Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

My dearest wife

Philidelphia May 3r 1826

I am at last in the beautifull city of Philidelphia, certainly the first in the union for beauty and cleanliness & comfort. its fine broad streets, wide smooth & and nice foot ways, so clean that I felt ashamed to spit tobacco juice upon them, (always spitting in the gutter). I arrived here¹ sunday 12 oclock after 2 o clock dinner strolled thro the town visiting my old haunts from which my old friends had long since departed by death or removal. I passed constantly in & arond without seeing one being, whose countenance I had ever beheld before. it for a moment created a feeling of the most lonely desolation I had ever felt. New scences & new faces produce no effect. but old scenes with new faces recalls sadly the time long gone by, with its early friends and pleasures. I had however a feeling of being more at home than I had been and monday I found my self surrounded by old & new acquaintainces. My old friends the Sergeants recieved me with the kindest affection. Fanny the youngest now Mrs Lowber sent her husband off in all haste to see & carry me there. The gude man said he had never seen his little wife so animated about any thing in his life & made him rather disposed to be jealous. Kitty my old flame I have not yet seen. I called twice but found her out each time. I left a card but her husband has not noticed it she I hear is married to one of your born devils in temper injudicious & poor with genius & education. she has conducted herself with vast propriety & energy supporting her family by her own hand earning $12 per week by coloring botanical engraving. keeping up her health & cheerfullness & good temper. I hope I may yet see I remember her with feelings of the kindest affection that have not been lessened by the recital of her struggles through life.

You will percieve thro the newspapers that this subscriptio[n] business has taken a new turn. if I should succeed in making this matter out of the ashes as it were it will make me more vain of my power of working along as we term it than ever a meeting took place at N. York on Monday under the happiest auspices. The Mayor & Recorder addressed the meeting. all the materials are working to the same end, here. I think about next monday one may be expected here. I shall be off just before or at N. York. I hope I may see you in Baltimore and clasp you to my heart long before you recieve this letter. I have not heard from home since the 12th I see by the papers D & S are married. I am sorry I could not be present to give them at least a brothers blessing. I shall be in Baltimore on sunday morning