.NDI2.NTgz
[1]
via Etna 4th St. Tuesday night 12 May 1863
Dear Ann
I made use of my prepaid letter to
em
David Spence t enclose a supplentary[underlined] letter to you, after making up 48 cents worth of various matter, which I sent direct[underlined] to you. –
It was so warm that I would have left the office when Matthew did, about 3 1/2 p.m. but when I sent John to ask the hour that Wotherspoon & Co’s circulars would be out, he brought me the unwelcome intelli- =gence – “about 5”, - Having nothing else to do I set to work to hunt for that “10c”, but could not find it. Soon after 1/2 past 4, the Wotherspoon circulars were left, & I joyfully “rolled up the charge”, & left. – There was, as yesterday afternoon, another great gathering in Broad- -way to witness processions of returning troops, whose 2 years term has expired, & this determined me to ride home. – I found Wm & Walker already here as I had appointed 5 1/2 sharp to sit down to dinner; & we did so to the minute. – I felt the approach =ing tea-fight like an approaching nuisance[underlined], for the Thermr had been up to 85* - & as I sat down, L position in your arm-chair to read some fresh “[guardians?]”, I said to myself, - “What have I done to deserve this infliction?” – of course I soon fell asleep; - & when I awoke, by Anne tapping me on the shoulder to announce that the T kettle was on the table, it was 9[underlined] p.m. – I made some T, & went up to change my coat, where I found Wm. on the landing [&?] Walker. – Both had been sitting in yard, in their short sleeves, smoking, I suppose.
They had both been invited to Irving Place to meet Mrs. H.D.G-, as per Aunt E’s note to me, which I gave them to read at dinner yesterday.
[2]
but with that boor[underlined]-ishness & selfish[underlined]-ness that appertain to both, they did not go. They did
either
not join me ^ at the T table; but Wm. offered to go when I had done my T, & to fetch Sa= =rah home, instead of my doing so. – I would
there
have been glad had he gone ^ to tea 2 hours pre= =viously [‘2...viously’ underlined] at I. Place [‘at I place’ crossed out]; but I declined this
offer of his at 20 minutes past[‘minutes past’ underlined] 9! – Perceiving heet
was
lightening, I took my umbrella; & it ^ fortunate I did, as a violent thunder-storm came up before the Irving Place gathering dissolved. – I found[crossed out] rode up in a car to save time, & the wind had already risen & the temperature was rapidly sinking, with the commencement of the storm. – Sarah was there, She had arrived at 1/2 past 7, & there was suffici =ent daylight for her to dispense with escort from the station to I. Place. – I shook hands with Mrs. H.D.G_, but that was all; & I was introdu- -ced to a variety of the other guests, none of whose names I had[crossed out] heard then[underlined]; but Sarah has since told me them, - vizt. Mr. & Mrs. & Miss Mauran – a young English lady who had been a governess, or teacher of music in that family, a Miss Tillatson from the No. River (a friend of Mrs. H. D. G, & connexion of the Livingstons,) – Willie Johnson, & another youth, a friend of his.
There was an abundance of Ice-cream[‘cream’ underlined] & water-ice[underlined] – 2 moulds that James carved up, & of which all partook except myself. – The party broke up about 20 minutes before 11. – Sarah went up stairs & tucked up under her arms her black silk gown, so as only to shew a white
[3]
skirt below the mantilla in which she had travel -led to & fro; but before she left, Mary’s waterproof cloak was produced & accepted; & it was well that it was super-added, for the rain poured down in torrents as we walked from 18th St. to the 3rd Avenue. – She had the empty[underlined] baasket with her that she took off this morning filled X with things for Miss D. – The rain ceased, or nearly so, as we waited some minutes for a car; & after all, we got home comfortably & without any damage.
She had had a very pleasant day; the only drawback being that poor Miss D_ had ben suf- -fering from tooth-ache for a day or two past. She sent her love to me in exchange for mine with the oranges. – Unexpectedly to Sarah, Miss D was not alone; A daughter of Mrs. Richards married not long ago, & the gentleman she had married, were staying at “Dunnington.” Sarah had arrived this morng. before the heat had become oppressive, & she did not feel any, she said, until she returned to the city. The country looked most beautiful – as I was sure it must in all its variety spring, or early summer foli- -age. All the pear-trees & apple trees had come out suddenly into bloom when the rain & cold ceased, that appertained to your[underlined] storm.
She told me that people all around Darien reported the shock of an earth-quake last night. It was perceived by Miss Dunning too & as Sarah said about 3 a.m.[‘3 a.m.’ underlined] – (for, she remarked, Miss Dunning never gets to sleep un[crossed out] until about 3.) – I said I believed it would be found that the said Earth-quake [would be][crossed out]
[Marginalia]
X this was exactly reversing [underlined] the order of this as laid down by the cooking lady in
the little “ruby” omnibus
[4]
found to have been [‘found...been’ crossed out] was the shock from a grand explosion in this city, of which I saw some notice in the ‘Tribune; bulletin as I came home to dinner. – We then referred to the “Express” where we found the particulars. It occurred near the foot of 79th St. East River, at a cart- -ridge factory, where about 3,000[double underlined] lbs of gun- powder blew up at 11.40 last night doing a vast amount of damage; but there was no loss of life, & [ony?] little personal injury.
It was felt at [New Haven][underlined] at 11.40 as the N.H. papers of this morng. report; & there (as at Darien) was supposed to have been an earth -quake. – I “stuck a pin” at the discrepancy in time between 11.40 p.m. & about 3-a.m. - as confirmatory of your notions about Miss D, - that she & Sarah [greatly magnify][underlined] all of her sufferings & afflictions; tho’ Sarah would be sad- =ly shocked if I were to tell her so. –
The enclosed characteristic[underlined] epistle from Fan =ny James, came today, via City of Washn, but be =ing directed to 365 Fourth St., I did not get it until I came home to dinner. – It entertained me after dinner, as I reclined in your arm- -chair before I fell asleep.
Whilst we were at dinner, the Postman left an envelope addressed to you, contained 3
[ ?]
cards of admission to an ^ Exhibition of Deaf & Dumb Scholars at Cooper Institute, 4 p.m. on Thursday next. – I observe it is advertised in this evening Express & stated that 15c is the price of Tickets, to be obtained at the door.
[5]
(5)
13 May – Rejoice with me, for I have today found the “10 cents”! –[‘Rejoice...cents’ underlined] and after this notable dis=
day
=covery, I employed the rest of the ^ in posting up the Books from 1st May to this date, which I also completed most satisfactorily before leaving the of= =fice at 4.50 p.m., when I rode[underlined] up to dinner, as I had said we would sit down to it at 1/2 past 5.
On my walking down town this morning, I was later than I wished, but nevertheless I called at my German friend’s, Mr. Kilhoz, the barber, &
my
had ^ hair clipped [very close][underlined] – summer fashion – & my beard in all its parts trimmed closer. Thus I am no longer in fit condition to sit for a photograph to be exhibited at No. [11 Welfield][underlined] Place; but I feel vastly more comfortable, & shall now require less time in a morning to complete my toilet. – This morning, I was not down until 1/2 past 8, & found that Wm. & Walker had both breakfasted & gone to their respective posts down town. – On reading the “Times,” I cut out the account of the grand explosion, on Monday night, which I now enclose. – Matthew tells me that at the moment of its occurrence he was looking out of an upper window in quest of a Comet, & had his eyes in that direction; so that he saw the flash of light, & at first he mistook it for a flash of lightning merely,
[with it][underlined]
until the noise reached him & then[crossed out] ^ the shaking of all the windows – Nobody in this[underlined] household heard any thing of it. –
Sarah asked me this morning for “some money” -so I brought her $50 when I came to dinner; which is the first money I have paid to her since you left. – At dinner today, we had a 2nd
[6]
dish of asparagus, which I found very much superior to the 1st dish on Sunday last: - it was excellent; & she had the newly sharpened asparagus knife & fort – all in one – to administer it. At my end of the table there was the half of a round of beef – roasted[underlined], which I carved with my usual dexterity : but there was no Walker to assist in the consumption of the good things. He, however, came up at some time or other whilst I was enjoying my after din= -ner nap in your arm-chair, & when Sarah woke me up at 9, I found him making a hearty T at the T table with several slices of of bread before him, for he had had no dinner.
I observed that he had brought up a new banjo. (Sarah says it is not a new[underlined] one, but the same that he bot. some years ago, & that he had merely brot. it down stairs to-night – I suppose, to join her in a “concord of sweet sounds,” vocal & instrumental – whereof I know you will approve.)
Last night’s thunderstorm left no vestiges of rain this morng, but cooled the air, & the maximum today was but 72. – We had a fine forenoon, but cloudy after =wards & it began to rain in heavy drops, just as I turned out of Gilpin’s room, & it set the people to run= -ning in all directions. – I took it coolly, however, having fortunately my umbrella with me. The rain lasted until about 8, I suppose; & it was so dark when we sat down to dinner, as to require gas-light after the soup. – Not having had my quantum of exercise, I turned out after T, when the foot walks were dry; & clad in my light overcoat, in consequence of the sudden fall of temperature,
[7]
I walked up to 23rd St. & back Returning thro’ Uni= =on Place, I was glad to see that in Broadway, between 13 & 14th Streets, the railway preparations had disappeared, & the former pavement was restored.
Gov. Seymour pleased me, & many others by vetoing the Broadway R.R., but the injunction against the Harlaem Co. laying a track in Broadway has not yet been disposed of; & having now no interest in that R.R. Stock, I shall be glad if this injunction be perpetual. – This stock, which we unfortunately sold
9th January
[Some time ago][underlined] ^ at, [I think}[crossed out], 32,[underlined] was pushed up to 102
[underlined] or higher after you left, but is now tending downwards again. – our mistake in this case was very like that of parting with our Cotton too soon, but neither
have
of these mistakes ^ disturbed me. -
I wish we could sell out all our Cotton now – held for other parties, & at satisfactory prices to them; for I would like to have no important bu -siness to look after during the summer months. Such also is Matthew’s desire, I am sure.
Yesterday he was observing to me that as Bank of Commerce Stock is now up to 105, he thought it likely that the Bank would call for full payt. on the scrip – i.e. for $80 in addition to $20, & he asked my opinion as to the proper course for us to do in such a case. He leaned to a plan for drawing upon our reserved funds in England to make this payment – not that he wished to hold so much interest in the bank as that would give us, but would sell out at a premn.[underlined] what we paid up at par[underlined].
I said that I thought we had best now sell out at a premn., enough of our full shares to to pay up 80 pcent on the scrip, & so merely
[8]
maintain our present interest in the Bank; & I said I felt pretty sure that such would be your idea too, for you own shares. –
We then had some talk as to the propriety of now drawing in England for our funds there, against the contingency of Vicksburg, Port Hudson &c. being either captured by Genl Grant or evac= =uated, & of that ending the War, or being such severe blow to the Rebellion as to produce a great fall in gold, & so in Exchange, and a still greater fall in Cotton. – but I said I thought there was great risk of Genl grant’s army or that portion of it now in Missi., being starved out, as well as the Rebel forces at those places being reduced to that predicament. And that as I saw very little chance of Peace during the residue of Mr. Lincoln’s term, I doubted the pro= priety of our drawing on England. – This discussion did not lead to any result in either case: - or if Matthew gave any orders to King’s Sons to sell out B. of Commerce full shares, he has not named it to me. Today the stock has been sold in some quantity at 105 – I had no time today to talk with him about these things, - being busy with the books. –
Falling in with Mr. Gracie in Wm St this morng. we had a short talk mostly as to our coming to some settlement as to last year’s joint ac= =count operations in [Land?], all of which has been sold & sales rendered months ago. – Before the talk took that turn, we exchanged notions about the warm spell of weather, & he told me he had remo- =ved to the sea-side. – this I suppose accounts
[9]
(9)
me
for Sarah & I[crossed out] ^ having the pew to ourselves last Sunday. –
No notice as to Internal Taxation for Income Tax, has yet been left either at this house or at the office. –
Sarah, I see, did some more work in the garden today, & depositing some of the flower pots in the earth. – The grass in the grass plot is now growing vigorously, & the whole aspect of af= =fairs in the rear is much improved. She gets no aid in these labours from Wm. or Walker I think.
From some remarks she made yesterday morning, as we rode up to the R.R. station about Venetian blinds ( not yet fixed up – I may add) I infer that next week she will have the carpets taken up & the matting laid down.
Just after breakfast today, she had a visit from Mrs. Richards to inquire about matters at Dunnington” – How she was occupied after- -wards, I don’t know; but suppose it was mostly in the garden. – I suggested some days ago an ex= =penditure of some of the family possessions in flower-seeds. – The Vines are now shooting out vigorously. – Whether the madeira-vine has yet been planted, I cannot say. – The tub, near the steps, has been half filled with water, & I employed myself for a short time after breakfast with a watering-can to refresh some of the plants, new & old. –
On taking up the Times after breakfast I saw that “Stonewall Jackson” has died from the effects of amputating of his arm. – And I dare say you will feel, as I do, decided sorrow, de- =spite of this most severe loss to the Rebels.
[10]
there was
I do not suppose that ^ any man in Dixie except perhaps Genl. Lee whose death would have occasioned such universal sorrow there.
I suppose Jackson was not an advocate for first Secession when it was ^ contemplated, any more than Lee, & hosts of other noble characters; -but that he simply espoused the cause as soon as fighting become inevitable. –
Perhaps the sorrow produced by his death may produce good fruits among right-minded men in both sections of the Country. – At any rate such an idea has crossed my mind. –
I was glad to see that when Lee had sent over a flag of truce to Hooker asking for sup= =plies of food & medicine, in consequence of the inadequate store thereof to devote what was needed for Federal prisoners & wounded, thus request was at once grated: & I would hope that enough was sent also to give aid to the
too
hungry & sick in the Confederate ranks ^ - on the principle, - “If thine enemy hunger – feed him; - if he thurst, give him drink.”-
A Committee appointed by the Southern Legis- -lature to enquire into outrages committed a= =gainst private citizens – civilians – by Northern forces, have recently made a report, after, as they say, having taken evidence as to 4 states only; -& their verdict may be summed up by stating that we are [incarnate devils!][underlined] – that there is no offence in the catalogue of human crime that we have not indulged in most freely! Their report is long, - but it does not cite
[11]
any evidence[underlined] – in the plea that it is altogether too voluminous to attempt to print it. –
In all such cases one gets but one-sided[underlined] testi =mony: - & where kindness, rather than cruelty, has been shown, the notice of it is suppressed.
The balance of crime in War must always be against the invading party. – There have been fewer gentlemen[double underline] among the Northern than the Southern officers: - & no doubt many of these Northern officers have acted most dis= =gracefully. - [‘most disgracefully’ underlined] Had this War been as popular at the North as at the South, among people of the higher class, much of this crime against peaceable citizens would have been prevented by better discipline.; and indeed the War must
the
have ended long ago; thro’ ^ numerical superiori= =ty of the North. – but the treatment of Union men in [East Tennessee][underlined] is a pretty good ans= =wer to the Report of this So. Committee.
To change the subject: - As I was walking tonight I was thinking that you have never yet seen the Britannia Bridge, & I was plan= =ing a little excursion into North Wales for
& he
you & Mytton, before you ^ part company; & I added Mary Bold to the party, [‘added...party’ underlined] & put you 3 in =side of a snug parlour, such as I had, at the [George Inn][underlined] at Bangor Ferry. It you are in the mood of carrying out this idea, you can reckon upon me for half the expense, yourself bearing the other half. – I should like you to stand, on a fine day, in the identical spot that Miss Barbara Jones took me to in Sir Richd. Bulkley’s grounds, near Beaumaris.
[12]
You would own, I think, that you never beheld a more varied & beautiful amphitheatre. You would enjoy the ride in an open car between the suspension Bridge & [“Blue-morris”?] With your consent, I would carry you to [Car- =narom?] by R.R., & thence in an open car to the other old spots – vizt. Beddgelert, & the Pass of Llanberris – but I would interdict your ascending Snowdon, either afoot or on horse back. – The inn at Llanberris is second only to the George at B. Ferry, which is the best I was ever inside of (& I may say also outside [‘out’ underlined] of.) in any part of the world. – I would drive you back from L;berris up the Pass thro’ Capel Cu- -rig, & down from C.C via Lake Ogwen to Bangor, & thence go by R.R. to Conway, & put up at the old fashioned Castle[double underlined] [Iren?], if you chose to spend the night there. – The R.R. ride from Conway to Chester & Lpool is not interesting.
If you took it at all, you ought to enter[underlined] No. Wales that way, spending 2 or 3 hours at Chester & Eton Hall for Mytton’s sake, & seeing the bridge
one
there – that single magnificent ^ arch over the Dee
The best plan of returning[underlined] from No. Wales is in a steamer. - [underlined] If Mary Bold wont go, & you would lie to go in charge of your 2[underlined] nephews, you may still count on me for half the cost.
banks
What would you think of Tintern Abbey & the Banks[crossed out] of the Wye on your way towards Salisbury Cathe -dral? [‘Salisbury cathedral’ underlined] When you were about to embark & it was too late, I bethought me of your landing at Cork, & seeing Killarney, & Dublin. \ My letters are growing somewhat like those of Faney James
[Marginalia – left side] I don’t know that it would be of any use in your enquiries – it might be just the opposite
perhaps
[Marginalia – right side]
but the Revd. J.H. Hamilton’s uncle is Dean[underlined] of Salisbury[underlined]
[13]
(13th)
was
15th May – William ^ observing at dinner yesterday that the Persia ought now to be pretty near the cost of Ireland; for that during one of her trips last summer her news was in Lpool on Thursday evening. I said that so quick a run was not now to be ex=
pected with such unfavorable weather at the commence
=ment of the voyage; - still I am flattering myself with the expectation of seeing your sign manual, ere another fortnight has elapsed. – It was only 2 days ago that I knew [for certain][underlined] that the Persia went straight out to sea on the 6th inst; though I had come to that conclusion on the 8th eveng to absence of any intelligence to the contrary. Matthew learnt the fact from Mr. Cunard 2 days ago. – No letter via Pilot[underlined] either from you or Mytton has ever come, -and no wonder, I say, considering what a horrid day it was, & with such a throng of passengers, Mrs. Patton to look after, & the arrangements of Persia different from those of the other Cunarders in which you have sailed. – I have looked in vain every day, thus far, at the shipping list &c for any account of the Persia having been spoken.
I enclose a slip from the Times of yesterday giving a summary of the Annual Report of the condition of the Bank of Commerce, which is certainly most[double underlined] satisfactory: [double underlined] and it ought to rejoice Mrs. Hagarty as well as yourself. After carrying all bad & doubtful debts (whereof some part must prove good[underlined] I presume) [there is][crossed out] to the debit of Profit & Sales, & putting down all U.S. stocks at cost, whereas I suppose they are now worth more than they cost (indeed the statement shows this to be the fact to the extent of $500,000!) there is a balance now (11th May) at the Cr. of Profit & Loss of $1047,969, or = 11%[underlined] on paid up Capital of the Bank & if the 500,000[underlined] profits be added for excess of present mar ket value of U.S. Securities on cost prices, it would make up $1547,969 or = 16 1/2 %[underlined] on paid up Capital, & every rise or fall of 1 per cent in the value of these U.S. stocks will make a difference of 1 1/2 pcent on the paid up Capital.
[14]
As an illustration. – We bought on 3rd February those $10,000 U.S. b’s of ’81 at 92; and their present value is 107 1/2 or so, but this includes 3 mos. Interest, which is 1 1/2 [underlined] making 106[underlined] the present value without that Interest, & a net rise of 14 pcent there= =fore. Apply this to B. of Commerce, adding 7[underlined] ditto, because its investments in U.S. stock are 50% more than its Cap =ital, & it would shew that about 21% has been added to the capital of the Bank by rise of U.S. stocks since 3rd Feby.: & thus if , as the printed statement shews, the present intrinsic value of that capital is 116 ½, it follows that on the 3rd February, [‘3rd F’ underlined] the value thereof (instead of 116 1/2 ) was only 95 1/2 ,[‘only 95’ underlined] but the market[underlined] value of B of Commerce stock on 3rd February was nothing like 95 1/2, but more like 85, or 80, I I[crossed out] think, - and now that this Annual Report of the Bank was made public in yesterday’s morning papers the sales of the stock yesterday were at 106. This is a great gain compared with quotations we have seen within the last 3 or 4 months, but 106 market[underlined] value, & 116 1/2 apparent intrinsic[underlined] value, shows a wide[underlined] margin. –
Yesterday morng. Matthew & I had quite a discussion about this stock. He was for drawing on England to give us money enough to pay up the 80 pcent on our scrip shares to make them full stock, & then selling out a quantity of the full stock so acquired for the sake of the profit.
I did not like that course, because after we had drawn on England, adverse news of some kind or other might come, that would cut like a two edged sword - & at one & the same time raise the price of gold & of sterling bills, & depress that of U. S. stocks & of B. of Commerce shares; & so we should in such a case lose perhaps as much (or more) by drawing sterling, as we might gain by selling out the stock, or we might be saddled with a
[15]
much larger amat. of the stock than we wished to hold. – And then, I said, “supposing we resold the scrip converted into full shares, what must we buy[underlined] afterwards? – He said he was tired of keeping this large amount of Money in England. He seems to count upon the Rebellion being worn out by sheer exhaustion[underlined] far sooner than I can ex- =pect from that cause. And he is counting upon an early capture or evacuation of Port Hudson & Vicks- =burg, which is more than I look for . – & under our control There are altogether standing in our name ^ (Maury Bros.) for ourselves 172 full & 172 scrip shares “ you – 147 do & 147 do “ others – 21 do & 16 do 340 335 80 pcent on the 335 script is = 268 full shares.
After out talk yesterday the device he adopted was to instruct J. G. Kings’ Sons to sell out for us 200 full shares if they could do so at 107, which, after deducting 1/4% Brokerage, would leave 6 3/4 profit, & give us money enough to convert 250 scrip shares into full stock. – In paying up the scrip – the $80 a share – we should have to pay also the Interest therein since the last Dividend at the rate of 7% p annum, but that (or more) would be repaid to us in the next dividend. – This is plainly the simplest & safest plan, as we can at once replace at par[underlined] what we have sold out a premium,[underlined] & whilst securing that premm. beyond peradventure, she should not be laying ourselves open to the risk of loss in other ways as growing out of the transaction. – But the 107 can’t be got yet. I have just seen (2 p.m.) the printed list of Sales of stocks at today’s first Board: - it [embraces?] $2000 U.S. b’s of 81 (coupons) at 107 1/8, & of B. Commerce 70 shares @ 106, 100 @ 106 1/4 & 10 @ 106 1/2. Yesterday 286 shares were sold @ 106 – whereof 153 at the first board
[16]
& 133 at the second. Yesterday there was more appi= =tite for sold stocks & less for “fancies,” today it has been the reverse, & Harlaem shares were pushed up to 97 1/2.
I had much to do last night, after I had taken 2 miles walk after T. There was a desirable steam =er to sail for N.O. today, & her mails to close at 11 a.m., but I managed to accomplish all I aimed at & was in ample time to copy part of it as now en= =closed to you, & to mail the whole at 10.40 today.
I enclose copy of my brief epistle to Mrs. Cox, & of the letters I wrote on her behalf to her daughter & Genl. Dix on the 8th –
I wrote a longer letter, on your[underlined] behalf, to Mrs. Pol- =lard, & said Sarah admired Miss May’s handy work, & remarked it was just what she (S) wished you to possess, as being so becoming. – I reported what I had done for Mr. Macmurdo, & the kindness of Mr. Kennedy & Mr. Whitlock. – I congratulated her upon having, at last, heard from her 2 younger sons, & hoped they would be restored to her safe & sound on the return of Peace. – I said I thought she had shown her usual good judgment in declining for the present at least, the invitations to her daughter Virga. to leave home: I sent my love to each of her daughters, “and if you please” (I said) “ to Mag.[double underline] too, whose fidelity I highly admire, as will my sister also” and finally I enclosed her
my
a copy of [Aq?][crossed out] ^ last photograph. – And in handing these letters to Rutson to do the [...ful?] with, I sent two copies of said photograph to him – one for James & the other for himself. – I gave a copy of Uncle Horatio’s
had
letter to Mytton, & observed it was just what I ^ expected, & that I fear U.H. is acquiring too strong a love of Money.
Yesterday was mostly, cold, dark gloomy day, -a little rain at noon, & heavy rain for 2 hours after 7 1/4 p.m. – The Thermr, did not rise about 58, & was falling during most of the forenoon; wind NE.
Walker did not come home to-dinner. He appeared about 8, or so, p.m. & soon afterwards disappeared.
[17]
(17)
Sarah expected him home again, tho’ he had said nothing on the subject – yea or nay; - which was very inconsiderate, to say the least. She sat up until 12, & then retired. – When Wm came to the office about 11 I asked if he had seen Walker this morn- =ing, & he said he had. – I said no more, & do not intend speaking on this subject to Walker when we meet. – I was down stairs at 5 minutes past 8 this morng. & Wm. was just ending his breakfast, & so he went down town directly after we had had prayers. – Today the sun rose bright, with a fresh wind WNW. The Thermr. had been down to 54 but was up to 60 ‘ere I left the house. – I walked down town as far as Broome St, then went from Broad= =way to the Central market & got into a Car, I wish-
before 10 that
-ed to reach the P.O. to post a note ^ Sarah had written, at my desire, to Mr. Simpson at Astoria asking him to send some one to fix the Venetian Shutters.
There was a packet from St. Louis this morning ad= =dressed to Maury Bros. It contained 2 letters from Harriet dated 10th inst, one of them to Sarah & the other to Wm. – (each of which I have read) and a letter from Miss “Corney” for him. – In case Sarah should not send you hers under this envelope, I will say that the baby is still mending. The “maternal part” now abundant, all thoughts of a wet [underlined] nurse discarded, & Harriet herself very cheerful & happy, & well pleased with her servants.
4th St. Friday night – There were no sales of B. Commerce stock at the 2nd Board today. – Gold has been very uniform in price for several days past – vibrating daily between 49 & 50 premium.
I walked home to dinner, & was ready for it at 1/2 past 5. Walker did not join us & has not been here this evening. – I took a shorter nap than usual, & woke up of myself, & T was ready at 1/2 past 8
[18]
or sooner. I laid aside my second cup, & putting on my shoes, & light over-coat (as I am wearing a thin flannel shirt & felt rather chilled after my nap) I sallied forth & had a fine long walk to 42nd St. & back, which I much enjoyed. It was 5 or 10 min- -utes past 10 when I entered the house again, somewhat heated; & thirsty too: - so I relished the cup of cold T, & as our friend Mr. Gracie said of a stronger beverage, I found it “very refreshing” – since then I have gone over the Express from 1st to 4th page, & read a good deal of interesting matter. – I see that within a few days Mr. Crittenden has made a speech at Lexington, Ky., in which he decidedly ad =vocates a vigorous prosecution of the War, & declares his unhesitating belief in the resto- -ration of the Union. – He is a true patriot & a man I have long looked up to. – I see also with satisfaction that the Tribune, Post, & Com= mercial Advertiser come out strongly in favor of freedom of speech, & against the arrest & trial of Vallandigham under Burnsides “Orders.” –
I admire Burnside as a brave & worthy man & am sorry he went so far in his Orders thro’ excess of zeal. – I will now retire, & hope to have a fine sleep & to be up betimes for breakfast.
Gold opens at 50 this morng. – Sarah tells me she purposes commencing on Monday to take up carpets &c: and is to look after chimney a ^ sweeper today. – Wm was breakfasted & off at 8.5 a.m. today, which was the time I came down. – I had a grand sleep of but one nap. – M_ is busy writing for this [str?]
[Marginalia]
All well – yours affectionately R Maury
