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1835 I am worn away, pale and low spirited. 4 Janu­ary 1835 A hasty letter from Levin mentions that Ann was in labor at the time he wrote. I am extremely anxious to hear how it has eventuated. One from Maria also relates the death of yellow John, the faithful friend & servant of Mr. Gayle’s family, thro’ his whole life. We were all much affected, and many tears flowed to his memory. Maria says her own health is bad, but every one who has seen her, unites in representing her as being very fleshy, and looking hearty. . . . [paragraph removed] I am an invalid now, all the time, scarcely able to lift my feet from the floor. My spirits are proportionally depressed, and I am all the time, as if to shed tears copiously , would releive me more than any thing else. It is a dreadful state to be in, but I cannot help myself. There is perfect uncertainty as to the period of suffering—it may be the middle of this, may be the middle of next month. Mr. John [F.] Sossaman has come to take his daughter to his marriage, it is said. He also brings news of John May’s marriage to Virginia Kennard. His wife died in August, and when I went to take leave of Mr. Peck’s family, Virginia had returned with the . . . [paragraph removed] . . . Owen’s, for I judge from that, that she has been treated kindly by her. I told her to be sure & not go to her house, unless she was sought & invited as she should be. I was thus particular, because, in all our long separation, I have never received any message from Louisa, so that I did not wish to push my child in her company. Tuskaloosa 20 Janu­ ary 1835 Mr. Gayle has written to desire Dr. McCann, to come up, and be with me at my confinement, now daily looked for. It is very uncer- 1835 305 tain whether he will come, pray God he may, for it seems to me no one else can do as well, or bring me thro’ my difficulties like he could. I suffer a great deal, more than I ever did in my life, and all I hope & at the same time dread, is that it cannot last much longer. I am worn away, pale and low spirited. Immediately after, or as soon as I am able, we are off to Mobile, say in March. As it becomes more certain and near, I begin to have misgivings, and percieve drawbacks, which did not present themselves at first. The most formidable is the want of such schools there, as we have here. Matt is at the University, destined to remain there while his education is completing . I made an application to Mr. Tutwiler, this morning, to take him as a boarder, and was [line removed] . . . succeed. I can leave him now without . . . [half page removed] . . . and experiencing a degree of kindness from her friends, which will come near to spoil her. She says she is anxious to return home, notwithstanding. Ann’s last child, a boy named Levin, was born on the 3d of this month. She was very ill, at the time, but is recovering fast. They are yet in Mr. Hobson’s house. Levin’s present intention is to move here, tho’ what he will drive at, when he comes, is more than I can tell. Mrs. Hobson appears greatly distressed at the death of her sister, Mrs. Richards. Poor Frances, it was indeed a most sudden call into eternity, not more than two hours, from the first attack of fits. Lucinda has made her 8" move, in two years—the last, to Mr. Pattison’s, this evening . She board’s on very reasonable terms, less than $500 a year. Monday 22 [Janu­ ary 1835]* [page removed] . . . and the easy support of his family. I cannot now, urge him to let Sarah be left at her expensive school—it is all we can do to keep Matt at College; and yet, how it grieves me to think that the powers of Sarah’s fine mind will not be developed as they would be, were [she] to remain with her present instructors. It is in this way, that poverty is felt to be bitter. I can now account for the evident unwillingness of Mr. Gayle, to speak of any plan of purchasing property. Poor fellow—here I have been talking of buying...

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