Difference between revisions of ".MTM2Ng.MjMxMw"
(3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
Line 117: | Line 117: | ||
[Page 3] | [Page 3] | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | them. Our in-door amusements after tea are chess | ||
+ | |||
+ | & reading. A portion of the evening is devoted to his- | ||
+ | |||
+ | tory, & the rest to playing chess & reading Bulwer | ||
+ | |||
+ | or Dickens, & the papers. I can't say we make very | ||
+ | |||
+ | much progress in our history, as we are liable | ||
+ | |||
+ | to frequent interruptions, but we advance steadily, | ||
+ | |||
+ | & (as we read each volume twice,) we think we shall | ||
+ | |||
+ | not soon forget what we have read. Charley is | ||
+ | |||
+ | still reading Hume, Harry, & I have Gibbon, & | ||
+ | |||
+ | Brat is deep in "D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation." | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ma tells us in her letter to Charley (which came to | ||
+ | |||
+ | hand yesterday) that you & she are still read- | ||
+ | |||
+ | ing Prescott's "Life of Philip the 2nd." Do you find the | ||
+ | |||
+ | last volumes as interesting as the first? I have | ||
+ | |||
+ | been long promising myself the pleasure of its peru- | ||
+ | |||
+ | sal, & think I shall take it up as soon as I | ||
+ | |||
+ | finish Gibbon, so that we may read it togeth- | ||
+ | |||
+ | er next summer. I suppose the girls are looking | ||
+ | |||
+ | forward with some impatience to the arrival of | ||
+ | |||
+ | Christmas when no doubt there will be a general | ||
+ | |||
+ | home-going amongst them. Where do you spend | ||
+ | |||
+ | the holidays? In Winchester, or do you accompany | ||
+ | |||
+ | one of them home? Tell Ma we have a great deal of | ||
+ | |||
+ | curiosity to see Mr. Boyd's sermon & hope she will | ||
+ | |||
+ | send us a copy when it is published. Charley joins me | ||
+ | |||
+ | in much love to all, & says he expects to write to you in | ||
+ | |||
+ | a very few days. Hoping to hear from you very soon my | ||
+ | |||
+ | dear Nine. I am as ever | ||
+ | |||
+ | Your devoted brother | ||
+ | |||
+ | Lloyd Powell |
Latest revision as of 21:31, 27 November 2015
This transcription has not been verified by Special Collections Research Staff. Please also consult images of the document.
Henry Dec 16 1860
So this is your eighteenth birthday
is it Nina dearest? May it be a very, very
happy one to you my darling, & may the future
realize your brightest and most sanguine an-
ticipations. It is hard for me to picture you to
myself as a grown woman, Nine, although I
know it must be so. As I look at you as you
were when I left home, I try to imagine
the change which two years & a half have made
in the placid half dreamy [countenance?] which
is before me, but I can make no alterations which
please me, & so am fain still to think of you
as you were then, until we meet again next sum--
mer. I wonder if the sun shines as brightly upon
your birthday in Winchester as it does here. I
don't think I ever saw a more beautiful winter day.
The reflection of the sun from our ice & snow clad
river & bluff seems almost to redouble its bril-
liancy, whilst the sky is as clear & the air as
soft and balmy as that of October. For a week
past the weather has been unexceptional , but for
some time before, it was anything but pleasant
I assure you, so you may imagine how much
we have enjoyed the change. I am sorry to hear
you have had so little fine weather in Virginia
[Page 2]
during the past fall & winter. Here it has been as
Mr Foots (I believe) would say, "on the contrary quite
the reverse," for with the exception of some two
or three weeks the fall has been a delightful one.
Our winter made its appearance a little earlier
than usual, bringing with it an abundance of
cold weather and ice, but not snow enough to give
us any sleighing yet. Charley and [Brat?] have been enjoy-
ing the skating very much, & on several occa-
sions have been very intent upon my joining them,
but having read the "Pickwick Papers" lately, & with
poor Mr. Winkle's experience upon the ice so freshly
impressed upon my memory, I have been by no
means disposed to trust myself in their hands
upon so treacherous an element. & my sprightly
young lady from New Jersey who has been spending
several months with her brother (Mr. [Hyndsham?])
at our old house invited me to go upon a ska-
ting party with her a few days ago, but I very
respectfully declined the invitation, referring her
at the same time to Charley as a much more
gallant & accomplished cavalier upon such an
occasion. Hunting has been my chief resource this
fall, & as game has been unusually abundant,
I have generally been quite successful in
my excursions. Prairie chickens, quail, & waterfowl
of all sorts have been served up upon our table
very frequently of late, & I have often regretted
that you could not share our enjoyment of
[Page 3]
them. Our in-door amusements after tea are chess
& reading. A portion of the evening is devoted to his-
tory, & the rest to playing chess & reading Bulwer
or Dickens, & the papers. I can't say we make very
much progress in our history, as we are liable
to frequent interruptions, but we advance steadily,
& (as we read each volume twice,) we think we shall
not soon forget what we have read. Charley is
still reading Hume, Harry, & I have Gibbon, &
Brat is deep in "D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation."
Ma tells us in her letter to Charley (which came to
hand yesterday) that you & she are still read-
ing Prescott's "Life of Philip the 2nd." Do you find the
last volumes as interesting as the first? I have
been long promising myself the pleasure of its peru-
sal, & think I shall take it up as soon as I
finish Gibbon, so that we may read it togeth-
er next summer. I suppose the girls are looking
forward with some impatience to the arrival of
Christmas when no doubt there will be a general
home-going amongst them. Where do you spend
the holidays? In Winchester, or do you accompany
one of them home? Tell Ma we have a great deal of
curiosity to see Mr. Boyd's sermon & hope she will
send us a copy when it is published. Charley joins me
in much love to all, & says he expects to write to you in
a very few days. Hoping to hear from you very soon my
dear Nine. I am as ever
Your devoted brother
Lloyd Powell