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Hattie L. Powell, "Blenheim", [Albemarle County, Virginia], to Nina [Powell],[Hanover County, Virginia], 7 November 1863.

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Blenheim November 7th 1863

Your most welcome letter dear Nina made its appearance last Monday just the mail after I made mine & was you may be sure received with open arms and a glad heart, for I was right lone- ly, but beginning to feel at home in my new house. I suppose you will want to know something about myself first so I will begin with that, though I am not sure the after topics will not be the most interesting. Well I left Mr. Bookers last Thursday, Horace was to have come with me but was taken the day before with a rising in the roof of his mouth, from cold I suppose & was too sick to come so I had to come alone. I got along very comfortably however, found the House at Powhatan Station much nicer than I expected, had a comforta- ble stage ride on Friday was not sick at all, and found the Dr. waiting for me at Ballsville, as kind and cordial as possible. I did not think at first that I should like Mrs. H[obson] much, she has so much pretention and talks such a quantity about what she does and what she feels for other people, but I find she really is very kind and I begin to like her very much, I expect I shall get very fond of her. She seems to be anxious to do every thing to make me enjoy myself, though she tells me she never visits and seems to expect I will not, the fact is I think she holds herself above every one around her and will not associate much with them, though there are a great many near neighbors, and many of them relations of Dr. H[obson]'s. I expect the people are like the P. Edward people plain but very good & kind. This week I have only had three scholars Carry & Norval Hobson & Maggie Har- ris a niece of Mrs. Stringfellow, but I expect four more next week aged 8, 10, 14, 15 & I think however I shall be able to put the [?] into their classes. Carry & Maggie

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are both 17. I was quite shocked wehn I found Carry was to be a scholar, I had expected to find an agreeable young lady companion in her, however I only teach her arith- metic, chemistry, and intellectual philosphy, and let her read her history and study her french alone. We retire at nine at night and as we don't breakfast until nine either I have proposed to her to come to my room with me every night that we may read aloud until ten, next week I think we will do it, then we walk together every morning. Mattie the little one who was sick is recovering now quite rapidly, but will not be fit for study for a long time. I have a nice little room very comfortable, off entirely from the rest of the family which Maggie shares wtih me from Monday until Friday and where I have been teaching this week, but next week I expect to teach out in the office in the yard. I get up in the morning at or a little before seven get up from breakfast at nine teach until two, [doing?] Algerbra until three as Carry wishes to begin it [soon?] dress, dine at four, sit in Mrs. H's room & sew a lit- tle while, then walk, and then knit until bedtime again so you see I am quite busy. I have consider- able difficulty in my Algerbra even this first part, have forgotten it entirely, am using Davie's Bourdon, is that what you used? I decidedly approve of your plan of go- ing to Prince Edward Christmas, I had promised them to come & had made up my mind to do it, if it is possible. Cousin David promises us a taffy stew too if we will come. When I got your letter I read the plan out to Mrs. Hobson, and she is as decidedly in favor of it as I am, says, "oh go child go by all means, it will be just a pleasant trip for you, and you will be more to be able to ger tback in time." so consider it settled that I will visit you [?] Powhatan station, but it must be on Mon- day, Wednesday, or Friday as the stage only leaves here on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday's. Now I think

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I will stop and rest myself by sewing a while before I con- vince our Cousin David, as I have already written a long letter to Sister this morning. I have finished one of my chimises & it is beautiful. I made the band and sleeves of lin- en with tatting insertion but in & the [?] scalloped. I will send you a sample of the tatting & perhaps you can get some one to show you how to do it; if you have not working cotton I can send you some. About preservign wtih the molassas, the best way is to take the syrupbefore it has quite finished boiling, but you can use it after it is done, put the fruit in it & preserve exactly as with vinigar; if the syrup is not thick by the time teh fruit is done, take the fruit out & let it boil until as thick as desired. Now for cousin David. In the first place I wonder if he is wtih you today, I know he was not last Saturday, for he did not visit me on the cars on Thursday as he promised; I suppose his heart must have failed him. He is an enigma Nina I don't at all understand him. he certainly did give me reason & good reason to suppose he was in love with me & yet it is just as certainly you he is really in love with, & why don't he go on to see you. Sometimes I think he did intend a montha go to court me, but has changed his mind & you are an excuse to get out of it, but then it was only a few days before you left that he said most to me, and then from the time you left - he deserted me entirely, so then I think he must have thought it was you he was talking to when it was really me. He need not have thought an excuse necessary if that was so, for I certainly shall not grieve after him. Do write me word if he has made his appearance in Hanover and waht he said. Don't you re- member just before you left he asked me if he might come over here with me & might come over to see me. Well whien I came over he never said a word about either was at Mrs. B's the Sunday before I left, knew I was going the next Thursday, and yet never told me goodbye then [never?] came to tell me goodbye afterwards. I give him up as past

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my comprehension, perhaps you may be able to wake something of him. I promised to knit him a pair of gloves, and so as he has been reallly kind to us this summer I knit them and sent them to him by mail yesterday surely with my card and on the reverse side, "I al- ways keep my promises." Now for Mr. John, I don't think there was the least impropriety in your sending him the book, I suppose however you will have heard from him by this time acknowledging its receipt, I think you ought to send on the letter for your older sister to read. Poor Mr. Flournoy, he is left in the lurch, I feel sorry for him. but one can't marry every body that will fall lin love with them, can they? It is a pitty aint it, I should like to have met him, but you are right about not answering his letter. Tell me all about his visit to you. Now about your gloves, having missed the chance of sending them to you

by Cousin David, is it worth while to send them by mail

or shall I keep them until Xmas. I will send you another [?] in this letter you ouguht to be at work on them until you get our cotton. Are you going to send Mr. John a pair of gloves? if not send me his direction & I will send him a pair. It is twelve o clock & I have done nothing but write today so I must stop and get something better to do. It is a pity as you say that two such belles as you adn I should be shut up in the country, but I don't intend to pine away & this I can tell you, I intend to do the best I can on [the?] material I find. Write soon, fully & longly to fondly attached sister Hattie L. Powell