Thursday Dec 7th 48
My dear Sister,
I was very glad to receive your
letter last evening – The violent wind of Friday
night prevented my sleep – I feared some
accident on the river – but as no such news
came by Telegraph the next day, I concluded
my fears were groundless – My courage would
not have been equal to crossing the East River
Saturday morning – I supposed the storm would
compel you to stay in New York – The Telegraph
message which we sent to Henry reached him
in a form so mutilated that he did not
know when you were to be in New York –
and wrote immediately to enquire – His argument
occupied him until Saturday – Monday he
went to Washington where he will be detained
until perhaps two weeks – I have written to him
there – He will visit you on his return – some
time before Christmas – Should you be deficient
in money before that time – he wishes you
to write to him at Colemans Hotel – Washington –

[top Margin] Fanny talks much about
Aunty –

I feared you would find difficulty in obtaining com-
fortable lodgings – It is a great discomfort to
be confined to such close quarters – Your
account of Dr Vanderveer has excited
my curiosity – it seems to me there must
be something extraordinary about the man
from all I hear – We have not had one day
of tolerable weather since you left wind,
hail, snow, and rain have followed each
other in rapid succession – not a [ glam ]
of Sunshine – Henry writes of summer skies
at Baltimore and you talk of roses at
Flatbush – I am thankful that Mr Mc-
Gregor has made us a good coal furnace
whereby we will be able to keep warm
in the house while these dark skies forbid
any egress into the open air – Mr McGregor
left us Tuesday afternoon—Henrys room
is closed and Clarence again studies in
the office – Frederick continues to read
morning noon and night to Grandpa
My time is divided between the nursery
Grandpa's room the dining room and
kitchen – the latter just now claiming an
unusual share – Yesterday morning I was made

happy by a letter from my soldier boy – He
wrote the 9^th of November having reached fort
Towson – They went nearly the whole way
on foot – 160 miles on the White River
(which appears to me directly ^out^ of the way)
and twenty days marching – They encamped
at Rock Roe three days and about
the same time at Little Rock –To Towson
where future letters are to be delivered in the midst
of the Choctaw Nation – Augustus has
as yet received none of my letters
sent to F^t Smith – Of course he knows
nothing of the application for furlough –
Seems to be well and in good spirits –
I have not seen an individual since
you left except Mrs Watrous who
spent an hour with me – Now
I have a long story about girls – Abbey
refusing to sleep with Eliza I sent her
to her mother who came up the next
day – I made your two propositions
about Eliza – The first to take her until
18 she would not listen to at all – as she
seemed to calculate upon Eliza's services
herself and her new Irish Husband has
advised her to keep her at home – (I suppose

until he should see fit to quarrel and turn her out
doors) —— I then told her you would take
her one year allowing her 4^d per week –
was this what you said? – I told Ann
she might let me know her decision the
next day – I believe I made her understand
that she did wrong to ask you to pay Eliza
5^d a week because I had given it to her
as a particular favor – She wished me
to write to you and say that she was
wrong – She appeared so entirely different
the day she came to see me from the day
previous that I think she was either under
the influence of strong drink or passion –
As I never heard that she drank I suppose
it must have been the latter – I told her
you would not take Eliza for less than a
year – The next question was how was
Eliza to be disposed of for the present – "You
will send her to her Aunt" said I – "Oh no" said
Ann "I cannot send her there for less than $5" –
"Why did you tell me she could stay there" –
"Oh because I thought Mrs Worden had no place
for her in Canandaigua" – This I know was
not true – but I could obtain no more sat-
isfactory reason – She then said she must
try to find some place for her to board –
I thought this would not do & told her I would
try to get Mrs McHale to take her until I could
hear from you – The next day Eliza came
early to say that her mother has concluded to
let her go with Mrs Worden for a year –
I then went down to Aunt Clara who said

[right Margin] 1848