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[p.2]
Mary was slightly affected by the water once for a few hours, & Jeff
was one day sick. Nanny's child too was smartly in- -disposed, but the
rest of the party were blessed with stomachs not to be affected even by
hot rotten lime stone water. Elizabeth felt no ill effect from it, from
first to last. I begin to think she is as strong as old Iron himself.
this is a very comfortable house of Francis's, roomy and airy, & quite
good looking for a log pen. The floor of our loft (Mary's and mine) is
not nailed down, and the seams gape rather more widely than is pleasant,
but we have remedied the evil by spreading down your parlor carpet.
the house is on a little eminence, skirting the barrens, but with hammock
enough round it for beauty & shade. the yard is fenced in, & nicely cleared
up with only a few trees left standing; at the back of it is a fine crop
of cotton growing & around the other three sides the most splen -did growth
of forest trees I ever beheld. superb oaks covered with the long moss
of this country which I cannot describe to you. I never imagined any thing
so beautiful & so graceful.
I believe Francis had found everything going on as well as possible.
this is a fine country I am sure, & worth the trouble of getting to. dear
Mother, it strikes us all now as the perfect absurdity that we should
ever have talked of this journey for you. you! I really believe Lucy could
not have borne it. no one can, without personal experience form an idea
of such an expedition as this. Bonaparte's Russian campaign could not
have been harder upon a soldier, than this journey to a delicate woman.
I am all impatience to have our building begun. if you do not come out
immediately I hope Papa will write, or has
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