My Dearest Friend

I have cut out two or three Slips from Browns Paper of this Evening for your Amusement. One is a conciliatory Paragraph from what hand I know not.

I received this morning yours of the 7 [Abigail to John, 07 January 1797] . Alass poor Billings! However Vesey I suppose with Such help as you can procure can get your Wood and feed the Cattle. Billings too may get his affair Settled and return to Business.

The Million Stories that come to my Ears about the late Election are enough to keep ones visible Muscles in perpetual Exertion.

Col. Wadsworth of Hartford has been here this Evening and told me a Score of Anecdotes, of Intrigues and Manoeuvres.

He represents the French, who are Refugees from France and St. Domingo &c. as all unfriendly to America and believes that a Majority of the French Nation are so too.

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He represents the People very generally highly affronted by Adets Note. He says tho the french have plundered and wronged Us twice as much as the English, yet all the Depredations of English and French together never excited so much Indignation as Adets Note.

He says Trumbull is about publishing a new Edition of McFingal and other Things. He thinks he might still be brought out and made a useful Man.

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[Endorsement -- see page image]