University of Virginia Library

LETTER CLV.

I have no expectation, my dear Theodore, that this will
find you at home—but, as my last letter from Georgetown
may have miscarried, although yours to me have arrived
very regularly for the last four or five weeks, I write, in
case of accidents, to apprize you that I have got thus far on
my way home, and that, (God willing,) I shall be at Prince
Edward Court, on Monday next. I had prepared to set out
to-day, but the weather deters me. It is now snowing.

No mitigation of my cruel symptoms took place until the
third day of my journey, when I threw physic to the dogs;
and, instead of opium, tincture of columbo, hypercarbonate
of soda, &c. &c., I drank, in defiance of my physician's
prescription, copiously of cold spring water, and ate plentifully
of ice. Since that change of regimen, my strength has
increased astonishingly; and I have even gained some flesh,
or rather skin. The first day, Wednesday the 5th, I could
travel no farther than Alexandria. At Dumfries, where I
lay, but slept not on Thursday night, I had nearly given up
the ghost. At a spring, five miles on this side, after crossing
Chappawamsick, I took, upon an empty and sick stomach,
upwards of a pint of living water, unmixed with Madeira,

which I have not tasted since. It was the first thing that I
had taken into my stomach since the first of February that
did not produce nausea. It acted like a charm, and enabled
me to get on to B's. that night, where I procured ice. I
also devoured with impunity a large pippin, (forbidden fruit
to me.) Next day I got to the Oaks, forty-two miles. Here
I was more unwell than the night before. On Sunday morning,
I reached my friends, Messrs. A. & Co., to breakfast
at half past eight.

Old Dr. F., whom I saw in Frederickburg, while my
horses were baiting, begged to be most particularly remembered
to you. The old man spoke of you with a warmth
of approbation that highly gratified me. Mr. W. made the
most affectionate inquiries after you. He knew, he said, my
complaint and constitution, having been a martyr to it (dyspepsia)
himself, but now cured. He begged me to consider
water as poison to me.

Mr. and Mrs. C., Dr. and Mrs. B., and Mrs. B., with
whom I spent the morning, yesterday, made friendly inquiries
about you. So did Mrs. W., who is, "as ladies like
to be, who love their lords;" and will present him in a very
short time with a chopping boy or girl, perhaps both.

Adieu, my dear Theodore.