Ellen W. Randolph Coolidge to Martha Jefferson Randolph
| [ca. 4 Oct. 1831] |
Although you have probably received a letter from Smyrna my dear mother, I send you this, begging that you will take care of & return it to me. I only received it an hour ago. can you tell me what to do with the answer which I shall write to it? had I not better send it to Nicholas? the date of July 26. shews how direct it has come, being little more than two months from the time of writing. I cannot tell you the pleasure it gave me to see the dear boy’s name written by his own hand so recently.We are well here, my little Jefferson seems entirely recovered. Ellen improves at her school & begins to read quite tolerably. Bess to use the school mistresses expression “is a good little girl but does not take much to her book.” Hannah Stearns says she is a much prettier child than she expected to see, but none of my bantlings will ever be beauties. I do not know why I fill up the blank part of George’s letter with such nonsense. I suppose because I felt gratified at his recollection of my babies & their nurse. farewell dearest mother.
