the first letter he ever received his father brought him from the post office. It hardly needed the post mark, Cambridge, to make Jonathan sure who had sent it. Let us open it with him:--
Your letter with its inclosure of five dollars has been gratefully received. I remember you and your uncle, your father and your mother, with much pleasure. Ever since I ran that race in Boston I have been sure that the machine would work its way to success.