University of Virginia Library

Mr. Smith has just received your letter, and will no
doubt answer it himself, but as I ought to have written to you so
long ago I think I must at least answer it in part. I feel very
sorry to appear to be so negligent in not writing, and blame myself
I am sure as much as anyone else can do for allowing myself to procrastinate
from day to daythe performance of a duty so easy and so
pleasant to perform if only entered upon immediately. I think the
reason I am so apt to put off letter writing is that it is a thing
which does not enter into the daily routine of duties, and I am
tempted to delay it from day to day, because other things seem more
pressing at the moment, but when the time has insensibly slipped by,
and I look back to see why I have not written, I can easily see that
I have been greatly. Mr. Smith has been speaking of writing for a
week past, and I always think that he can tell you everything so
much more satisfactorily than I can, that I like to wait until a
different time.

Since the troublous times which you were witness to the
University seems to have subsided into more than its usual quiet,
and as far as I can see nothing seems to be thought of but studying.
I suppose you have heard of the fire which took place last Sunday
week near here, but as eventually no property was much injured except
that belonging to Mr. Morse the keeper of a grog shop, little
sympathy seemed to be felt by anyone. I hear however that he is raising
a subscription in Charlottesville to rebuild his shop, even getting
money from some poor free negroes, under the pretext of requiring
charity, while in reality he has become quite rich upon his ill
gotten gains, and will feel his loss slightly.

Yesterday Ma and I paid some visits in the country, and
among others to Mrs. Macon who will be quite a near neighbour of
yours. She and her daughters who is a very sweet girl expressed
great pleasure at the idea of your becoming a neighbour of theirs,
and hoped they would find you sociable. Mr. Robert Carter whom I
heard you speak of meeting, has met with a great affliction lately
in the death of his eldest child, a lovely little girl of seven
years of age. Her parents at first seemed utterly inconsolable, although
she seemed to be one of those unnaturally good children who
seem to belong more to heaven than earth, and in her last moments
gave evidence of her happy destination by forgetting her own intense
suffering in comforting them, telling them not to cry that she
was going to heaven to see Jesus and her little sisters who died
before. This affliction has however brought one blessing at least
with it, it has been the blessed means of reconciling the family to
Mr. Rives and Aunt Maria with whom they have had no friendly intercourse
for ten or twelve years past and I hope sincerely it will be
productive of continued good to them all. We were very sorry to see
in the Leesburg paper a notice of the death of Mr. Orr's child. I
recollect the little boy very well, and feel much sympathy for them.
You did not mention in the letter we received to-day when we might
hope to see you here again. I thought you intended to come out this
month, but Mr. Smith says you have put it off he believes until
February. I have been hoping that you would come about Christmas
time, and that being holiday time for every body, that you would be
able to spend more of your time with us. Mr. Smith talks somewhat of

of paying a short visit to New York at Christmas partly on business
and partly for pleasure, but I daresay when the time comes he
will decline the trip, for he cannot make up his mind to miss even
a few lectures. I must thank Howard for his last letter. I have by
no means forgotten the obligations I am under to both him and
Summerfield, but I hope they will not be ceremonious with me, but
write whenever they can. Tell Mother I am still expecting to hear
from her. I send enclosed the last piece to the cap. I hope she
found no difficulty about making it up. Mr. Smith is now at lecture,
but I have no doubt he will have something to say to you for himself
With much love to Yourself, Mother, and the boys I am