11

a change. He looks feeble and is in a nervous state. Tootee dear we have neither
of us appreciated your Aunt Mary's character. She is truly a devoted
wife to your uncle. In fact should he now love her - I do no know how he could
exist. She is never one moment idle - no fussing- but seems never to forgo a
single duty. An admirable house keeper and manager. Always cheerful
but I feel that I cannot do justice to her merits & will proceed to tell you
what we have been after since Sunday last. I try to write so that
you shall hear from me every Sunday. Last Sunday eve of course
all went to church morning and evening. I find it hard now to keep
a correct run of the days. Mary expected Lord on the 7th and invited company
to her & which is drark(sic) here 6 o'clock. Mr. & Mrs. & Miss Gregory
Mrs Cushing & daughter. After tea Mr Longnecker (who is here every evening)
on the violin - we had some delightful music and in fact a most
pleasant evening party. Mary & your sisters are horror stricken
at my short dresses, so I have been kept very busy letting down
not only dresses but petticoats - this is no little annoyance to me - I
can scarcely walk in these long dresses. So they tell me I must
take shorter steps. Upon my word it is hard for a gray headed woman
to be beginning to learn how to walk again. Do you see
the condition of this letter? Can't you guess how this this happened?
That fool of a [Rhiner?] was talking to the old dutch gardener. She had
got him to change her some money - he brought her an old penny which
she objected to- he said "tis was hard times monies" She said I don't
want any of your hard times talk". Their negro & dutch
lingo sounded so queer I "bust" out laughing. & you see the
consequences - On Thursday evening Mary Georgia & myself
made several calls - & also visited the cemetery - where they "stack"
away the Dutch. It was to me distressing to see the rows of new made
graves. This is considered a very healthy town but with 5,000 inhabitants
I should not have wondered at the number who die
& yet it is a rapidly increasing place - Yesterday evening we rode

a change. He looks feeble and is in a nervous state. Tootee dear we have neither
of us appreciated your Aunt Mary's character. She is truly a devoted
wife to your uncle. In fact should he now love her - I do no know how he could
exist. She is never one moment idle - no fussing- but seems never to forgo a
single duty. An admirable house keeper and manager. Always cheerful
but I feel that I cannot do justice to her merits & will proceed to tell you
what we have been after since Sunday last. I try to write so that
you shall hear from me every Sunday. Last Sunday eve of course
all went to church morning and evening. I find it hard now to keep
a correct run of the days. Mary expected Lord on the 7th and invited company
to her & which is drark(sic) here 6 o'clock. Mr. & Mrs. & Miss Gregory
Mrs Cushing & daughter. After tea Mr Longnecker (who is here every evening)
on the violin - we had some delightful music and in fact a most
pleasant evening party. Mary & your sisters are horror stricken
at my short dresses, so I have been kept very busy letting down
not only dresses but petticoats - this is no little annoyance to me - I
can scarcely walk in these long dresses. So they tell me I must
take shorter steps. Upon my word it is hard for a gray headed woman
to be beginning to learn how to walk again. Do you see
the condition of this letter? Can't you guess how this this happened?
That fool of a [Rhiner?] was talking to the old dutch gardener. She had
got him to change her some money - he brought her an old penny which
she objected to- he said "tis was hard times monies" She said I don't
want any of your hard times talk". Their negro & dutch
lingo sounded so queer I "bust" out laughing. & you see the
consequences - On Thursday evening Mary Georgia & myself
made several calls - & also visited the cemetery - where they "stack"
away the Dutch. It was to me distressing to see the rows of new made
graves. This is considered a very healthy town but with 5,000 inhabitants
I should not have wondered at the number who die
& yet it is a rapidly increasing place - Yesterday evening we rode