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Very much out of sorts, hideous headache and nervous to
a miserable degree. I forgot to put down that, yesterday,
when I entered Pounden�s house, the dog came jumping on me and
making much of me. He goes on three legs though.
6. Saturday. In doors drawing, all day.
7. Sunday. To Pounden�s. He up and about, his wife abed,
sick of erysipelas in the face which has lately developed itself;
Miss Mary Barr attending her. Stayed till 3, then to 13th st.
to convey a note to Mrs P�s sister.
8. Monday. Letters from my mother and Hannah. The
first tells me that a former letter must have miscarried, that
Mrs Chinner died last month, that Sam is in business at Harrow
on the hill, that my father �is just the same, very miserable
and constantly restless�: �I have been,� writes my mother, �obliged
to leave the warm parlor to write this letter to you, and you
can perceive by the writing how cold my fingers are.� They have
received �a very dismal letter from Mary Anne telling about
her affairs and wanting to borrow $400 or $500.� Finally
my mother � God bless her! � encloses �a small trifle �5,
which please acknowlege; do not put it in the letter but in a
small piece of paper that I can take away.� �A small trifle�
is it? but ah! what does it mean � a mother�s priceless love!
It�s her money � the quarter�s interest of some poor sum fastened
on her by my good old grandmother. And that�s why she don�t
want it spoken of in the letter which will be read aloud.
Oh mothers! mothers! if God�s as kind to us as you are, we
shall all meet in Heaven, some day!
Hannah, too, what a letter has she written to me! I read it
with such self reproach, such humility, such tenderness and