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Memphis, Tennssee Sunday 2nd Decr 1860

My Darling Kate will no doubt have been looking with

anxiety for the box that was to be sent to her, and

will have felt disappointed at not getting it. When

I wrote you last on the 20th Novr I told you Ma

had been sick but was better, and you know when

that is the case, there is no keeping her quiet. But

she got into the Kitchen to look after things before

she was fit & able to do so, and the consequence was

she had a relapse, and was much worse than she

had been before, and was confined to her bed

for more than a week with inflammation of the

Bowels, keeping her in constant agony with pain

and last Saturday and Sunday a week ago was

so bad that we had apprehensions for her safety

and Dr. Shanks and myself sat up all night

to attend to her, and felt under dreadful

anxiety as Geo B & Betty were at Holly Springs

and I had no one to help or consolde me but

Mrs. Reinhardt and Patsy who were all kindness

and attention. Thank God a turn for the better

took place and your ma after spending some

days in bed, was able to join us at Table yesterday

and is pretty well again but dreadfully harrassed when

her cough which is hard, and will yield to nothing

and it weakens her & makes her feel quite bad.

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We go on very smoothly and comfortably with

our Boarders. The Revd Dr. White & his wife & their

daughter Laura and Daughter in law Mrs. Mary White and Mr. and Mrs. Wells and her

sister Mary Woodruff, and with exception of

Dear Ma are all enjoying good health servants included which

is also the case with Snow and the 2 mocking

Birds. But our pet white cat and Blackey's

2 kittens died last week and Blackey is

so sick we think she cannot live. We

suspect they have got at poison used by our

neighbors to kill Rats. Othello also is well &

a great favorite with every body. We all feel

very anxious about the affairs of the Nation and

tho we are all strong for union, cannot help

fearing there will be a breaking up, and Ma

wants to go with Beale & Bob to England to

wait the result there. The Bickfords are all well

again and often talk about you. We have met

with a very intelligent & active little white girl

12 years old who is engaged to attend upon Ma

& go errand, & sew for her while she is so weak &

Mrs. Reinhardt attends to the marketing which relieves

her a good deal. Miss Susan Hatch is dead and

was buried on Saturday. I have no news to send & therefore

 

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cannot give you a very interesting letter. We are

all much pleased to hear you are so pleasantly

located in Richmond & that you have met with

friends there, that will prevent your feeling lonely.

We hope that you will receive the trunk safely

and that its contents may prove satisfactory.

Ma says the trunk would not hold all, but

we shall have to send other parcels after you.

We are glad to find you have a Piano

accessible, and want to know if you wish

your music sent. Pray do not give it up.

Ma wanted to send you something nice in the

Trunk but her sickness prevented it. We think

you had better keep your gold if you have any.

Geo. B. says he misses you very much and so

we all do and shall do so at Christmas when

old custom makes us wish to have all the

family together, and perhaps we may be able

to effect this in another year or so if it pleaes

God to spare our lives. We have heard nothing

from Sally Gregory. We all wrote in affectionate

love to yourself and Mr. Blankenship and [illegible]

our kindest regards to all our Friends who you

may happen to see or write to and I remain my

Darling Kate your affectionate father

John Millington

I supposed you know that T    man B is

married to Miss Kate Henderson.