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Rock Spring
Sep 21st 1868

My dear Carrie (who is in Alexandria with her parents, two weeks
before the birth of her first child)

Thee has been in my thoughts very often today and for thy dear sake
I wish I felt more in the mood for writing to thee, but I have been
at work hard today and do not feel very bright and interesting, so
please "take the will for the deed" and excuse me this time.

After leaving thee on 7th day I came to Wash. and dispatched my business
in time to leave Frank's office at 9 o'cl in company with him.
We were however afterwards detained so that we did not get out of
town until 10 o'cl. Had a very pleasant ride with Frank to Rockville,
where I left him to attend a radical meeting composed of himself and
four others. And I came on home, found everything getting along
right so far as I had time to see. Willie and I made an arrangement
to go with his horse and my buggy to the Club but his horse was too
lame to use so we had to go with tired Mab. Left here at 2-1/2
o'cl, called with Willie at Mr. Abert's and went on over that horribly
rough road to Dr. Palmer's.

On getting in sight of Wm. Lea's found there were no horses to be
seen and concluded we were mistaken in the day, so went on to Warwick's
and learned from Anna that we were really sold as the Club is
to meet next seventh-day. Had a pleasant call to Alloway but thee
may imagine how cheap we felt at coming way down there with a tired
horse and over such bad roads, and to help the joke we met Cousin
Caleb and instead of speaking to us he called out very gravely "no
Club", we conluded as we had started out with the purpose of attending
a Club meeting (and by this time felt that we could do justice
to what is said to be the principle attraction on such occasions) we
would go to Rockland. We got there while the gentlement were at supper
and after they were through did full justice to a very nice supper
ourselves. Sarah inquired particularly after thee and how the
eruption was thee had been suffering with. When I told her it was
better, she said she hoped we would soon hear good news from thee
and I sincerely hope we may.

I left Willie at Rockland to wait on Miss Kirk home and I went to
Olney and though but 8-1/2 o'cl. the ladies has all retired which
vexed me very much as I had expected to have a pleasent evening. I
however made up for this yesterday morning bt having a delightful
talk with Miss Louise. She and I agree in out fondness for Burns
and Scott but not with ickens as she is a great admirer of him.
She saw me looking at thy picture in the parlor and said she would
not tell me all that she had said about it for fear it woud make
me too vain.

Instead of going to meeting I went up Falling Green and had a
pleasant visit, staid until 3 o'cl. Called at Olney and went to
Willow Grove for Willie intending to come home before night but he
would not hear to it, so I had to stay to supper; Mary Sherman,
Mary Ayre and her cousin Tilly Thrift were there. After supper
Mary Sherman lit a pipe and offered it to me and I accepted it,