Difference between revisions of ".NDc5.NjQ0"

Latest revision as of 13:37, 25 April 2015

[1]

Infirmary July 31

My Dear Nan

A few day ago Mother received a letter from cousin Matt[hew] with a message in it about cousin [Captain William] Lewis [Maury] which he desired her or me to send you. It came in the midst of our moving over here which must be our apology for not having sent it before.

Mother said she wished to write to you & tell you & that put me off ‘til now she is poorly & sends her love . [?] [struck through] “Drop Nan a note with my love & say that Lewis’ consort had arrived at the appointed place of rendezvous in due time. I expected her to be there several days before him & she was there just in time to communicate by the last steamer. The next steamer which I expect to bring letters from him will not be due here for 2 weeks.” I suppose you [?] [?] though of the arrival of the [CSS] Georgia [Lewis’ Ship] at St. Thomas.)

I have been making a visit at cousin

[Marginalia – left side to top of page]

I suppose you heard of the new arrangement at Mr. McGruders. Jim rents his chamber & the little adjoining room & the base ment dining room in which he & Maria keep house. – They use the parlour joint =ly Charles is joining [struck through] taking his meals with them in Cousin Roberts ab= =sence. I hope he will be coming up here next week.

[2]

Jesse’s for some weeks past & we have just got to house keeping in a usual way here Mother & I taking a certain number of rooms in the house while Cousin Anne has the rest. She has Betty Nannie & expects Dicks wife to live with her so you see the house is pretty full. – Mother things it alt[struck through] ought to be cal= =led “the Hive. “ You [underscored] can realize how I enjoy having a little feeling of a house of my own, [?][struck through] I was thoroughly tired of living in other people’s houses. Cousin F. [?] [struck through] was always kind & affectionate but her spouse has pe= =culiarities [‘peculiarities’ underscored] & is much soured by the revere =ses he has met with consequent on the War so that he was not a very agreeable [‘very ag’ underscored] person to live with. We have delightful shady grounds here for the children to play in & the house is very neat & well arranged plainly furnished & the only draw =back is its being heated by a furnace & no chance of coal so we shall have to get air tight stoves. My friend Dr. Davis provided me with a cooking stove

[Marginalia – top of page 2 & 3]

I must say good bye now write me soon & be sure I’m ever yours Affec tion =ately & truly S[allie] F[ontaine] M[aury]

Please tell me when you write the recipe for mend ing china your Aunt got in Paris that time

[3]

which saved us the expense of buying one & he also promises me a nice little air tight one for my room. He sends me vegetables from his garden every day & buttermilk. Cousin Lucy & Jesse are also untiring in their kind ness in sending us vegetables milk &c. The servant has just arrived with a pan of fresh mutton vegetables peaches & flowers They supply cousin Anne with milk & vege =tables too. I have not had to buy anything in setting up house keeping save a pepper box & top for tin bucket. I mean in the fur =niture line. I hear you have the kindest sort of friends too. I am truly glad you have fallen among such. The only draw =back in receiving so many favours is that we feel so unable to return it (I hear [B?] had a delightful time with you all. They all passed through here yesterday on the way to the springs. I wrote you a long letter from the old Mansion by [..avinia?] & never could account for your not getting it for you wrote to [struck-through] me what you can)

[4]

Monday August 3rd)

[sidered?] a voluntary & spoke of not having got a line from me. When I left the old Man =sion I had very little idea of remaining here (only came up for a visit to cousin Jesse’s) for tho’ cousin A[nne] proposed to me to come [struck-through] join her when she first took the house I could not make up my mind to come so far from C[harles]. & felt nervous at making a move. I need not say there is every

                                          here

thing to make if more agre[e]able to me ^ but the ground strongest ^ for deciding me to remain was that I might put Willy to [struck-through] with a male teacher You know Miss Margaret said a year ago he ought to go to a man. As soon as I concluded to remain here I wrote to cousin Fenella and ask her to return your mattress & chair to Betty Roper which I suppose was what you wished me to do. Perhaps I should have written to you first to know what you desired about but I did not think of that & C[harles] agreed with me that as you had left your things in Betty’s charge I had better send them to her. I begin to think cousin Fenella did not get my letter so if you prefer their remaining there please write & tell me at once. I thank you very much for the comfort I had in them. Charles wrote me yesterday Your children had the whooping cough I am truly sorry to hear it for it is a