Description: David Augur (1790-1864) was a schoolteacher and artist in Marlboro, Vermont. He was the son of Justus Augur of Marlboro, Vermont, and his second wife, Abigail Spencer. David Augur was probably born in Connecticut, where his half brother Allen was born. The family moved to Middlefield, CT, by 1784. Their move from Middlefield, CT to Marlboro, Vermont, occurred sometime between 1790 and 1810. Examples of Augur's work are rare with perhaps only 30 known examples, but two copybooks containing 13 to 15 paintings each were known in 1968. His letters are often long, rambling, and pedantic and are written as a teacher might instruct a child. He frequently wrote on the proper technique of writing. Each letter has penciled lines using a straight edge or ruler to promote neatness. Some of Augur's letters like this example were rendered for his own amusement, as they are signed with a fictious name or addressed to an unlikely recipient such as "Samuel I. Speculator" or "Southwick E. Inquirer." The ink and watercolor drawing is done as a letter, in script and block letters, "MARLBORO APRIL 7th 1855/ MY DEAR JUVENILE FRIENDS,/ If you would become good spellers, we must take much pains, and get our spelling lessons by heart; and if we would wish to be good readers, we must learn Grammar, the definition of words well; and whenever we don't thoroughly understand what we read we ought to take great care in scrutinizing and reading our sentences over, till we can comprehend them. Reading is an ART that cannot be acquired without great exertion of mind, and much steady application; and if we can completely obtain it....As we have time and opportunity, let us read and try to understand them, and live up to the Gospel as far as we can and adore the goodness of our Maker for his infinite mercy and munificence to us, Yours, & c. The foregoing letter is COMPOSED BY D. AUGUR FOR the INSTRUCTION of YOUTH." Bordered on all sides with decorative borders, the left and right sides are decorated with a red flower with a yellow background called "AMARANTH" and the bottom has colored squares, and the top border are floral or sunburst motifs.
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