University of Virginia Library

LETTER LVI.

The house sat last night until a very late hour. Some
gentlemen—a party of medical students, I presume—during
my absence, called at the Union tavern, on their way to Alexandria,
and informed my servant that they had left you very
ill in Philadelphia, on Sunday morning. I hope, my son, that
it may be an exaggeration of the information contained in
your last letter. But should this, unhappily, not be the case, I
beg that you will employ the pen of our friend Thomas Murray,
to let me know your real situation.