I received Your Letter of 9th. with respect to the Carriage I believe I did not stipulate for a false linning, but I would chuse to have one— I Shall take a carriage from here to Philadelphia and have Some prospect of being accompanied by mr Cranch who has buisness on, provided he can leave the new office, to which he is appointed, Commissoner of the city in the room of mr Scot who is 520 dead I presume he will not find any Money to proceed with, untill Congress make a new grant. he may as well be absent three weeks as not. the principle proprieters came forward with a Letter of recommendation of mr Cranch and requested his appointment. it was you may be Sure very gratefull to Your Father to be able to do something for him and in this case there was no senate to quible, and hunt for Blood-relation—1 I do not mean to grow pevish, Sour or discontented. I have not a regreet at quiting my station personally. I believe it best both for Your Father and for me. as to our prospects that is an other subject We have not made a fortune in the service of the public. That the World know— we will live in independance, because We will live within our income. if that is mean & much below the rank we ought to move in, the fault is not ours— the Country which calld into service an active able & meritorious citizen, placed him in various conspicious and elevated Situations; without the power or means of Saveing for himself or family, what his professional buisness would have enabled him to have done, at advanced Years can dismiss him to retirement: (and Poverty in the worlds Sense) that country must bear the Disgrace, which it will do, with as much indifference and apathy, as the cold Massaleum can feel they are it is which that Country is raising to commemorate the virtues the services and Sacrifices of really a great and good Man. but fashion and Virgina Pride are upon one side, and all our federilists foster and nourish it, whilst the Democrats all vote against this profuse expenditure of the public money. they rejoice in the thing itself, but will make a merrit with their constituents for their prudence &c and a cats paw of the fed’s—

I have read Manlius without liking him— if the British Government are content and satisfied that the treaty does not Militate against the treaty with them, why need we Make a Bustle upon that subject. in confidence, I have obtaind leave to give You an extract of a Letter from mr King; You will use it with discretion, but I conceive you may do Service with it, without injury, by confidentially communicating it2

present my Compliments to mr Dennie for his politeness and thanks for his Paper to which I would be a Subscriber, but after the 4th of March we shall have postage to pay, unless Congress should be graciously pleased to pass a Law that we shall receive them free—3 I inclose you a curious state of facts respecting treaties worthy preservation—4 I pray You take care of Your Health I have been laid 521 up for two or three days, oweing to a wet Chamber which leaked to Such a degree through the Roof in a late thaw as to oblige me to rise in the night call up the servants to Sit tubs to catch the water. the cealing is not yet dry tho more than a week since

adieu my dear Thomas / ever your affectionate / Mother

I received from you two kind Letters which I have not yet acknowledged;1 I am surprized to find that the frost & cold have not yet put a stop to the fever. I hope it will not be permitted to make a renewed visit, at the approach of the summer with a severity never before experienced in our healthy and delightfull Village— I cannot Say that I have enjoy’d So Much health this winter as the last. I am very frequently shut up, tho but for a few days at a time; I fancy we have too much damp here for Rhumatica Constitutions, but my constitution appears to have Sufferd severely from the Ague and fever, and to be much-broken by repeated attacks of an intermitting kind. I patch up, but it is hard Work.— heretofore I have had Spirits which would surmount & rise above bodily infirmity; whether they will be continued to me, I know not; I hope they may, for a groaning whineing complaining temper I deprecate— I have no disposition to Seclude myself from society, because I have met with unkind or 522 ungratefull returns from Some; I would strive to act my part Well and reign Retire with that Dignity which is unconscious of doing or Wishing ill to any—with a temper disposed to forgive injuries, as I would myself hope to be forgiven, if any I have committed— I wish for the preservation of the Government, and a wise administration of it— in the best situation, with the wisest head and firmest Heart, it will be surrounded with perplexities dangers and troubles, that are little conceived of by those into whose Hands it is like to fall. the President had frequently contemplated resigning: I thought it would be best for him to leave to the people to act for themselves, and take no responsibility upon himself— I do not regreet that he has done so— he has had the pleasure of appointing Your son to the office of commissoner for the city, in the place of mr scott who dyed a few weeks since and tho this will be sit down by the Antis—as a promotion on account of Relationship, we care not now what they say. the Senate had nothing to do with this appointment, and therefore could not quibble as they have done upon some former occasions. the principle proprieters in the city came forward in a recommendation of mr Cranch to the President, and I trust the appointment will give general Satisfaction— I think mr Cranch is rising fast and will be one of the first Men in the city in a Short time— the Duties of his office will be arduous, and delicate to give Satisfaction to the contending interests—but I hope he will act impartially tho it may sometimes be difficult to persuade interested people to believe that he is so— the Sallery I think is sixteen hundred dollors a year—2

I hope I shall return to Quincy Sometime in Feb’ry but I own it is a mountain before me— So Many horrid Rivers to cross and Such Roads to traverse— My health very delicate—

I feel most sensibly for our dear Respected and Venerable Uncle— I know not, nor do I think it possible to supply to him the loss he has sustaind; tho mrs Popes temper was not pleasant, She was attentive towards him, knew all his wants and Wishes— She was prudent, and saveing of his interest—and had Many excellent qualities— to a person of his years it is peculiarly urksome to have new faces, new habits new fancies to conform to— it will probably shorten the period of his existance—but it would seem as if there remained but little desirable in this World to him— yet we must live all the days of our appointed time, and when our change commeth, may it be happy to us—

I thank You my Dear sister— I have not any thing Yet to ask for. I rejoice You are in Such health as to be able to assist Your Friends, 523 and I rejoice that our dear Mrs Norten is spaired to her family and Friends— Surely we may sing of mercy as well as judgment

we all send Love. the President has enjoyed very good health ever Since he has been here, and hopes to be a good Farmer Yet. he some times Says he would go to the Bar again if he had the powers of Speech, but of public Life he takes a final farewell—

Betsy Howard and her Lover have chosen to Signilize their Marriage by having it performed whilst in the Family of the President— I did not much oppose it, tho I thought they had better have Waited untill they returnd, as I Supposed it would subject them to reports wholy groundless & unfounded, but they conscious of their innocence, disregarded such rumours and last sunday Evening were married— Richard and Becky have not yet proposed a similar subject, to me—3 I trust they think themselves Young enough Yet—

adieu my dear sister it is My large dinner party to day and I Must dress to sit at table as I have Ladies tho I have not been below for three days— I Make an exertion as it is the last time I expect the pleasure of dinning them

affectionatly Your sister