Lucy Eppes Thweatt to Martha B. Eppes
| my dear Sister | Eppington jan 26. 1820 |
We have had in contemplation a visit to Mill Brook for some time but first one thing and then another has deprived us of this pleasure, the most serious preventative has been the indisposition of my dear Mr Thweatt, his leg (that was brook) has frequently pained, swelled, & confined him to the House this winter, in addition to which he has had several attacks of Ruematism, I am sure I need not attempt to give you any Idea of the disappointment it has been to me, for when my body left you & my dear Brother my heart remained with you & it was only the promise of going again that reconciled me to the little peep I had at you all. We do not [. . .] as often as I wish, & I have determined once more to commence a correspondence with you my dear Sister Martha, I cannot expect you will very often write me but the sincere affection of my feelings towards you will not justify my not writing sometimes to you, and I hope when ever you can spare to me an hour you will feel assured of the gratification it will be to me to hear from you
I am almost sorry we heard of your thriving situation for my impudent Husband very often says it is an evidence of Brothers doing well & he thinks after so much bad weather the trip would be impracticable—I must therefore not tantalise my self any longer as I fear we shall be compelled to decline it all together. but I hope you will recollect my dear Sister I am intitled to your first visit from home it is more than five years since you were at Eppington my Brother mentions he shall turn out with the Frogs I hope we shall be first thought of.you and myself must make some compromise with regard to our dear Matilda I feel deprived of a part of my household, I think while she cannot reconcile leaving Brother you must spare me one of the children how is dear little Elizas eruption I think now I may claim her as my own, though acknowledg the preference to either Mary or Caroline until she is larger I see so little of the dear little creatures that I fear they care very little for me I beg you to talk to them sometimes about me & tell them how dearly I love them.
You will scarce beleive me when I tell you I have had a visit from Mrs P. Randolph—cold civility was even irksome to practice towards her—we are told she will very soon be fixed at Winterpock. I hope however she will remain in Richmond for I ass[ure] you our neighbourhood has become sufficiently stilish without her Ladyship Miss Mary johnson has returned from school a sweet interresting girl plays well & has a han[d]some instrument mr Thweatt says it is an agreeable change from the cry of the Owl & whipowill—and at least reminds him of town. present me affectionately to my dear Brother and for yourself accept assurance’s of my sincere love