I am very much mortified that I have Sent so Many Letters to you burthen’d with Postage I thought mr cranch had frank’d them all by his name on the Letters as well as on the Post Bill—he thought the later was sufficient—1 I will take care for the future that they Shall be directed right

I have reciev’d yours of the 18th & 22d of December there solemn Subject has engross’d the thoughts & conversations—of every one: Language has been almost exhausted in doing homage to the vertues of this great & good Man, whose loss has Sabled a whole nation— I cannot think his Physicians understood his complaint— if they did I am sure they did not treat it as ours would have done. I was shock’d at reading an account of it.2 next Sunday we all put on mourning. tis propos’d by some of us to purchase Stuff enough to make Mr whitney (who has this day givin us his answer in a very Solemn & affectionate manner that he will accept our invitation) a Gown & to hang it first round the Pulpit for a month & I have thought of puting your Pew in mourning by fastning a band of Gauze upon the edge of the Pew—& tying it together in a number of places with a Black ribbon— mr Ware Preach’d for Mr w to day & read his answer. People were Much affectted I think we shall have the ordination in about a Month.3 we Shall want you; but as we 97 cannot have you I must ask leave to borrow a number of things of you Such as knives & Forks Plates Spoons &C— I have desir’d Mr Porter not to part with all the Turkeys I Shall have a fatigueing time of it—but I Shall not mind it, so long as tis for the minister I have So long wish’d to have

Mrs Black has reciev’d her cap & looks very well in it. She will write herself soon she now has her Parents with her upon a visit.4

I thank you my dear Sister for My cap & mrs Smith has my Love & Many thanks for the work she has put in it—tis beautifully done & its value greatly inhanc’d by being the work of her Fingures.

I wish your House that mr Clark is in was empty What we shall do for one for him I do not know; to build immediately the gentleman think will not be best, & such a price those who have Houses to sell hold them so that he cannot purchase without involving himself in a debt which would distress him all his Life, Mr Greenleaf thinks he shall not leave his Brothers as he expected to.5 that would have been a good place for him— something will turn up I hope for he will not be happy Separated long from the object of his affections whom he has liv’d in the Family with for Six years6

all our Friends are well, & desire to be kindly rememberd to You. you are so taken up with other Peoples concerns that you forget to tell Me how your own health is—

we have fine winter Weather but want a little Snow to make it pleasent travelling. we have had no sleighing yet. I lose Many a ride by it & almost Suffer for the air mr & mrs Foster with her pretty Baby were here last week I put for her Mother & they din’d with me together Mrs Foster looks very well & is grown quite fleshy

She desires her duty to you & Love to her sister

will you give my respectful & affectionate regards to the President & tell him I hope he will not be disapointed in his expectation of the Pasture we have chosen in his absence. he may not possess all that energy which is so acceptable to hearers in general but tis Learning good sense prudence & Piety which must render a minister respectable & his preaching entertaining & useful

I hope we Shall be able to scour out mr wibird so as to be fit to be seen by the ministers who will ordain mr Whitney I shall try to have him here he does not look so well & is as ragged as old Studson—

with Love to Nephews & Nieces & the fair Carioline assure yourself my dear my invaluable Sister of the best affections / & the grateful Love of your Sister

I know not what could have become of a Letter written to You upon the 18 of December, that upon the 30th You should not have received it.— I have written You more than once since that period, but do not recollect the Dates— I forget whether it was before or since then; that I inclosed to you a croun of a cap & Band. since, that I have sent the Border and a Cap for Mrs Norten, which I think You could not yet have got. I have not learnt whether mrs Black has got my Letter & the cap sent to her by a mr Whitney—1 I should greatly regreet that any obstical Should prevent the settlement of mr Whitney with us. I would most certainly accommodate him if it was in my power, but my sons whole Library is at the House in which mr Clark lives, beside some cumbersome furniture which I have not Yet any place for—

Thomson Baxter once offerd his House and place to the President for a thousand pounds.2 that is a large sum for a Clergyman, yet if it could be had for that, would it not prove much Cheeper than building. 40 acres of land belongd to it— the poor old incumbent might be had into the Bargain I suppose, but who knows but if mr 99 Whitney could get the place, and marry a woman kind and attentive to the old Gentleman who would clean & brush him up, but that it might prove advantageous to them. I only Suggest the Idea— I received my Gown & mrs smith safe, by mr sheaff Yesterday. I thank you for your care & mr & mrs smith for theres

our Boston Printers are great blunderers in the answer to the Senates address of condolance. they make him say a Trojan, instead of a “Trajan found a Pliny” and in an paper they say the Senate sent a Letter of condolance, where as the truth is, the senate came in a Body and presented the address—which address is said to have been drawn by mr Dexter, a New England Man certain no southern Man quotes Scripture—3 Mr shaw returnd Yesterday from Mount Vernon. he was much gratified by his tour, tho regreeted that he did not see Mrs Washington; she strove the whole time he was there which was two days to get resolution sufficient to see him, but finally excused herself. she had the painfull task to perform, to bring her mind to comply with the request of Congress, which she has done in the handsomest manner possible in a Letter to the President which will this day be communicated to congress—4 she wrote me in replie to my Letter an answer repleat with a sense of my sympathy, and expressive of her own personal grief and anguish of mind.5 mr Lear told mr shaw that She had not been able to Shed a tear since the Genlls Death, untill she received the Presidents and My Letters when she was two hours getting through them, tho they were not Lengthy— on his return he visited your son who he says is in good Health & spirits—as is mrs Cranch. Richard he says is not well—tho not confined. Mr Greenleaf was with them. I fear mr Greenleaf is not a wise counsellor. mr Cranch would a year before he did have taken the step of relinquishing his Property if it had not been for mr Greenleafs advice. he certainly would have been better off as his friends say—I am glad he had resolution enough at last to decide for himself—

I have just closed a Letter to mrs Cranch of west point, having obtaind a promise from the Seretary of War that he shall have a place at Harpers ferry which he expects will be vacant in the sping and that in the mean time he shall be employd where he is—6

I Made mrs Brisler happy yesterday by Your Letter containing the information that mrs Mears was better she had burried her in her own mind, and when I went to tell her, she was so overcome expecting the news was fatal that she shook so I thought she would have 100 gone into fits no two sisters were ever fonder of each other— I hope mrs mears will recover—

inclosed is Genll Lees oration. it is a handsome performance. I will send you the pamphlet when it is out—7 We have charming weather— adieu my dear sister. I am going to take mrs otis out to Ride she has been very unwell with one of her old hoars colds & coughs which still hangs about her—8