New York. Jan.24/60
My dearest Mother
I was very much pleased yesterday by
the receipt of your kind letter of 5th Jany [January?]
Pleased to see you were able to write once more,
and pleased to think, that still an invalid you
did not forget me so far away from you all. We
have all reason to thank God, and I hope we all
have done so, for your merciful recovery. The
news came upon me quite unexpectedly. I had just
been saying about Christmass [Christmas?] to Mrs
G. Stuart that I had great reason to be thankful
that I had, with some lifting expectations, all
enjoyed good health and that I show I felt little
uneasiness on that account.
At that very same time you were just recovering
Who knows how this may find you all? But I need
not write "melancholy letters" as Thomas once
accused you of doing. So I must see if I cannot
scrape up some news for you. I am afraid I cannot
write you as long a description of my visit to
Philadelphia as I did on a former occasion. I
found all well there on my arrival, after a 6
hours [hour?] at 8 O'Clock on Christmas eve.
There was a family circle gathered from which
Mr George H. himself was the only one missing
he having gone to Mr Guiness Preaching. Which he
attended I think every evening I was there I was
kindly welcomed by all and soon began to feel as
much at home as I could at such a season with the
Atlantic between me and you all. The whole family
seemed to have grown one way or another since my
last visit. Mrs S baby and eldest daughter decidedly
stouter, Miss Mary (always called Dollie?)
G.H. Junr [Junior?] & Master frank [Frank?] all
taller Mr D is about as tall and broad as any young
man of his age should be. Mrs Rumsey [Ramsey?] &
Husband were there and old Mrs Dennison all looking
well and happy. The next day being Sunday I went
Twice to Willie's colored school & twice to church
(Mr Guiness in Evg [Evening?] Next Day Monday James
Smyth Young Taylor Mr Mc Cartney John & James
Auchiltree & several others were at dinner & spent
the evg [evening?] with us. One day a very cold one
it was too (10 above Zero) Willie. George & I went
out to Spring brook to Get them to fill the Ice house
It was snowing at the Time & The place looked very
different from the way I had formerly seen it. All
was green and blooming however in some of the Hothouses.
I had a little skating on the Schuylkill [sic] on two
occasions; Went with young Dart to see a factory whose
goods we sell also the mint & Girard College, which I
saw before. On new Years day I helped Willie to bring
his colored School up to Dr Wylies church where they
heard a sermon from Mr Guiness. On the following
day we gave them a feast and it would have done you
good to have seen the roling [rolling?] eyeballs of
the young imps as they swallowed the tarts cakes &
other good things prepared for them.
