23

look over my letter & if you will see that her collar
money & cakes were stolen at Madame Dupres'

I am surprised you say nothing of the cloak she sent
you in your basket from the Pulaskis by one of the
waiters for you to wear until Florence brought back
yours. Had it been sent you by one of your own servants
we would be satisfied that you received it

I had a letter today dated 20th Feb at Shrieveport
from your dear Father. They had been 3 days on
the river detained by fog & low water _ Thank God they
got safe over it _ I have such a horror of the Mississippi
river. We heard also from dear Geo & Florence _ As
they have written to you, you know that they have
had a "nice" time so far _ intended spending a week
with Sarah Butler after which they will turn
their dear faces homeward. We want them back
very much _ we are lonely _ Appy says "the fact is I
am no body to enliven a house". We want precious
Geos music & Florences fun. Every evening dear
Butler gets me to the Piano & I go over my old tunes
like a poor slave hoeing grassy land in hot weather
(that is very laboriously) _ but I do it to cheer the
dear good son. I even read aloud sometimes