Washington Dec. 18- 1842
I have just returned from church, & how
can I employ this hour, better than by writing
to you, my dear wife? This day of rest -- and
which ought to be of sacred rest, comes to
me with as much relief here, as it ever did in any
place, at any period of my life. It is plea-
sant & profitable to withdraw from the
strife
of selfish passions which mar the worlds
six day's, and to commune with my
own heart -- & by reflexion & correspon-
dence with my family, in my own cham-
ber. It is pleasant & edifying also, to
go
up to the house of God, with our little
band, and to join in the devotions & to
lis-
ten to the words of truth, from a truly
good & pious man. I have never heard
Mr. Bulfinch preach better than he
has this Session. His sermon today was
on the passage "Whosoever is ashamed, &c." --
and it was very beautiful & very
impres-
sive. The poor, good man is to be shortly
married to a very fine & respectable
lady—as poor, & I hope, as good as
himself. I hope & trust that he who pro-
for their wants, will supply them with all
needful good things.
Mr. Henderson has not arrived. It
is
time he was here -- quite time, if he left
the
1st of Decr. as
Anna wrote was his
intention. I am anxious to hear from
Anna and of her safe arrival at
St.
Louis bay. She must have written, for
she is very good as to writing when [ . . . ] absent
from home. I rejoice that she was so well as
Julia wrote she was, & I hope,
& cannot
doubt, she will pass the winter pleasantly
& profitably. I forwarded Caro
Lucy's letter
to Julia & inclosed it in one from
myself,
which is much the same as writing to Anna,
directly.
Judge Dayton has gone home --
poor man, he went home on account of
the sickness of a child with the scarlet fever,
who died before his arrival. Others of his
children are sick -- I hope they may
be spared. Our mess is now full.
Mrs. Bayard & her daughters arrived
at 1/2 past 9 last evening. They were
detained 3 hours on the road (you know
how pleasant that is) from an accident
better. I have been told that Mary has
become quite religious. I hope it is so.
We shall see. They are all full of
enquiries about my family, & Mrs.
B. has much to say about "dear Anna"
of to to whom I think she is strongly & sincerely
attached. They will not probably want
to go into much company -- & it is is
well -- for I think they will not have to
resist much temptation, which you
know constitutes the great trial of life.
I see by the
Register of Thursday, that
all the locofoco electioneering strength is
to be brought to bear against me, & that
the whole force of falsehood -- misrepre-
sentation & blackguardism is to be
level-
led by malice against me. This is hard.
It is truly hard to be a candidate against
my will & then to be slandered & beat.
into It is embarrassing also to me, here.
I know that I am watched by hostile
eyes -- that every word I utter -- every
thing I do -- every step I take will
be noted & misrepresented, to find or
make matter of charge against me.
on the course of duty, & do and vote as I shall
think right, without any regard to its popularity.
I did think I had one thing valuable,
to leave to my children -- "a good name" -- which
is better than riches. I have been a candidate
for public office, from time to time for 30
years, & there never was an insinuation against
my private character. I was chosen Mayor
three years in succession & the two last, by an
almost unanimous vote, by my frien neigh-
bors-- and now, for miserable party purposes,
I must be a target, for the malicious to
aim their shafts at! Thank God they
cannot deprive me of the testimony of a
good conscience, nor of the esteem &
confi-
dence of my friends, & those whose good
opinion is really valuable. I wish I could
be excused from being a candidate. There
is not the slightest chance of my election. Ex-
cuse my egotistical letter -- & yet to whom
shd
I write about myself, if not to you, my
dear wife? The church bell calls me
to the afternoon services. I have dined, since I
began this letter. Mrs. B.
& daughters send messages
of love.