Elmscourt

Feb 10th 1866

Thank you thousands of times, my dearest Alie, for your delightful letter of Jan. 4th which Linton placed in my hand as he came from town some weeks ago. Again and again was it read and reread.

Yes, Elmscourt is now my home for awhile. John will make no permanent investments in this country as we intend leaving at the earliest possible time. The house is partially furnished. Most of the furniture in use is our own, some we got from Monmouth and some recently purchased from Frank Surget, old-fashioned but very nice. So we are very comfortably fixed. But our great trouble is for servants. It is too far in the country for the delicate constitutions of the American ladies of African descent to walk with church and too retired from the gaieties of town so have been most of the time minus both cook and dining room servants, as Billy, our mainstay, has been sick. Imagine me, dearest Alie, cooking dinner, cleaning rooms, etc. all of which pastimes I have enjoyed since being at Elmscourt, very conducive to health, no doubt, but it mars the flesh of my bones badly. Sweet and sad are the influences of the season; oppression almost and call up such longings for the absent and the past. You ask about our Christmas. We had, for these times, quite a merry one, as Linton insisted upon everyone's dining with us.