Cornelia J. Randolph and Mary J. Randolph to Nicholas P. Trist
| Edgehill Feb. 18 1829 |
The books, Dear Nicholas, are all packed & Ben went to day to have the boxes nailed up & directed to you, & tomorrow they will set off to go in waggons as far as Fredricksburg. if the steamboat is running they will be put on board, but if not the waggons will go on to Washington. The Napoleon is I believe put up in a separate box with three books which we wished to get. The Morals of Christ is one that we all wish very much to retain in the family & we debated a long time whether we should send it, but as Mary & myself both thought it was in the catalogue & brother Jeff. was not at home to give his opinion we thought it best to send it as you would be there & could buy it in for us; we wish by all means to have it. The other two books I want if they do not go too high, & am very anxious to get, but had rather sacrifice them than the Morals of christ. They are, as you will see, that volume of plates belonging to the voyage to New Holland which we never got, & Verstigan. Ben is to go to the steamboat with the books, & if it does not run, all the way to Washington. Brother Jeff. left us yesterday for Lynchburg he had packed those books at the university before he received your letter, we were both surprised & glad when we saw him stirring in the affair, & hope he will do something about those lottery tickets next.
Mary I suppose relieved you from any uneasiness you might have felt about the fever. we were quite in a panic at one time for we either misunderstood Dr Dunglison, or it really was his opinion then, that it was both infections & contageous, however he afterwards said he did not think it was so much so that we should be in any danger if we kept the room ventilated, but only dangerous when the room was kept close (dangerous to the nurses). It is better also for James that there [. . .] shuld be air stirring constantly & you may be sure we have not neglected this important thing, the temperature of the room is regulated by his feelings & as he is always hot it is disagreeably cool for any one else. Jame’s case has proved to be a milder one than we at first apprehended, the symtoms were much worse the first days than they have been since, and his strength which failed him very fast at first has for a long time remained at the same thing; the Dr was constantly saying, “he will be much iller than he is now” but so far from that we have thought for the last three days that he appeared a little better, which change we did not expect for three weeks after he was taken, at least. perhaps proper attentions & diet & fresh air, which the young men at the university have not always been able to get have mitigated the fever in his case. he was taken sick the first day of this month. Jane’s children are well.We shall send for mama & Virginia as soon as the roads are good enough.
Adieu my dear brother I hope we shall all join you safe & happy in washington in spite of my forebodings. your affectionate sister.
I forgot to give Ben the Dufief which Virginia wanted, to put up. It is here now.
| My dear Nicholas |
I wish you would keep the “morals of Christ” in your own hands until you hear from brother Jeff. on the subject. I have no idea what he wishes to have done with it, but thought it better to send it on [. . .] now with the other books, than to suffer it is lose the opportunity, in case he should have intended to send it. I was to blame in not learning his intentions concerning it, before he left home, as Virginia had left it in my charge when she went to Carysbrook, thinking it might be called for in her absence. but most unluckily it escaped my memory till this morning & brother Jeff. set out for Lynchburg yesterday. he will however return on sunday & the books do not go till tomorrow. I think the one in question was on [. . .] catalogue but cannot be certain of it. Ben meant to pack that [. . .] other loose volumes that had been left out, in the box with your Napoleon I hope they will all arrive safely—
I suppose you know what books sister Ellen & Mr Coolidge wanted, one that sister Ellen was particularly anxious to get, I know, was a Cornelius Nepos, all latin, & beautiful large print; it was the book grandpapa always carried to read on the road when & when she & my self went with him to Bedford.
Another of the students is just dead, Mr Morgan of Abingdon. This is the third.