It is now past Ten oClock Am. and a violent Snow Storm which began about 7 oClock this Morning still continues, the Thermometer stands at. 32. and has not been much lower in any Snow Storm We have had in the Winter past— Our Winter has been severe, the Month of March cold & stormy, April hitherto has been a continuation of the Scene, but Two or Three Days of fair Weather thro the 512 Day, since its Commencement. Our Progress in Farming & out Door Business has been greatly retarded— the Earth is filld with Water— if Warm Weather should come on, Vegetation will be very rapid— Had not the Weather & other unavoidable Hindrinces prevented—I should have had the proposed Building raised & covered before this Time— The Frame is ready for raising, Windows already made, & the necessary Stuff upon the Spot— the Building will be more expensive than I imagined, but will I hope embrace all Your Views— Poor Soule was taken sick the very Day I engaged him & has been confind ever since, which has been much Trouble to Mrs. Porter— at first he was attacked (as I was informed by dr Phipps) with the Bilious Cholic, it was several Days before his Bowells could be opend, after this a Losness with Pains in his Bowells similar to the Dysentery came on & continued for 7 or 8 Days, attended with a Fever, next a Constipation of his Bowells ensued with severe Pain— I have visited him with Dr. Phipps for some Days past and find that his Bowells are deeply obstructed, and I think there is much Danger of his falling into a Dropsical State, unless a Mortification should end the Scene sooner. His Brother at present supplies his Place on the Farm— Mr. Lane began Yesterday Morning to paint the Rooms, having waited a considerable Time for a dry Season for the Purpose—

I am fully in Opinion with You, That You could not have found any Couple that would have suited you better than Porter & his Wife, they are both highly valuable—and ought to receive every Encouragement— We cannot think that it would be for your Interest to hire Tirrell by the Month, nor indeed at any Time more than what absolute Necessity may require— Hitherto but little wuld be done in the Garden, the Ground being too Wet & heavy— Stutson has put the Strawberry Beds in order, and we shall get on with Gardening as fast as possible—

Yours of the 29 & 30th Ulto. I recd. last Week,1 at the latter End of which the Communications of the Presidents Instructions to our Envoys and their Dispatches reach’d us; There is not a candid Mind in America, but must allow, That the President has done all that is incumbent upon him, to produce a Reconciliation & Intercourse with the French Government and all such I think must allow that our Envoys, have submitted to a Mortification, that nothing but a Desire of Peace, would have sufferd them to have endured, and all such must also allow that the Directory and their under workmen 513 have acted like themselves In short, it appears to me, That there is not a Person in whom a spark of Honesty remains, tho heretofore misinformed & misguided, who will not be convincd by these Communications, and I hope converted— but there is a Class of People, Slaves to Vice & Corruption, that will Still persist, in refusing all Light & pursue their vile Purposes, even if possible to the Destruction of their Country—

It may be fortunate for us, that Money, Money was demanded our Countrymen will be awake at this Cry and stare not a little.

I have not said half I wishd to have utterd but I must break off and only add, That I feel much for the President and pray God to guide him by his Wisdom, guard him by his Providence and enable him to steer our Political Vessell safe amidst all the Storms & Tempests that attack her—

Sukey is verging towards the close of Life and will I trust make a hapy Exit—

Yours Affectionately

I have read the dispatches from the Envoys with as much astonishment as the Jacobins in congress heard them but not with those twinges of conscience which some of them must feel. those who by their false representations to that nation of the designs of the Government here & the spirit of the People in General, those who have known the truth & have ly’d to the publick, those who have been all the Session abuseing the President in & out of the House— I envy not the feelings of the Vs. President—

I Question whether there will be a man in the united States who will not read them, & mr Otis exellent well tim’d Letter to Gen: Heath being printed in the Same paper will get read also—1 Dochester makes a Scrub figuer with their Petition & the article upon which they acted worded as it was in the warrent has afforded a Subject for much ridicule. I Charge the observations upon it in the centinal to mr [Otiss brevade?] & Suppose I am right. the Cobler is 514 williard Baxter. the Coll you know the Deacon mr How.2 the Abington Specimen of folly tho handsomly worded, is said to be the product of Parson Niles.3 but Shame will be the Portion of them all— I am told that the People who were against arming are now for fighting them wherever they can meet with a Frenchman— So true is the concluding Sentence of mr Hopkin’s observations in the Pamphlit you was So kind as to send Mr cranch, & for which he thanks you.

It will be seen that the american Spirit can yet be rous’d nothing could be better calculated to awake them from their political Slumber than the insolent demand of Talarand & the Directory for their money. the Sound of their dollars pouring into French Coffers is greatly Superior to any marchal Musick Tis curious to observe that, the British Treaty is not amonge their list of complaints & here all their depradations were ascrib’d to it

I inclose a Letter from Doctor Tufts— I went yesterday to see mr Soule, & found him much better. I think if he is careful he may recover your building was raising the paint on your rooms looks very well but he went away without doing your lower closet Floor notwithstanding I charg’d the Painter to do it. it was night before he had done the other parts & he wanted to return. he may be wanted to do more then he must do it. I was quite vex’d about it, because it ought to be well dry. your Bacon is brought home mrs Porter had boil’d a Shoulder of it & I think I never Saw better—

I have got a fine parcel of Garden Seeds for you & hope to see you abound in vegitables. but as yet it has been So cold & for a week So like winter that no Gardening could be done to advantage this day is a fine one but it will take many Such to warm the [groun]d

I find mrs Quincy had a complication of dissorders. she [had] been some time unwell but keept about house & was so well [. . . .] be with her Daughter when She was ill. mrs Dowsse was also very Sick at the same time in the house; & mrs Quincy did not attend to herself as she ought. but her dessorder Suddenly put on the appearence of a dropsey & she Sunk away instantly almost—

we are all as well as usual, & our children—

I must write a few lines to washington, & I am going to see Miss Paine this morning. So Must be brief. I hope to get a Letter from you tomorrow, & will write again by Mondays Mail. I wish Cousen Louissa would make a little drapery gown out of a pice of old 515 Linnen that we may form an Idea of it, & send me a pattern of one large enough for her & a pattern of a cap Such as I ought to wear. Cousen carried all hers Fashions to atkinson with her. a Hankerchief pattern also—

Love to all Friend from your ever affectionate sister