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Williamsburg September 27, 1867

Dear Liz., I received your letter a few days ago, and as you desired me to write immediately, I have as usual ["ly" struck out] tried to fulfill your wishes as near as possible. I was very glad to hear from you, for I feared you had not received my letters. I expect you will think that my letters are perfect chronicles of ill news and really it seems to be true. We were all very much shocked yesterday about four o'clock to hear of Mrs. Vest's death, it much have been very unexpected to the family, for I went to ask after her the day before not even thinking her very sick and Willie did not seem to think her ill at all, only said that she had been quite sick, but did not seem to think of anything at all dangerous. Mr. Vest was in New York and Dr. Camm telegraphed to him yesterday morning to come home immediately as he thought Mrs. Vest very sick and he cannot possibly get here until tomorrow morning. Pattie Warren was with them poor Mrs. Joynes had left about two weeks ago. She had Gastric fever so I hear. We seemed to be surrounded by death for Dr. Shield, Mrs. McCandish _______[Note: brother?] is dying soon. This morning Father came in and announced that Mr. Taylor the steward at the Asylum was found dead in his bed this morning. Is it not terrible to think of. I really think I will try and turn to something more agreeable and pleasant. rather than make my letter so sad and melancholy. Florence has her ___ [Note: train?] friends the ______ Tilghmans staying with her. They arrived last Sunday by the way of Yorktown. You must know that we have a boat now running from Baltimore to Yorktown, or rather it connects with the York River railroad. They were accompanied by their brother who we all like very much; he left yesterday. The girls seem to like this old town quite much I fear though they will have a rather dull time here for it is always quiet here and of course now will be more than ever. I send you the sleeve pattern {Note: "that is only half of the sleeve" is struck out] I had to get the sleeve pattern from Fannie _____ I had lost mine, so you must make it larger if necessary. You must cut it like the pattern I mean cutting it bias and straight like the "[Note: "pattern" struck out] paper pattern. I hope you may understand how it goes. I have explained as far as I can or rather as explicit. Mollie ______ [Note: sends her love to you and says you must write to her. I will do my best to secure the feather as I admire it so much. I gave your message to Mr. Garrett but really I do not remember what he said. I told him of your excuse for not fulfilling the Williamsburg requirements, he says he must not accept any such excuse for he knows a great deal better, he said for instance, where was Mr. Bass. Lottie told me that her cousin Mrs. _____ [Note: Garrick?] wrote that she was expecting her cousin Major Porter from the South and she wished to bring him to see you if she possibly could. I expect you will find it rather difficult to read this scrawl but I really can do no better. Do you think I should believe you are not going to be married from what you wrote, for the first thing I do not know you are not a prevaricator and secondly you told me that you would tell me as soon as any one that is not proving to me that it is not true my only ground for not thinking it is simply this, that Mrs. Snead and Hansford were the first ones who ever heard of it and as I make it a rule never to place any reliance on what either of them say I do not think it true for that reason. I really am ashamed to send this scrawl but I know if I put it off for another day you will not hear very soon, and I always like to be obliging if nothing more. I suppose if you ever see the Richmond papers you have seen Mr. Edmonds' wedding notice I mean Maria's George Maria [Note:George Maria?) came rushing in a few days ago and informed us of it in a most nervous and fidgety way. I really am sorry for it, for I am certain that Maria still had hopes of meeting him accidentally and hoping the engagement renewed. I shall certainly welcome you back again this has truly been a sad summer for Williamsburg but I hope the health of the town will improve. I have been quite sick since I wrote to you, you may imagine how sick I was when I tell you that the doctor came to see me twice a day for about ten days. I am glad to say I have entirely recovered now. I can almost hear you _____ [Note: exclaim?]. I wish ____ [that?] would stop so I will after giving you the love of the family ___ [Note: dog or day?]and I hope you give my love to Uncle William and tell him I feel very much complimented that he should remember a foolish little [Note: underlined] girl. I will not write you another long letter if you do not show your appreciation of them, in some other way. In haste

Yours fondly, Kate W. Custis