Yesterday mr Johnson and his Mamma arrived here, in good Health. by her I heard from mr & Mrs Cranch. she poor thing has had a mishap. I rather think it good than ill luck however for, it is 199 Sad slavery to have children as fast as she has. she has recoverd tho she is thin & weak. your son is rising Rising in his own estimation, which was the place where he most wanted it. he plead a cause, spoke three hours against, mr Mason & an other Gentleman, and obtaind his cause. he gaind much applause & Reputation I am informd. having broken the Ice, I hope he will gain courage and be yet successfull and prosperous. he has been born down by his circumstances, & deprest beyond measure. he is now rising above them I hope—

The weather is remarkable fine the Verdure of the feilds and the bursting of the Buds, with the beautifull foilage of the weeping willow, which You have often heard me admire and which is the first tree to vegitate in the spring, all remind me of Quincy, my building my Garden &c. I would have gardning commence upon a large Scale that we may be provided with vegatables sufficient for a large family. I know we want a skilfull gardner. peas I would have put in & of the sort which stutson procured of Major Millar. I am informd here of what is said to be a fact, that the Peas which are first planted bear much the longest and best, taking deeper Root into the Ground I must request You to see mr Porter and desire him to have due attention by stutson to all the vines &c which George planted last year;

I am dissapointed in not getting a Letter from You this morning. Monday usually brought me one. you will have received several from me, all requesting Your attention to Something or other for me. I shall want You to see Bates & hurry him as much as possible the painting must be done in the Room & chamber this Month. the closset in the keeping parlour wants it too, the floor I mean—

Major Toũsard the Gentleman you have seen with one Arm, requested me the other day to inquire if there was any Family in Quincy where mrs Toũsard could be Boarded. he is going to Superintend the fortifications at fort Independance—and wants to have mrs Tousard near him, where he can occasionally be with her. I thought of capt James Brackets. she is a pretty little woman, and received here into the first circles she is an American, has no Family he is much of a Gentleman.1 will you inquire & write me by the first opportunity

I must close not having more time this morning than to assure you of my sincere / affection

Your several Letters of the 15, 18 & 22d: have reliev’d my Mind and led me more fully to comprehend the Business before me. I mentiond to you Mr. Porters Terms. I presume you will think it best to comply with them, being confident that you will not meet with more faithful & trusty Persons than He & his Wife— He wants a greater Degree of Self Sufficiency to command at all Times with Advantage—but from a Desire of approving himself to his Employers, He has perhaps acquird a Habit of asking advice, where He ought himself to decide & dictate— Both of them also brought into a different Scituation of Life than they were bred up in—may like others in like Circumstances have some new Feelings &C— I have engagd both the Shipley’s, the younger who was with you the last year @ 128 Dollars for the year, the elder @ 12 Dollrs per month for 8 Months, both from the 24th. of March last—these were the lowest Terms I could procure them for. they are both excellent hands at making of Wall— I found there was no Time to be lost, Business was crowding fast upon us, and under present Circumstances, even a Loss of 40 or 50 Dollars would not be an Object, If it is intended to carry into Execution, what was proposed, in Season— Yesterday Mrs. Cranch enclos’d Bates’s Queries to Mr Brisler and a Plan—1 Bates is pursuing the Business as You proposed— He will raise the Building to morrow and next Tuesday the Masons will begin, the Chimneys—if nothing extraordinary prevents. Bates supposed the Bigness of the Arch of the Chimney would be 6 Feet—but the Mason perhaps will be the better Judge—

I have spoke to Stetson to take the Charge of the Asparagus & Strawberry Beds— it will perhaps be best to engage W Phobes Husband for the general Business of the Garden, and shall set him to work in a Day or two, the Garden is yet very wet— a most extraordinary Freshet occurd last Week—it raind from 12 oClock on Thursday Night to Saturday 12 oClock at Noon, the Rain for 12 Hours before 201 it ceasd was like a heavy Thunder Shower— much Damage to Bridges & Dams is mentiond2

The Lavator is engaged—the and shall secure the Oates as soon as possible I hear of none at Bridgewater— 3/ per Bushell has been the Price—

I am not yet enough inform’d to determine where to vest the Money to the best advantage, some Enquiries have been made, as soon as a favourable opportunity presents, shall draw as proposed— If in this and former Letters I have not adverted to all You have mentiond, You must remind me for I have not Time to preserve Copies— Mr. Clark informs me, that He shall remove in the Course of a fortnight by that Time I hope to have the Fences there, & most of the other Matters compleated—

Our electioneering on Monday last, proceeded as for several Years past—the offspring of Party or rather of Faction—on one Side, the Honl Mr Strong & the Honl Mr Gerry on the other. great Zeal and some ill Temper were [seen] in some Towns— Mr- Gerry had the Majority in Boston and in Many others near the Capital— I have not heard from Towns at a Distance it is at present doubtful which will obtain it. The Jacobins were every where united— they gave up Heath and adhered closely to Gerry. The Meeting in this Town was in the upper Parish, to my Surprize, that infamous wretch B. Hitchb——e was among the Senators voted for by the Jacobins.3

Adieu / Yrs.