Your letter, dearest mother, post marked the 16th reached me this morning, and I am attempting to answer it by candle light to be secure of to morrow’s mail. I am greatly relieved by the knowledge that the terrible business of the sales is over ...

I have ruined the sheet on which Ellen has been writing; and the day is so warm, and her black “Isaacs” so uncomfortable, that she has gone to lie down, awhile, and has left but a poor substitute, to continue her letter—; before doing so, I will transcribe what she had written. “Contrary to my...

We arrived here in safety, my dearest mother, at four oclock in the morning, & have taken up our quarters at Gadsby’s within a stone’s throw of the Vails. they have all, except the old lady, been to see me this morning & it made my heart swell to find myself once more re-united with...

We have thought of you a great deal since you left us, my dear Mrs Madison, and regretted that the circumstance of the weather, and of mama indisposition, should have rendered your visit so much less pleasant, than we were anxious to make it—I shall not however give up the hope of seeing you...

I do not know my dear Mother whether you will p ...

I have been in Richmond a week to day my dear Mother, and two posts have past without my hearing from home. Elizabeth and Virginia received letters to day from Harriet, but she says nothing of the Monticello family, & I wh I am beginning to be very anxious to hear from you all. Aunt Hackley...

I should have answered your first letter immediately on receiving it, my dearest Virginia, but expecting the carriage every day, I thought it probable that I should reach Monticello as soon as any letter I could write. the post goes up but twice a week and it is not always convenient to send on...

Although I have not time to answer your letter at length my dearest Mother yet the subjects of it are so interesting, that I write a few lines mainly to let you know that I have recieved it. thank god the most urgent of my dear fathers debts can now be paid off, and after the sale of Varina we...

Johnny’s arrival gave us great pleasure as we began to be very anxious to hear from you, and I thank you very much for having spared time to write such a long letter. the head of Christ is really a great curiosity, Grand-papa is almost as much pleased with it as we are, and considers it...

My brother, Mr Trist, has suggested to me that you might possibly read with pleasure a little work on the Abolition Question by a lady of this State—a copy of which I had lately sent to him. It is, we think, worthy of praise for it’s mild and christian spirit, it’s correct statement of facts, and...