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Your very interesting letter came safely
to hand and I expected to reply to it by last mail but was
prevented from so doing and must now do what I have
so long neglected doing. But first to our busineſs: a letter
of Mrs. Carrs arrived by the same mail that yours did
and that has all been attended to; a draft has been for-
warded to her for $75 on your aſc in payment of your
bill with her for the last half of your last seſsion with her
as boarder &c. No doubt the bill is all correct. You
are charged with wood also — but credited only by $20.
This renders it neceſsary to curtail my remittance to you and therefore enclosed you have one draft for $75
being as much as I could well remit you at present. I
hope it may answer your purposes for the present.
The draft will paſs for money with any accommodating
merchant who has opportunities to present it.

I had to draw yesterday on my merchant for $75 for Mrs.
Carr & for $308.13 in favor of the New Market merchants, so
you see this is going it right hard. Though I send you
a small amt this time I hope you will apply it to your
little outstanding debts at once and I will give another and I hope a better lift as soon as poſsible, if needed.
I take the liberty of repeating it, apply it at once. Rather
than be in debt to any man I would pay him every

three cent piece I could fairly get hold of until the whole
was liquidated; moreover people will complain when
put off too long. I use this language here not for your
benefit but for mine, just to show you my abhorrence of
too long protracted debts. My Father is the only man I
cant keep even with, he will keep me in debt to him
and I fear it will be so at his death, though I shall
make every effort to become clear of debt even to him.
Now, dont you turn upon me and say, 'brother, where is
my rent money' — remember that is due 1 Jany. 1857
but I expect to pay the whole of it before that time
if needed by you.

I paid Henry Felix $3.77 for you. The poor fellow has been
entirely broken up by being presented at court for sell-
ing spirits. A very good thing, though I was sorry
for him for he was under the impreſsion that D. Cabell had
procured a licence with the money which he had given
him, but which afterwards proved not to be enough &
licence was not procured. He was presented by Eubanks
(who, I believe, voted for license, but) who very recently
lost a valuable carpenter by this rotten stuff of "Sternes
& Brummels." Fellow drank himself to death — when turn-
ed over in the road not leſs than 1 qt. of brandy
poured from his mouth. Many negros have been killed by
it in this county. There is no doubt about its being
poisonous. I expect the court will let Felix off with the
fine. Every thing he owned belonged to my Father &
Mr Brown; so, rather than have him sold out by others
they moved the contents of his store to Shipman & Cabells.

You make some enquiry about Davy in your last letter; he is
now quite sick I believe on account of being too imprudent
in eating directly after his spell. I fear this relapse will
go hard with him. You know he always had a good
appetite and since his fever and long abstinence from food
you can judge how he commenced in this line when he
was able to get out. I sincerely hope he will not be
as sick, as he has been, from this late imprudence.

We are having now the most tremendous rain which
will help our Tobacco and corn very much. Both of mine
want help. My wheat will average fully 8 b to 1b sowed.
Ask Uncle Wood if his crop averaged as well. I will
have a large crop of corn — but my highland corn
is much injured for want of rain. Tell him also that
I did not use 1 lb of guano on my land and never
have. My usual average is 10 b to 1 b sowed. My neigh-
bor, Mr Bruce McClelland sowed $300 worth of guano and
my average doubles his.

I am becoming more & more interested in farming and more
and more attached to my native county and to all those
whom I hold most dear just around me. The needle does
not tremble to the pole with more certainty than my heart beats
with love for the home of my birth and for those
whom I have lived with from my infancy up. And I
am glad to see that you cherish such feelings. Your
letter was deeply interesting to me — until you got to
"Matrimony" where you evidently exposed yourself. I hope
you will let me know, my dear brother, as soon as poſ-
sible what sad fate has befallen you. in this line.

[Description: 24-bit 300 dpi Detail of page 4 of autograph letter, signed, showing insertion written along right margin. ]

For heaven sake change your views on this subject and believe
that nothing will so conduce to your happineſs and peace
of mind than this! Come back with your licence and
take up your quarters with me and in leſs than one month
all your foolish notions on this score will be entirely gone.
If you want to "preserve your honor, preserve your property
and integrity" get married .

I expect you would slip your neck into the Hymeneal noose
with great promptneſs if you should get a good opportu-
nity.

Give much love to Henry; he is now a most respectable
man though his bridal carriage is broken.

Father went up to see sister last sunday — they were all quite
well there. Father is as busy as ever and I believe is now
putting an end to all buildings from home and I hope
soon to see him pay exclusive attention, so far as build-
ing is concerned, to "Norwood " Union Hill & "Collington."
This would be very well .

I have improved Norwood very much lately by cutting
out the trees and cleaning up. I insist upon it that the credit of cleaning up belongs exclusively to one — Bettie
Give much love to all at Roanoke — I would like to see
them all over here so much. Bettie is well and sends
much love also.

Write soon.