Bridget Hawkins Roper-Curzon to Martha Jefferson (Randolph)
| My dear Friend | 2d July ’89 |
I received your letter yesterday & tho’ I have very little time tonight I would not omit answering it for the world, least you should have a pretext for not sending me your address in Virginia, & thereby lay me under the necessity of putting a period to our correspondance; before I thank you for the friendship you so kindly express, I will tell you a piece of news, which I think will afford you great pleasure viz: Anneseley is married to a Mr Maxwell, oldest son of the Bishop of Meath. we may conclude her sentiments on an important point are changed, or this marriage cou’d never have taken place. I can assure you it is a very mistaken notion that you have adopted, [. . .] concerning Beckers &etc, I think she is very handsome, but as my private opinion may not solve your doubts on the subject, I beg leave to mention that of our beaux who universally admire her—talking of beauty, I must introduce my little darling, who is a remarkable handsome child, his eyes are large & of a very dark Blue, the rest of his face is as like his mother’s as possible, his name Henry. I must beg you will mention every trivial occurrence when you arrive in America & never send me a letter less than four or six pages, likewise tell me how you were received etc. I am assured by all my friends here, that I am making a ridiculous request; & that you will be too much occupied on your arrival to think of poor Toquim—that in a short space of time you will take unto yourself a help mate, which will likewise efface the distant idea you will then retain of me—not withstanding I cannot deny their arguments to be very plausible, yet I cannot injure my friend so much as ever to admit for a moment the idea of her forgetting me; a few [. . .] months will show who is right & who was wrong. London has lost one of its greatest ornaments, viz: the Opera House which was totally consumed by fire last week, the Managers will be considerable loosers—no one doubts of its being a malicious transaction. Broadhead is a going to be married to a Mr Dashwood, a most amiable young man, heir to a title & ten thousand a year, I fear you may accuse him of the same fault, for which you so unmercifully blame poor Sophie—Give my love to Polly—Adieu my Dear the care of my child &c. the fatigue of company & etc engross the chief part of my time, nevertheless, I can always snatch a few minutes from time to time to write to you, which believe me is one of my greatest pleasures, once more Farewell—