Henry Van Pelt wrote this letter to Franklin merchant W. Thomas Park to ask his help in starting a new career. He tells Park that he wants to better his family's situation, which was degraded by his alcoholism, but has so far been unable to secure a position that would allow him to do so. Van Pelt goes on to lament the pain that he has caused his family, expound upon the evils of drink, and detail his qualifications as a pumpmaker and as a printer.