.Mjc4.Mzky
Friday
Richmond 6 Feb . 1863
I received your letter my beloved
wife and was more comforted by it
than by any thing which has oc-
curred to me since my arrival here.
It did make me feel a fresh
regret that I was not enjoying your
society and that of all the dear
ones with you - especially my darling
little L. Page; I think of her all
the time especially when I see a
little child. Separation from
those whose presence is necessary
to my enjoyment of life was
never so hard. I do not know why.
But I suppose I shall get gra-
-ually accustomed -hardened - to it,
especially as I have the repu-
-tation of being rather a hard man.
I should have written to you before
this, again, but that I have for a
day or two been occupied during
the morning at my office, and in
the afternoon in looking for quarters
& in removing. This I did yesterday
aftn . I have a room in a very
quiet part of the town on 3d. Street
between Clay and Leigh Streets, and
board across the street where Jno Henley
and Chas . Hansford & Wm. Waller &
Sydney Smith live; both houses belong
to widow ladies. I have old acquaint-
-ance therefore and a good long walk
to my business which gives me exer-
-cise. I took my seat in my
office on the day before yesterday
and am in a small comfortable room.
(in the old Washington Hotel opposite
St. Paul's) with two other gentlemen
one of whom is an old acquaintance;
both are kind & courteous, as are all
with whom I have immediate business,
and call me Professor! I cannot
yet tell any thing as to promotion;
there is a prodigious pulling for officers,
It feels strange to me to work six
hours a day, but I feel none the
worse for it. They have a very
churlish regulation prohibiting of-
-ficers to have their letters put in
the department box-(this however
exists only in the Treasury Dept.
Mr .Memminger being crusty) so
continue to address your letters to the
Ballard House where they will be
kind enough to take care of them
for me until I can make some
other arrangement. There was
no letter for me there yesterday
late in the aftn . but I hope I shall
find one there tomorrow afternoon.
I have not been able to go down
there this evening. I hope you
recd. my letter written last Saturday;
the little package which Mr. Joynes
was kind enough to take I suppose
you have of course recd. and I hope
the calico was acceptable. By the
way I did not conceive that I had
any right to ask Mr. Joynes to assist
me to obtain an office - he is always
kind and polite & I have no doubt
would have done it with pleasure, but
I had asked none but very old acquaint-
-ance & intimate friends to trouble them-
-selves in my behalf. Your request
about the spool of cotton came too late;
after Mr. Vest's departure. I now send
them wound on cards, & I hope you will
get them & this of course. Present my kind regards to
Mr. Wilmer & tell him that it will give
me great pleasure if he will at any
spare moment write to me. Give my
affectionate love to the girls & kiss
the darling children. Tell darling Page not to
forget me. Best wishes to Mrs. S. & Bessy. I
have not seen Major Semple, we have
missed each other. Farewell my dearest
wife for the moment. Ever your R. S.
Mrs . Saunders } Kind respect to friends - Gilmers. Coles &c.