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Rome October 24th, 1862

Friday Morning

My Darling Mother,

Your very welcome letter was received

by the last mail, and very glad indeed I was to get

it. But I am sorry to find you miss us all so much

and are so lonely at Uncle Gordons, I reckon it is even

more monotonous than it is every where in the coun

try in the winter. I go through the same [?] every

day too. Get up at six, dress, read, and knit or write a

part of a letter as I am doing this morning, breakfast

at eight and school at half past until twelve. Then I

knit until dinner, sometimes in my own room, some

times I go down, then dinner at no particular time

and then school for one and a half or two hours then

I sit in my own room and read any history and knit

until the sun goes down and then with Maria take a

walk. After [?] we all knit until about nine and then to

bed. We have had no visitor since I came back except Mr.

Bolling (he is here every day always), Col Edmunds, and Mr.

Goode, an old Uncle of Mr. Bolling who got here last

night after [?], and Mr. Bird, an Episcopal minister

who staid here one night during the convocation. I am

teaching in my own school room now. It got so cold in the

school room, so I sit up there a great deal, but I am

not lonesome, though I want to see you all very much

and think a great deal of you and our darlings in

heaven. I knew you would miss our darling Charley

more at Uncle Gordons, but he was so happy there I

should think the recollection would be pleasant. I can

see his bright face now so placidly in his romps with

the boys. Our darlings, they will never know sin, war

[Page 2]

grief nor pain again, and before very long we shall all

meet them again I trust. I had a letter from Cousin

Sarah, soon after I got back and sent it on to Sister

as it was to us both, and asked her to send it on to you

which I suppose she has done, but she said nothing about

our things except that she had been round that day

to see about them and could have taken a cry over them, for

between the yankees and the servants, they had suffered great

ly. I did take a cold coming [here?] that night, and

thought at first it was going to be very bad, but in three

or for days it left me entirely. I have not gotten a dress yet

Mary Wilson is going to Petersburg on Monday and I thought

I would give her 25 dol and get her to get me the best dress

for that or less than that, that she could, for I shall be obliged

to have some sort. I am not knitting myself to death as you sug

gest but am nearly done my last stocking, then I shall begin

on the soldiers. Willie says "Miss Hattie's hands go like they

were saying all the time. I ain't got time to stop, I ain't

got time to stop." But it does not give me a pain in my

shoulder. Tell Pa I have not played a game of chess since

I played with him. Col T has been sick in bed for a week with

he thinks slight typhoid fever, only came out yesterday, looks

wretchedly, has no appetite, and seems very week. Mrs. T has

had irricipilous (I can't find it in the dictionary, and don't

know how to spell it) in her throat, but it is nearly [?] now.

I suppose typhoid is every where. I hope you and Pa will not

get it. I am taking my bitters every day and like them and I think

they do me good decidedly. My first bottle is nearly gone, but

I did not take near all of it myself, Mary Wilson took such

a fancy to it that she took so much of it three or four times

a day! I had to put it in my trunk. I am glad Cousin S[arah]

has sold the piano, and I think it would be best to sell the

heavy furniture, it gets so injured. Col and Mrs. T are very anxious

that you and Pa should come down here rent Prestwood, and

open a school here another year. They think the school would

be certain to succeed. There was a large [flourishing?] school here

for many years, broken up about three years ago by the la

dy's marrying, she was a widow. Give much love and a kiss to my

[writing perpendicular on page 1]

darling Father, love to

Aunt Fanny, Uncle Gor

don, Kate, Chappy [Powell?]

and the boys. I have

had one letter from

Sister since I have

been here but none

from Nina though

I have written to

her. I don't think

your cap is too fine

you must wear it

because I made

it. Do write as often

as you can dear

Mother to your

loving daughter

Hattie

All the family are

going to Mr. [?] Edwards

to spend the day tomor

row, so I am going

to spend it with Mrs.

Baird