I last week receiv'd your kind Letter of the 9th of this month & rejoice to here that you are all in so much beter health than when you wrote before. I feel more pleasure at the thought of seeing you here in the Spring than I dare venture to indulge I past by your House this afternoon & the thought of seeing it again inhabited by my dear Brother & Sister gave a chearfulness to its appearence which it has not had since you left it—& beleive me my sister Joy & sorrow are so nearly alli'd in thier effects that some of the few tears which remain'd unsshed at your departure forc'd themselves from my Eyes.

every thing in your house is I believe in good order Lucy goes after every Storm & with the Boy or Girl sweeps out the Snow & whatever she finds necessary— she will send you an inventory of what things [you] have in the house that you may know what you will want & what to direct to have purchaised for you some things I can lend you—

As to help I think I can do much better for you than to get mr Tyrrel— he is not a good man & has a miserable poor Family too near for your profit There is a Negro man & his wife who have made Phebes house there home when they were not out at work for these nine months. They both were hir'd by your Brother Adams last summer the man as a Farmer & his wife as a spinner. He speaks well of them & Phebe gives them a good character She wash'd for me last summer & was with me some time as a spinner they have been hir'd servants to some of the genteelest Familys in the other states The man came from Guinea when a child & was bought by a man in connetiut who had no children & was so good to him that he gave him an education like a child— he can write & cypher &c She says she understands cooking She was born at Long Island. They appear to be very honest & good temper'd I have never heard a word amiss of them from any one they have had four children but they were dead born I have talk'd with Doctor Tufts about them—& we both think you cannot do better than to take them both if you want a servant of both sex's. They will not be above their Business nor will they have such a train after them as if you were to get servants who have connections here I have told them that I would not have them ingage themselves untill I could hear from you

Cousin John will be with you I hope as soon as this Letter— then prehaps you may perceive who the profile was taken for which you could not find out it cannot be so good a likeness as the others or you would have discover'd it; we thought it a good likness The one you desire will be tried for we have one of you which I think is very much like you except the nose & [. . .] he had forgot

Betsy was here yesterday & tells me Richard can run alone, he is but ten months old, Sister Shaw says she has not set her little Girl upon her Feet yet. Tis such a rarity that they are as ch[. . .] of it as if they had never had one before

remember me kindly to mr Adams & all my Cousins I have written to mrs Smith by my nephew—1

Yours affectionately

Mrs Washington, presents her compliments to Mrs Adams,— if it is agreable to her, to Let miss smith come to dance with nelly & Washington, the master1 attends mondays wednesdays and Frydays at five oclock in the evenings— Mrs Washington will be very happy to see miss smith

I received your kind Letter of Janry 7th by my son. in replie to the Buisness part, I think upon reflection and to save trouble, I would wish you to Loan my Notes as Trustee to me. I as well as many 185other should have liked the system of Finnance much better if the Faith pledged had been literally fullfilld; by the payment of Six pr ct interest, then let the new Loan have been fill'd at 4 or 3. the National Honour would have stood much fairer with all honest Men, and tho some individuals might have accumulated great fortunes by it, I think it would have circulated & spread abroad with more satisfaction than it will Curtaild, and part deffered as it now stands, but having been accepted & agreed to by the Government it is best to abide by it.1

you will Learn by the publick papers that mr Madison is come forward with all his powers, in opposition to the Bank it is difficult for the world in general to discover why a wise Man or rather so Learned a Man can take up such opinions as he has, and defend them so earnestly, but there are some who can see further through’ a mill stone than others to whom mr Madisons designs are not so impenetrable, but there remains not a doubt but that the Bill will pass the House by a considerable majority.2 Congress will rise in march, and have I hope a long recess. we propose visiting Braintree as soon as the Roads will permit and if you have not shipd the Beaf and Tongues I would have them reserved for my use there, but then I shall want only one Barrell. pork I suppose I can buy. Hams I would be glad to employ mr Foster to get for me, say one dozen I never eat finer than those which he procured for me last year

upon the subject of visits which you mention, for a publick Character like the Presidents & his Ladies I do not know how they could be visited in any other way than they are, consistant with the Rank they hold. on twesday from 3 to four the President has a Levee, when strangers are introduced Members of the House of commons & the other House visit him Such of the inhabitants as chuse attend. this is no more than going an hour upon the exchange an hour in Boston or Else where on thursdays he usually gives a dinner and a very handsome one too, to such company as he invites previously, and they are always properly chosen; on fryday Evenings mrs washington has a drawing Room which is usually very full of the well Born and well Bred. Some times it is as full as her Britanick majesties Room, & with quite as Handsome Ladies, and as polite courtiers. here the company are entertaind with Coffe Tea cake Ice creams Lemonade &c they chat with each other walk about, fine Ladies shew themselves, and as candle Light is a great improver of Beauty, they appear to great advantage; this shew lasts from seven, till Nine oclock comeing & going during those hours, as it is not 186Etiquette for any person to stay Long. on other days any Lady who is in habits of intimacy may visit mrs washington with the same freedom & take Tea with her as unceremoniously as my good Aunt, your Lady will with me, when I return to Braintree, as I hope. with regard to my Ladyship, your Honours Neice it is most certainly true, that she would be very happy to See an entertain ten persons where She now does one, if her good Friends would have enabled her so to do, but as they have not she gives of such as she has with a hearty good will and be sure in as smart a manner as she can afford it is not very often that she has the pleasure. as to visits many must be of the ceremonious kind, but then there is this satisfaction that one can make 20 in a forenoon— I accept no invitation nor my Family for saturday Evening & make no sunday visits. Sometimes a Friend or intimate acquaintance will dine on sundays with us, but no invitations for that day— my dear sir I Look forward to the Spring with much pleasure as I have the prospect of seeing you then and the rest of my Friends. at present my Family are all well my three sons with me, and the Chief Justice of the united states makes this House his home during the sitting of the Court.3

Remember me kindly to all my connections and be assured my dear sir that I am with / Sentiments of esteem and affection / Yours