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No. 2

“Your six mules will save you any trouble about it” he said – It is true it is most unfortunate that I should be at the expense of feeding six mules when I now can’t work [three?], but I don’t like him to be always telling me about it –

I dressed myself up thinking I would go with him home, but he said not a word about it and I wouldn’t go – in truth I didn’t feel sure that I wanted to go, and I feel glad now that I didn’t for Old Mr. Barker came, and though I was very sorry to have to tell him that I had no land for him and that I am not prepared to build a tobacco house, yet I was glad of the opportunity of hiring Adeline and am sorry I didn’t [ ?] before – If the weather is good and I am well, we’ll “jar” the corn next week! I wanted to get a big [..iee? ] and try and get the hands from one of the neigh= bouring farms to stack it for me – the[ir] great= est difficulty is the want of fresh meat to give them for supper – I have missed Sally sadly this week – but I have much – very much to be grate= ful for and I [  ? ] close this week with (I trust) a thankful heart for all God’s mercies to me – es= pecially that he has, so far as I know, kept my dear absent ones in health and safety – and now dearest wife, may He give us both grace to attune

[Pg 2]

our hearts for his service on the morrow – Oh may the Sabbath be a day of real delight and rejoicing to us – may we be enabled to avoid the vain and worldly conversation in which alas, too many even among professing Christians, are apt to be led,

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and my we spend much of ^ time in reading, in prayer and in meditation. Oh how I wish that I and you and all of us could feel how uncer= tain is the time of our sojourning here, and how utter ly vain will everything appear that pleases us now except in so far as we have made it – to con= tribute to the glory and service of God –

Dearest Wife, I would recommend to you to strive to find a few minutes at least, each day, for reading some other devotional book in-addition to your bible.

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With God’s blessing, it will help ^ to keep up a spirit of devotion and of love to Jesus in your heart – How I thank you each day, for your present to me – Jay’s Exercises – May the Lord Jesus come and dwell near us, and make it our chief delight to serve him – May His Spirit never leave nor forsake us, for then we will return to our sins as a sow to her wallowing in the mire – May God forgive us all our past sins, and may He help us so to live that whichever of us is called away first, may be a beacon light, pointing out the way to Heaven. May God bless you, our dear children and our many loved friends, this night and for ever [pra...s?] your fond Husband.

[Pg 3]

Monday night – After laying aside my [pew...?] Saturday night, I was taken with one of my fainting fits – drank [freely?] of Port Wine to relieve it, and having eaten no supper felt very hungry by 9 – so rung for Rose and told her I wanted some of her supper. She soon brought in a herring and an [ash] cake-quorum magna pars – I eat! And of course had rather an uncomfor- table night. But I have been very particular and abstenious ever since; and am tolerably well at present.

Had a little prayer meeting for the servants before breakfast, in the dining room – thank God, was enabled to speak with some readiness and earnest- ess of things pertaining to their salvation, and I humbly trust, with some good effect – Let me

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fear^ that where I have exhorted others to love and serve God, I myself should be a cast a= way – Went to church and wa heard a good sermon on “what must I do to be saved.” – Clopton wanted me to help him sing a vol= untary before service, but I couldn’t sing his tune, so he had to go through all alone. I wish he wouldn’t attempt such extras – he makes such a poor hand at it that it is calculated I think to do not the least good –

Uncle Peyton suggested that I should “go by and get my dinner,” but I told him no – I was going with Jaque – One of the Misses [Ca..ington?] has gone back home. She continued [ ] suffer so

[Pg 4]

so much from home sickness, that her parents sent – I went to Jaque’s from church – spent half an hour in afternoon reading and singing for Aunt Nanny – came home after breakfast this morning – Sally Harrison seemed to be right poorly. (I am becoming weak and tremulous now) – it is strange, for I have been so par= ticular – when I came in at dinner time I drank a little warm tea instead of spirit and then eat a little stewed chicken & rice – I have not worked more than two or three hours today – This warm weather must affect me – but I know what is the prime cause – it is simply indigestion.

Sally went out this morning but came in again at breakfast time and said her head ached so much that she could not work in the field. She has been shucking corn all day – I have given he 8 grams quinine today – she is evidently very anxious to get out, and I feel quite uneasy about her –

Brother George & Beck reached home on Thursday, sent up for the children and they went down on Friday.

Give my love to my dear Carter and tell him I hope is a good boy – that he is obedient to his mother and kind to his little sister and his little cousins and I [hope] too that he gets mother to hear him a lesson every day – Does my little Mani Lou