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Richmond

August 4th, 1863

Dear Hattie,

Your letter of the 1st inst

reached me a few hours since, and I

lay aside other pressing duties to answer

it without delay. It gives me such plea

sure to hear from my relatives as well as

to see them. Your Father spent an hour or

two with us last Saturday. I was rejoiced

to see him in such apparent good health,

and to find that with God's help, he has

been enabled, like myself, to bear up under

the painful [dispensations?] [His?] wisdom has

called him to endure. I trust the same

[resignation?] has been [?] your

dear Mother, your sisters, and yourself.

As regards the subject of your letter, I

am sorry I cannot write more favor

ably. We are not keeping house alone.

but are members of a house. Each indi

vidual in the house paying from one

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hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars

per month. No member of the house is permitted

a guest. This restriction we should feel

more if we had a spare room. We have

none, except an attic room, a play place

for Mrs. Davis' little boy, which is too hot

to sleep in. You do not ask my advice

dear Hattie, but really it seems to me

unwise to accept any position in Rich

mond that yields only a hundred dollars

a month, as it is rarely indeed, that re

specatble board can be obtained for

a less sum. Washing is three dollars per

dozen, and most of the Laundresses object

to take it except by the dozen. I would

be too glad to exchange my position here

for one in the country where I could en

joy the [?] of peach [puree?] [?]

and something fresh and beautiful

to eat. I would give you a list of some

of the prices of edibles here if I supposed

you could [?] them. I especially

miss the delightful fruit to which I

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have been accustomed. I have had

recent letters from Douglas, dated however

July 3rd. He expected to leave on the 7th

for England. His orders thither were not of

his own seeking or ours. God grant they may

[?] favorably to him. He will not only

be exposed to the perils of the sea, but to

"the violence of Enemies" who are making

Herculean efforts "to wipe out" our little

Navy which harrasses them so severely.

Since his departure everything seems

dark to me. He was so happy and cheerful.

He left me with a heavy heart and sad

countenance, for the first time since

the war commenced. Before the Battle

of Manassas and of the [?], and

when he left me for the Peninsula, his last

look was one of hope and faith, a bright

smile was daguerretyped upon my

memory. But this time he could not

trust himself to look again when he

had said Good Bye! There were rea-

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sons for this. The period of our separation

is indefinite. I almost said limited.