I received your Letter by mr Roberdeau who with our son and young mr Quincy came out and dinned with me to day.1 I was pleased to see a son of your old Friend and acquaintance for whom you have so often expresd a Regard; as well as the agreeable Husband of miss Blair that was; we had much conversation about my acquaintances in Philadelphia, many of whom he could give me a particular account of. we past a very pleasent day. I once or twice last summer exprest an anxiety at not hearing from Thomas so often as I wishd: I recollect you askd me, if I was equally anxious about you when absent my days of anxiety have indeed been many & painfull in years past; when I had many terrors that encompassed me 373around I have happily Surmounted them, but I do not find that I am less solicitious to hear constantly from you than in times of more danger, and I look for every saturday as a day on which I am to receive a Boon. I have received a Letter every week since you left me, and by this days post two—one of the 28 & one of the 29th decbr—for which receive my thanks, particularly that part in which you say you are not less anxious to see me than when seperated 20 years ago—2 Years subdue the ardour of passion but in lieu thereof a Friendship and affection deep Rooted subsists which defies the Ravages of Time, and will survive whilst the vital Flame exists. our attachment to Character Reputation & Fame increase I believe with our Years. I received the papers National Gazzet and all I see the dissapointed Electors wish to excuse their vote by Representations respecting you, that prove them to have been duped and deceived, while the Antis fly of assureing the publick that the Monarchy Men, & the Aristocracy have become quite harmless.3 if so it is to be hoped that their hue & cry will subside— present me kindly to all the good Ladies who favour me by their inquiries after my Health. it is better than the last winter tho very few days pass in which I can say that I feel really well.

I have not heard any thing of the Chaise since you wrote me that it was left at Harford I believe it will not reach Home till spring. the Narrow Ro[ad] to the water have been so blockd up with snow that shaw has not been able to get up any sea weed lately: he attempted it but could not succeed, & the ground has been bare in the Road The Timber for the corn House is all cut & part of it got home, one day more will compleat it. Faxon was going this last week to the Ceadar Swamp it being now a fine time but very unfortunatly a Man on the Road near it, broke out with the small Pox & refused to be moved so that he cannot go. we have not had any sleding in the Road this winter yet the Ground has been pretty much coverd with a thin snow & Ice, the weather in General very cold. Hay is fallen I am told to 4 & 6 pence pr hundred. Grain still holds its price, superfine flower 7 dollors pr Barrel oats 3 shillings pr Bushel. I have not had occasion yet to purchase. my Horses are so little used that they are high Spirited enough with 8 quarts a day. James takes very good care of them. I do not regreet your parting with the others. one pr are sufficient here, and a good able Farm Horse will do us more service & be much more prudent for us. I hope you live prudent enough now for the most Rebublican spirit of them all. from the debates there appears a jealous carping ill naturd spirit 374subsisting and a great desire to crush the Secretary of the Treasury & the minister of War

you was right, the chief Majestrate denies his having given permission to the Mobility to pull down the Theater. His Prime minister under the signature of a Friend to Peace, has undertaken to defend his whole conduct, whilst a writer under the signature of Menander defends his fellow citizens, to say no more like an able counsel these Peices you will find in the Centinal of december 19 22 & 26th those of the 19 & 22th are written in a masterly stile.

Your Friends here are all well excepting Brother Cranch who has had a very ill Turn. I fear he will not tarry long with us.

I am my dear Husband with the tenderest Regard and attachment your affectionate

I am somewhat surprized by the information given in your letter of the 23d: Decr: viz. that you have not received a single line from me since my Father left you.1 Certainly there must have been some fault in the Post Office, or some person who has taken the letters therefrom has neglected to deliver them. I wrote the first week after my Fathers arrival, informing you of several circumstances relative to his determination of residing at Mr. Otis's— I wrote an other letter upon a different subject a few days after, and there has been ample time for their reaching you before the date of your letter. I hope you have before this received them—2 I rejoice with you at the unanimity that has appeared in the late Election— It seems something extraordinary that the two Candidates should be supported in different 375States with so much apparent spirit. Nine States nearly unanimous for one and five for the other. You are misinformed as it respects Pennsylvania—there was but one vote for Clinton all the rest being unanimous; this vote was given him from motives of personal Friendship as well as private interest; the point of Federal, or Anti—seems not to have been considered, for the man who gave it is warmly Fedl:— South-Carrolina cast a reflection which will be sensibly felt by Burr in giving him one vote, which was known to be confered for no other reason than that it might be lost. The Election is great, we have now only to wish that the People may be generous or rather just. Our Finances are at present much deranged—however you feel it more than I do— The final decission of the Treasury cut off more than 700 Dollars—

Tomorrow is the day fixed by Mr: Blanchard for his 45th: Flight in the Balloon from the Jail yard— He intends if wind and weather permit to dine in N-York. It excites you may suppose the curiosity & astonishment of all us novices in such spectacles—mine however is reduced to a Philosophical indifference almost bordering on Stoicism; I shall never the less, gaze like other simple ones at the painted baubles, without deriving either amusement or instruction from the experiment.3 As to Congress—I give every one that ask the same answer, that I scarcely think them worth my notice, I certainly have not thought them worth my personal attention as yet—they have become much less consequential as a public body since they have made every body rich & happy, except the V—— P——, and unless they create business for themselves—their sessions will or ought to be very short in future. However they have not yet done all, and instead of a disposition to do more the spirit of undoing seems to be gaining ground— You will have from Massachusetts a good Representation for the next Congress—but ours has little to boast in point of splendor, or genius.

I shall attend to your request concerning the Museum as soon as I have cash enough to pay for the binding &ca: There is no Register published that I hear of— I have not been able to procure the Books for which Cousin L—— Cranch wrote me.4 I ought to address her in person, but I hope she will remember I never was vastly polite. My regard for her & all the family however shall not diminish by separation. As to visiting Massachusetts next Summer, nothing but necessity such as an Ague would impose, will suffer me to hope it. My time will be too precious I fear at that time to devote to amusement. Your absence this Winter from the gay circles is much comented in 376words—doubtless by many in reality. I am very little troubled with those insipid invitations which used to waste more time & health than they ever aforded amusement, but still a sufficiency of those which I deem more flattering as I have the vanity to think my company is desired.

My best love to all friends, both in-doors and out, and belive me truly affectionate