Adams Family Correspondence, volume 12
I received a few days ago your kind letter written at East Chester Novr: 4. and am very thankful for it. The circumstance of my not having mentioned to you my expectation of being married was merely accidental, or owing to the uncertainty as to the time when that event should take place, which continued until a few weeks before it happened. I am very sorry that it should have given you a moment of uneasiness, as I shall always take a peculiar pleasure in communicating to you any occurrence interesting to my happiness.
You have judged rightly in concluding that your new sisters character was calculated to promote it. Seven months of marriage, may serve at least to give a full specimen of what two persons are to expect from each other, and after the lapse of almost that period, we find our mutual affection increasing, rather than suffering any abatement.
I most sincerely and cordially feel for the afflictions with which you observe you have been visited for some time past, and the severe trials, which you have undergone. I hope that a more favourable fortune will in future smile upon you, and compensate for the sufferings you have experienced.
You may perhaps before this have seen in America, Mrs: Johnson & her family, who arrived there soon after the date of your last letter.— I left England myself about the middle of October, and after a stormy passage to Hamburg, and a very unpleasant journey from thence to this place, arrived here the 7th: of November. Since then my wife and brother have both been very ill, as you will doubtless be informed by our dear mother, to whom I have written a particular account of our disasters. We are however now all in very good health.
I look forward with impatience to the time when we shall all again be assembled together in our own Country, and in the mean time hope to hear frequently from you, being with the tenderest 387 affection, in which sentiment my wife cordially joins, Your faithful brother.
LbC in TBA’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mrs: A. Smith.”; APM Reel 130.
what a feast you have sent us my good sister. for alhough it may be call’d a feast of bitter herbs yet I would not be ignorant from whence the Poison is extracted which is design’d to destroy our constitution this is evidently the design of those declamers. how can the People bare to see their members spending So much of the publick money to the very worst purpose. is it possible that they can prostitute their talants their reason & understanding & Submit to look So small & make Such a pitiful figure as they do without a prospect of touching foureign money for it. They will meet their reward I hope. but not in the way they expect I love my country too will to wish it Such an evil. I do hope good will come out of this controversy. excellent reasons have been offer’d why Nicolas amendment Should not take place. every one must see whether they will allow it or not, their design is to get from the President the little Power he posses to my Sister continue to send us Such papers as you think interesting & write me what you dare. It makes me feel important to be able to talk after you tho’ I do not bring my voucher always. I love to discover the spring of a Movement
Mrs Baxter is getting better but cannot set up half an hour yet. I Shall see her & inquire if She can take wine she has not been able too yet. the weather has been & Still is extream cold we had a Snow about ten days since which has made tolerable Sleighing mrs Black has been very Sisterly to me & given me a Seat with her frequently. I was at Boston Hingham & to see miss Eunice Paine last week all were well but our poor lame Friend & She has suffer’d much this winter but I found her more comfortable than she had been. She cannot work at all but can read better than usual. She sent her Love to you says you promis’d her a Letter—
I have Bottled your mythiglin there are eleven Bottles tis more like Syrrup than any thing else—1 the settling was as thick as molasses. I had the cask rinc’d & the Settlings put into a vessel with a gallon of water & Boil’d Skum’d & put into the cask again I design 388 to add some Brandy to it & Bottle it in a month or Six weeks I believe it will be better to drink next Summer than the other I rinc’d with & left in each Bottle a little Brandy. your things are all Safe I went into the cellars my Self— your carpets are out of danger too— there is one which I have spread on our east front chamber which is more wore & burnt & eat than the rest. will you Sell it? I will give you what you may think tis worth. I have bought mrs Quincys flour cloth but it must be painted & I have nothing to lay upon the floor till tis done my Scotch carpet would mend no longer. I have been So long us’d to one in the winter that I have had my feet froze all the time this cold weather. you have So many & they are So difficult to be keept from injury that I thought you might be willing to part with the poorest
mr Beal is not return’d. but I thank you with my whole heart for your kind present.—
Sister Smith has done three pair of stockings & I have got more cotton for her you did not leave me money for cotton or to pay her. but I will purchase when she wants & pay her too I shall owe you for milk I have had we will Settle it when you return would you have the stockings sent you—
Phebe is comfortable— I have been prevented writing by company & gadding my Self till to day. & now the Post is come before I have half done. I will write again next week—
yours affectionately
every good wish attends the President Love to Louissa
RC (Adams Papers).
Metheglin is a spiced or medicated variety of mead (
OED
).