I design’d to have written you by the friday mail but on Wednsday mr Norton came over to attend Abdys funeral (he dy’d on monday) & brought a chaise to take me back to spend a few days at weymouth.1 mr cranch went that morning to Boston So I thought I would go & return as soon as he would. but I was caught in a Snow Storm the first of any value we have had— by it I lost my chance of writing to you as I did not return till last evening I found mrs N & children well. The Doctor & mrs Tufts were tempted by the fine weather too to go to Boston & were caught as I was & I met them last evening plowing home with their chaise it took them all day to 349 get home General Lovel married his last Daughter while I was at mr Nortons to a capn. Little of marshfield a very respectable wealthy man we all din’d their the day they were married but I shall say nothing about the splendid entertainment.2 mr Norton had a good Fee a five dollear Bill—the largest he ever had. They generally cheat him out of a quarter of a dollear—3

your Letter of December 12th I have receiv’d I am Sorry you have Set your heart So much upon mr Whitmans Setttlng here as I think he never will. I have written you that he gave his answer in the negative & his reasons. I think the opposition was not what determen’d him but the Sacrifice he must make of his property. his Friends & Neighbours advis’d him to decline as he could not Sell without doing it greatly under its value. he continus to preach here & will I suppose as long as we have a mind to hear him. but not with a view to Settling— mr ware was here lately & Saw mr whitneys answer to the Towns request.4 Says mr w totally mistook the meaning of the committe who waited upon him that notwithstanding his imprudence in that affair he is a very worthy man & wishes it was possible to reinstate him in the good oppinion of the People but thinks you can Scarcly forgive him. I told him tho’ you consider’d it as a great want of delicacy yet I was Sure you would overlook it & Set it down to want of consideration Sooner than any other person in town would do but I did not see how it was possible to bring him & the Town together again he had so grossly affronted them I am Sure I have never been half So Sorry for any ones refussing as I was for his & yet I Should have been contented & mr cranch too with others. mr Flint for his prudence if for nothing else. the President would have been pleas’d with mr whitney full as much as with mr whitman I am certain—but I hope there is yet Some choice Preacher in Store for us— mr mac-kean preach’d for us to day. he Speaks well, & gave us good Sermons I am glad we have him So near us—

I sent on to you for mr Black last week Letters to you & his Brother. they are very grateful to you for the interest you have taken in the poor Child. you have prevented their wishes, but mr willm Blacks conduct is very Suspicious I hope he will not injure the child. his Brother has no confidence in him—

Is coll’n Smith return’d has mrs Smith been with you I have written to sister Peabody as you desir’d but have not receiv’d an answer— I hope your health continues good. I miss you Sadly upon every account but I desire to be thankful that we are not Sick any of us this cold weather. I am concern’d about Phebe She is very unwell 350 & unable to do much towards her support. She seems to have a house full of Black & white about her whether they are of any advantage to her I do not know I design to have some talk with her. I have done what I could for her. wood seems to be as necessary for her as food. mr Porter carried her one load. the Town have found her some while her Husband liv’d.—

mr cranch Sends his Love. mr Norton & mrs Greenleaf their duty— mr welsh feels highly gratified by your remembrance of her & desires her respect by your ever affectionate Sister

I received Your Letters of December the 30 & Janry 1st 1 accept my thanks for them. the Letter inclosed for Mr Black, mr Brisler deliverd with his own Hand to him. he wept at receiving it. said he would write to his Brother. Mr Brisler says there are two persons in his store, a young Man & a Lad. he has a Housekeeper

Since I wrote you last my Little Friend has been again to visit me. I sent a very Worthy good young Man who lives with me to find out the Nurse, and as she is his Countrywoman and from Belfast, he met with no difficulty. he brought me word that she had a very good Room, that it lookd clean and so was the Bed he said which he took particular notice of and the Children lookd very well. the next Day I sent for her she came with the Baby, who was cleverly grown from the time I saw it before. it begins to play and spring upon its feet. it is quite lively and has cut an other tooth. the Nurses Name is 351 Elenora Malony. I should suppose better than 30 years old. she has one child 6 Months old who is Boy. I askd her if she should be willing to go & live in New England she said yes if she could take her own child. she has two Brothers here. I askd her what she had a week for the child at first she had two dollors & half, now she had two dollors, and a pound of soap, & a pound of candles. mr Blacks housekeeper washd for the child all but its small cloaths. she said mr Black was very fond of the child, and visited it always once a week sometimes oftner—that the Housekeeper too was very fond of it, that she nursd Mrs Hall. I askd her if she was a clever Woman. she said she did not know any thing to the contrary

I told her to bring the child here as often as once a week, and to let me know at any time if the child should be sick. I should advise that the baby be innoculated for the small pox in April. that is the custom here, and they usually get well through. if you agree to it, and mr Black is willing, I would request Dr Rush to take the Charge of it. he innoculated John Brisler last spring. I would chuse however to consult mr William Black about it.2 I happy in being able in any manner to alleviate your affliction for the loss of so worthy and amiable a woman as I always conceived mrs Hall to be, and it is no small Satisfaction to me to know that the little orphan will find Parents in you & mr Black I hope it will live to be a comfort to you both, and to reward you for all your solicisitude. tho Providence has not seen proper to give you Children of your own, it now seem’s to call upon you to addopt that, from which it has taken both Father and Mother—

I claim no merrit from any attention I have shown towards it. I owe it, both to Humanity, and the Friendship I have for you; I have frequently been minute in my account, because I thought you would wish to learn every thing respecting the child I should think it best not to remove it untill the spring, as it appears very well nurs’d

I am sorry to hear that my Neighbour Mrs Beal is so unwell, as well as for her late loss. she will soon be made happy by the return of her son, who has been a week in this city, and is well tho thin from the yellow fever which he had in Jamaica—3

Present my Regards to mr Black, and to mrs Lamb and Family4 from / your Friend