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June23,1851,toMay16,1852 You did not go North to visit—see sights—or eat dainties —you were sent there to finish your education. T. B. King traveled once again to California, and this time he took Butler as his assistant . The family was further separated when Mallery was sent to school near New Haven , and Georgia, Florence, and Virginia attended Mr. Picot’s school in Philadelphia. Anna worried constantly about the safety, health, and well-being of her far-flung family . As always, she wrote regularly to all her “dear absent ones” of all that concerned those left at home and those away. Retreat 23d June 1851 My dearly beloved Mallery I thank you my good son for your affectionate letter of the 13th. But for your consideration I should not have heard from any of you beloved ones at the North. I had a very kind letter of the 14th from Mrs Jaudon—which (but for your letter) was calculated to make me uneasy about your sisters—as she expressed much uneasiness at their not arriving by the morning train from New Haven to New York.1 I required letters to cheer me yesterday—the papers are full of a terrible fire which has destroyed Millions of dollars of property in San Francisco—among the other buildings the Custom house. I see many hotels have been burnt & I very much fear your beloved Father & brother were among the many who were without shelter that night.2 I dread the next account we shall get. I know on such an occasion as that—that neither your Father or Brother would shrink from giving every aid in their power. Oh! God! grant they may be safe & well. It gives me pleasure to find that you my dear boy have some idea of the sacrifice I have made of my own comfort & happiness for your good. Keep this in remembrance my beloved. Remember that this sacrifice is made entirely for your own good—And tho’ to see my children ornaments to the family will give me happiness still the good will result to your own self. Remember all I have tried to instill in your Mind. I need not repeat—& God! will bless all your endeavours to do right. 83 I am sorry that your sisters staid so short a time in New Haven as Mr Picot’s holydays is so near it was scarce worth while their hurrying on to Philadelphia. I[t] was kind of Adele to go to New York to meet them. I wish I could have been in a corner to peep at you & dear Appy spending your quiet evening together. Dear Appy I feel very much for her—for there are many rough corners in her disposition which will have to be smoothed off by her intercourse with strangers . And dear Florence—how did she seem to like New Haven. As to dear little Georgia she never loses her self possession. I am sure dear Lord had reason to be proud of such sisters. Your Sister has had but one letter from William— writing the day he arrived in New York. We shall be expecting him home by the last of this month. I hope he will be pleased with his trip. It was a great relief to me his going with your Sisters—& your dear Sister being with me at this time is a great comfort. We are all in our usual health except Mrs Gale. Poor old woman she suffers very much with her leg—& it will be a long while before she can walk again.3 She has indeed been singularly unfortunate. Poor Hannah is much better & is able to help in the pantry again but she will never be well again. The weather for the last week has been really stormy—the rain was very acceptable—but the wind did some harm to the corn. My poor pigs feared [sic] badly. I have lost no less than 21. You see they were pretty poor—& the cold rain & wind just put them out of their suffering. I hope now the grass will grow & thus keep the others as well as the poor cattle & horses from starving to death. A vessel put in here after the wind subsided—with the loss of one mast—her bow [?]—yawl— &c. She was loaded with cotton from Savannah bound to New York. I think as she had not cotton on deck they must have thrown over the deck load. She could only carry one sail—& is gone...

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