WCP1271

[1]

Montgomery¹

July 21 [1845]²

To A. & J³

The Trustees are curious to know what Miss Russ⁴ intends doing for I will have nothing to do with the Expenses of the school I shall only receive pay for what I teach[.] They can get some gentleman if she declines it at last — a Professor⁵ an English Gent has offerred [sic] himself, a very clever man, has lived 13 years in this part, and is a much admired Teacher, is also a gentleman who has travelled, and speaks several languages. Col[o]n[el] Pickett⁶ said this Even[in]g talking of teaching that it was the only thing by which money is now made as cotton was so low — people are all going off to Texas we have a Gent & Lady visiting here from thence, they describe the Country as being most lovely and producing every thing abundantly. I have an invitation to go next winter back with them, They say I must go and when I have seen the Country I can report to you Boys but unless I can recommend Texas from my own experience I will say nothing on that strain — with regard to this part of America (Alabama) it is too new a Country to afford fruits, vegetables or anything to come up to our own dear native Isle but of course the fruits natural to the Country are here in perfection Water and Musk melons, peaches & Grapes, the three first we have every day and I much enjoy them, the finest Peaches are not yet ripe, but the small wild Peach grows Everywhere, we eat them with milk & sugar & they [2] ^are delicious, they also make Tarts of them, the Grapes are not yet quite ripe, but there is a fine show, nothing is so grateful in the middle of the day as the Watermelons, they lay them in the spring for several hours after gathering them, as they are then quite hot, today the 21^st has been the warmest day I have felt about 90 is the average in the middle of the day, I am not much inconvenienced and am in perfect good health, I think I have not been so well for years, the nights are lovely and this seems to refresh us for the next day's labor. They are never sultry as we have them in England, we have about 20 families all residing in this small Town, all highly respectable people none of the low grade of society and we all look as fashionable when we visit about in the evening as you do in London & more too for their stations, I merely mention this because I have heard the English say that anything would do to send over to the Ladies in the Southern States, for what was old and out of date in London would be new to them — whatever may have been the case before the steam vessels were invented is not so now for the Fashions from France reach New Orleans as soon as they do England

All plantations on the Alabama river is [sic] unhealthy at this time of year so they have ^{chosen this} beautiful spot for their Country houses in the middle of a large forest wild as Ever — the houses all stand wide apart with the trees around them, & the lot as they term it enclosed with a fence, the spring is a lovely retreat there are seats for visitors and the sun never shines upon them[.] they have built little houses over the branches to keep milk & butter in — I and another Lady have opened a Sunday school for the negro children. I walked home yesterday from the House at 11 O'clock forenoon & it was hot indeed! but I perspired so much that it does not hurt me, one is obliged [3] for comfort to wash and change linen twice a day, it is ^the omitting doing this that causes the cold ague chills which carry so many off in the Hot season, after all the many changes I have Experienced there is no climate to come up to old England & Wales as to beauty[.] We have a Family visiting here who are persuading me to go to Texas — but no, I think it is no use to go any further to look for teaching — here I will stay — as long as I want to Teach — If I had any idea of being able to return to England I would go to Texas on a visit to Mr Baker⁷ and sail over from New Orleans home, for I should like to be able to tell you & other friends all about it, but at present I shall not think of it — one thing at Robinson⁸ there is one comfort we have no mosquitoes or bad biting flies — a small yellow fly stings now & then and swells up as large as a halfcrown piece[.] They say they never have them in these healthy places, it is a great comfort to me as I should be most kill'd with the bite of the Mosquitoes if I lived at Savannah or New York. I had enough of them there, they almost sent me mad[.] I had 300 bites in two nights, I had a few bites while staying at Mr Jacksons⁹ but they came from the plantation[.] I ^think they are particularly fond of me — the Col[o]n[el] tells me the Thermometer was to day & yesterday at 100 at Montgomery[.] the Slaves here have a very indulgent Master & Mistress[.] We had a baby died yesterday of the fever, the mother of course grieved much for him he was her only child & a sweet Baby he was with blue eyes & flaxen hair & white skin, the parents are both yellow negroes, I think Mrs Pickett¹⁰ must be rather glad the dear child is removed, as it would have been sad to have seen a white boy a slave. I have bought myself a beautiful geneva gold watch it [4] goes well, and is of great use to me, as nobody ever knows the time here, and there is not a clock in the village, the watches are never right — the sun is their time piece — I hope I shall soon hear from Miss Russ & know how we are going to have the school in the winter, If someone takes the boarding part of the establishment I shall then stay on as Teacher at £200 p[e]r ann[um][?] I have some repute as a Teacher, Bishop Elliot¹¹ having written such a handsome letter in my favor has raised me in the estimation of the people here, they peop still want me to get married[.] There are only two english gentlemen about this part, I have only seen one the other is coming next week to see me, They are as pleased as I am and more so too to be in company with an English Lady[.] I have so much to tell them[.] They are both single men[.] Mrs Pickett says she is sure I must have one of them. I tell her that is not likely for it would be droll to come to America to marry an English man, & where there are so few — I suppose you would all be better pleased if I did, than marry a Yankee or a Southerner and this my dear Mother are [sic] my own wishes on the subject however pleasing & rich the Gentlemen of this Country may be — give me and honest open hearted man from my dear Native Isle — but we are not our own masters in this respect poor maidens — not young — not handsome ^{or pretty} must take what offers — or remain single — which I shall prefer doing — rather than unite myself to a man I cannot Love or esteem — These are ^now my real sentiments on the subject. & however I may hereafter act in discordance with this avowal — will be the effect of circumstances which actuates us all — as St. Paul says — "for what ^{the good that} I would that do I not and that ^{the Evil} which I would not That I do",¹² this shows even in the Apostle himself how much power sin has over us and we ^{in these modern days} must Expect not to be less exempt, but must therefore strive ^{the more} against the wiles of the Evil Tempter.