Elizabeth Trist to Emma Walker Gilmer (Breckinridge)

My Dear Emma

I have been at length gratified with, receiving some testimony of your remembrance and also that of your Brothers—for not Receiving a line from any of you for a long time, I concluded that time and absence had erased me from your Remembrance, where there are so many that can scrible I might without imposing a very heavy duty calculate on Receiving a letter every month from one or other of the family, for when I am long without hearing from them family I am apt to conclude that somthing is amis and it makes me restless and uneasey I am disappointed in this pleasure I had anticipated of being with you this winter in consiquence of Mr Jeffersons Horses being disabled by having the sore mouth distemper from performing a journey, most of the family were to have gone to poplar Forest. and Mrs Randolph was only to Stay to put the Harpsicord in tune and Return and then the carriage was to convey Virgina and my self to Bedford but the season has become [. . .] so cold that it has become unpleasant to travil if we cou’d get a conveyence none is to be had unless we take the Stage to Staunton which Browse will not consent to do, he says that that the badness of the roads will not admit of my undertaking the journey he is detaind waiting for remittances which his Father has remitted to New York and which we presume has arrived by this time he had almost detirmined to go to Philad College but Judge Cooper being appointed President of the College at Columbia South Carolina and Mr Jefferson thinks him so great a scholar that he has sent Epps, and Baker is also gone Browse had an opportunity of seeing the Judge at Monticello on his way to the southard and also a Gentleman [. . .] who is a great mathamaticean just arrived from Europe where he had been to finnish his Education Browse seems now to be like the ass in the Fable between two bundles of Hay, he left here yesterday for the Mountain as his Books are all there after spending three or four days with us, he regrets not having the pleasure of seeing you all before he leaves Virginia Nicholas talks of paying us a visit in July and if I cant get a conveyence between before then, he will no doubt fall upon some plan to convey me to Liberty Your Aunt Lucy and her little Boy are quite hearty Louisa Minor is to set off1 home to day I saw her at church on Sunday we have had Bishop More and his Son, Parson Mead and another and another Parson whoes name I forget beside our own Parson Hatch—there is to be an ordination at Walkers church to day I understand two Young men are to be ordain’d I was pleased with the Bishop and was also gratified by hearing Mr Mead tho he had a bad cold his delivery was very pleasing Tell your Father and Mother that Mrs Smith has been in this Neighbourhood about ten days She staid at Mrs Terrells I saw her at church she looks extremely well tho I did not know her at first she dined here on [. . .] Wednesday with two other Ladies and talkd a great deel about old times and of your Father and Mother She Says she believes that she loves him better than any body in the world next to her son I have dedicated the night to writing as I cant see to sew Uncle Divers is gone to bed with a bad headache Winter dont agree with him Aunt seems to enjoy good health the last bad Spell he had, he seem’d detirmined to go to some place more Southerly and take Aunt with him but I hear no more about it, you will excuse the inaccuracy and bad writing of this letter my head aches with looking so long at one object tho I am generally in better health tha[n] usual my sincere love to all the family, does William Burwell remain with you this Winter I shall write to him, next week and the week after to George may God bless and preserve you all, from your Aunt

E Trist
RC (ViU: Francis Walker Gilmer Papers, Mss 38-588); torn at crease; addressed: “Miss Emma Gilmer Liberty Bedford Cty”; stamped; postmarked Charlottesville, 29 Oct.
1Manuscript: “of.”
Date Range
Date
October 26, 1820
Collection
Repository