Virginia J. Randolph (Trist) to Jane H. Nicholas Randolph

My utmost exertions availed me nothing My Dearest Sister in my endeavours to get the “Balance of comfort”1 to you by breakfast to day, and I am not sure that you will get it before dinner Papa is to carry it over to EgEdgehill and send it to you from there. have you got the 1st vol.? for I dont see it here with the 2nd. I think Grand Papahave used you ungenteely,” for Gill does not go to Staunton untill to morrow, and if you were as much fatigued with your ride to Charlottesville as I was & am still, I am sure you must have been almost dead when you got home. We recieved a visit last night from the brute we met in Charlottesville, disgusting wretch. it makes me sick to look at him.Tell Cornelia the things She desired me to send her are in the wash, but I suppose another day will do as well, and indeed I am not certain that Papa would take a larger bundle. Mama wishes to stay with you Monday night if Papa will consent to her staying from home a whole night without [. . .] an absolute necessity. I shall stay at home to take care of Grand Papa and the house at all events. but Mama can carry your Jesamine with her I have written you a long note for nothing, because sending the books was the only answer requisite. adieu. I am very lonesome I wish you all had stay’d untill to day kiss the children for me. yours affectionately

Virginia

Mama desires me to tell you that Mrs Amy Finch would have told you positively, I will stay all night when I go, but that She can only say “I will if I can carry my child, and if my husband approves.”2 therefore you need not expect her, and of course will not be disappointed if She returns in the evening.Mary says from my manner of speaking you would think that the jesamine was sent in my place, to comfort you for not seeing me, but I did not mean you to think so for I know it would be but a poor recompence for the great loss you will experience sustain, in not seeing me.

Mama is going to send Phill and I will hurry him so that you may get your book sooner than you would otherwise have done, and he can carry the Jesamine also.

RC (NcU: NPT); undated; addressed: “Mrs Jefferson Randolph North Milton”; endorsed by recipient: “Virginia 1817.”
1Trist here refers to The Balance of Comfort; or, the Old Maid and Married Woman, by Mrs. Ross (New York, 1817).
2Omitted opening and closing quotation marks editorially supplied. Mrs. Amy Finch is a character in The Balance of Comfort.
Date Range
Date
December 1, 1817 to December 31, 1818
Collection
Repository