 | Letters of Mrs. Adams, |  |
TO MRS. SMITH.
I received your letter by Mr. Pintard. Two articles
we are much distressed for; the one is bells,
but the more important one is wood. Yet you cannot
see wood for trees. No arrangement has been made,
but by promises never performed, to supply the newcomers
with fuel. Of the promises Briesler had
received his full share. He had procured nine cords
of wood; between six and seven of that was kindly
burnt up to dry the walls of the house, which ought
to have been done by the commissioners, but which,
if left to them, would have remained undone to this
day. Congress poured in, but shiver, shiver. No
woodcutters nor carters to be had at any rate. We
are now indebted to a Pennsylvania waggon to bring
us, through the first clerk in the Treasury Office, one
cord and a half of wood, which is all we have for
this house, where twelve fires are constantly required,
and where, we are told, the roads will soon be so
bad that it cannot be drawn. Briesler procured two
hundred bushels of coals or we must have suffered.
This is the situation of almost every person. The
public officers have sent to Philadelphia for woodcutters
and waggons.
You will read in the answer of the House to the
President's Speech a full and explicit approbation of
to his utmost expectations; this passed without an
amendment or any debate or squabble, and has just
now been delivered by the House in a body. The
vessel which has my clothes and other matters is not
arrived. The ladies are impatient for a drawing-room;
I have no looking-glasses but dwarfs for this
house; nor a twentieth part lamps enough to light it.
Many things were stolen, many more broken, by the
removal; amongst the number, my tea china is more
than half missing. Georgetown affords nothing. My
rooms are very pleasant and warm whilst the doors
of the hall are closed.
You can scarce believe that here in this wilderness
city, I should find my time so occupied as it is. My
visiters, some of them, come three and four miles.
The return of one of them is the work of one day;
most of the ladies reside in Georgetown or in scattered
parts of the city at two and three miles distance.
Mrs. Otis, my nearest neighbour, is at lodgings almost
half a mile from me; Mrs. Senator Otis, two miles.
We have all been very well as yet; if we can by
any means get wood, we shall not let our fires go
out, but it is at a price indeed; from four dollars it
has risen to nine. Some say it will fall, but there
must be more industry than is to be found here to
bring half enough to the market for the consumption
of the inhabitants.
With kind remembrance to all friends
| Letters of Mrs. Adams, | |