Washington Feby. 14. 1839.
You will dismiss all further anxiety
about the health of your absent husband,
my dear Wife, when I inform you that
I walked to the House-booted -- today, &
after sitting there six hours have retur-
ned to my lodgings safe and sound. I
dismissed my tea dinner today, and I
need not add that I am going on very
well. The utmost caution I know is ne-
cessary to avoid a relapse, and I hope
I shall be able to exercise it, for I am
sensible that if I should be attacked
again, it [pr?] is not probable I should
be so quickly and easily relieved. I pro-
mise you that "I'll try".
I called on the President this
morn-
ing with Dr.
Colledge, and we found
his Excellency very gracious, as he is to
all, and very agreable. What a
si-
ngular fortune, to carry that man to the
highest offices & honors in this Country --
to the Palace -- a man who never said
any thing which was worth repeating,
this night, would leave nothing to which
one could refer to prove his greatness.
He is not a great man. He has no
pretensions to the character. He is
great [in?] distinguished for cunning -- management --
a very sagacious man. Strange -- that
truly great men will continue to waste their
strength in striving for the mere distinctions
of office, instead of that fame, which follows &
is the reward of truly great deeds.
There has been a very animated
& interesting debate in the House today
a-
bout Commodore Elliot,
and the Navy.
The Commodore has been attacked very
severely. On the subject of dispensing with
the Board of Navy Commiss,
Mr. Adams
made a very able speech. He is a very
extraordinary man. If he would only
come out on such subjects & speak as he
has today, there would be scarcely any
limits to his influence.
You can't conceive of more delight-
ful weather than this day & yesterday.
It is like our very fine autumnal
weather. If it continues, the grass will very
soon be green in the spacious grounds a-
round the Capitol.
Merrill
writes that
Salem is perfectly quiet --
"no gaiety -- no society". So is
Washington,
for ought any thing that falls to my lot.
There are jams however. The President
has no evening levees. I looked at the fa-
mous "East room" this morning. It is a
very spacious & elegant apartment. Some
of the furniture is rich and magnificent,
but on the whole, it did not suit my taste,
& of course, I thought there was a want
of taste in [some?] parts of the
furniture. The House
is very beautiful -- but there is a dreary
desolateness about it. The large entries &
some rooms are empty -- almost -- having
scarcely any furniture in them.
This is the last of my bulletins. You
may strike me off of the sick list -- so don't
be disappointed, if you do not hear
from me daily. I have much to do to
bring up arrearages, before I quit. I will
write as often as I can & think of you
&
I recd Ann's letter of Sunday last
evng.
My letter of Tuesday mentioning my
indisposition could not have been received.
I am glad the little boys were pleased
with my letters. Dear little Will. There
is no one at home, who is more vividly
before me than he is.