.MTUzMA.MjU2OA

This transcription has not been verified by Special Collections Research Staff. Please also consult images of the document.

Blenheim Feb 18th 1864

Thursday

This is the third time dearest Mother that

I have opened my desk today to write to you & tis

so bitter cold taht I can scarcely write, did ever you

feel such weather in your life, my whole time &

attention it seemed to me in school this morning was giv-

en to trying to keep up the fire. I received your last most

welcome letter yesterday, thank you for it & for the stamps, I was

out entirely as was everyone else in the house. You need not

be uneasy about me dearest Mother, I am really quite well

again, have no cough at all that is as a constant thing sometimes I

have a little cold & then it goes off again. I still have the soreness in my chest

and have sometimes had some pain, and will as you advise put the plaster

on again, but Dr. Shelton advised me to use dry [cups?] instead. I think

they give me more relief. I put them on myself at night when ever the

soreness troubles me in the day, but that has not been often very lately.

Dr. Hobson don't believe in any outward apperative for anything, but I don't

agree with him, so I take his little pills & put them on the cups where I cough upstairs

and say nothing about it. I can assure you I am very prudent too, I did not

go home with Maggie Harris for this Friday was a beautiful day, balmy

as spring, I concluded I had better not risk it as I could not tell what

Monday might be & I was glad I did not go for it was an excessively

damp morning & Maggie took a very bad cold coming to school. I never

go anywhere to church except to Emanuel & only when the weather is good.

The church is always comfortable, I have never been there when it was cold

you may depend upon it I have a horror of doing anything which

shall keep me in bed two weeks again. I weighed a few days ago

106 almost as much as when I left Mr B last fall, Dr. H says he thinks

he shall have me turned out of the church for fattening so in Lent.

My appetite is still very good, but not ravenous as it was at first,

and in warm weather I feel vigorous & well, in this weather I feel

nothing but the cold. I am glad you all had so may good things

from Gloucester. I am sure you enjoyed them, only I would like

to have been there to help you with the oysters. Don't get the silk yet

[Page 3]

Mother darling for your watch guard. I have some blue, which

Maggie is going to take home with her tomorrow & get her Mother

to dip in log wood dye with some things she is dying & if it does

well, I will knit teh guard & send it to you in a letter. I wrote

Minnie Lloyd a letter which must have met her in Richmond a few days

after she got there, but I have not heard from her, nor a word from

[Rouss?] nor Cousin Emily. I had not heard a word of old Mr. Scott's mar-

raige, tho I've since had a letter from Horace, what a strange affair it was.

I am very glad on the childrens account. I am amused at your telling me to

take a day or two to write, I've not been at home three weeks yet & this is the 30th

letter I have written in that time. You asked if I have [piles?] now, I had very badly when

I first got well, but Pa sent me some laudanum Xmas & and that soon cured them.

Did Uncle Fred make arrangements to get money. I am afraid from your last

letter dear Mother that you are not feeling very well, do you walk every day when

the weather is good, I am fearful that you are going to have your spring attack.

My hair has not begun to come out yet, but is dry & stiff, I shall not cut it unless

it comes out. You ask me dear Mother what I want or will want this spring,

really our wants are very few these days, I am right short of collars, &

next spring I shall I suppose have to have every [bonnet?] fixed, and shall

like to have a pretty pair of slippers to wear with the open stockings I

am knitting, but I can think of nothing else. I think I have dresses enough

and a good supply of underclothes, perhaps when the summer comes I may

find there are some little things I shall want. You ask how I find the family

here since I got back, very kind indeed to me, but forever squabbling among themselves.

The fact is Mrs. H is neither very truthful nor very sincere, but very kind only

she spoils it by always talking so much about how excessively kind she is. The

Dr. I like very much only I hate to see a mean like woman impose on him so much &

make nothing of him. I wonder a man should ever marry, women are so cross & un-

reasonable after they are married. Miss [M?] Harding left Mr. Harris's before I went

there, she did not like them, nor they her, in fact she must have behaved very curiously

very like Miss Dorcus, but I have no doubt she found the children (2) very hard to manage

leaving was entirely her own choice, tho they thought her avery indifferent teacher.

Mr. H is a quite gentlemanly man, perfectly devoted to singing hymbs, don't take

much part in general conversation, but likes to get one person to talk to him

sometimes & then is very agreeable & always very kind & hospitable. Miss Ma-

ria is I suppose a little upwards of 30, the head of the family, very kind, considers her

self & is considered by the rest of the family as a settled old maid. Fannie I think I have

described, I am very fond of her & we keep up a constant correspondence. Sallie just

[letter ends]