Washington March 18th
My dear Sister,
I feel that my letters so hurriedly
written are a poor return for the long
and entertaining ones you send me – I think
sometimes that I will write a little every
day for I forget what I write or rather
to whom – you or Fred – but every day
being its own peculiar occupation –
When Mr & Mrs Cary came they broke up
my school which has not been thoroughly
organized since – the French lesson
and sitting for their pictures are daily
interruptions just at this time – It is
impossible for me to tell when I left off
writing to you – I will assume that it
was a week ago – Friday evening we all
went to hear the Hutchinsons who being
under the ban as abolitionists we felt
obliged to patronize – I liked them for their
apparent love of each other and for their
natural singing – Saturday – Mr & Mrs
Howe dined with us with four gentlemen
among them Mr Schoolcraft – in the evening

we went to see Miss Davenport who was
quite as attractive as when we saw
her last Winter – the other performers
were very indifferent – Sunday, although
I had made an engagement with Mrs
Sackett to go to Church, I was too ill
to go out indeed I sat up but little all
all day – Tuesday Henry had invited 5 or 6
gentlemen to dinner – When I arose in the
morning the first piece of information
that I received was that Mary had
been sick all night & was unable to
do any thing, then came a messenger
saying Thomas, our waiter could not
come round because he was sick, Miss
Bennet then said that she did not
feel able to get up that morning – the
prospect of a dinner was rather discour-
aging – I went first for Mrs Thompson
and then drove all about town in pursuit
of a waiter finally as an especial
favour succeeded in getting a competent
one to give me three hours of his
invaluable time, he and all the others
being engaged to Mr Corcoran for the
evening – N.B. At Mr Corcoran's last

soirée he had a quantity of plates stolen
by his guests – many of whom came
without invitations – I worked hard all
the morning & when dinner time came
I felt very little like going to the table –
The party consisted of Messrs McCrea & Brooks
senator from Missisippi Lieut PageU.S.N.
and Charles Sumner and a gentleman from
Boston by the name of Forbes – I left
the table early to attend to my patients –
Mary was in bed all day – George Grier
dined from home that day – Wednesday was
the day appointed for Senator Jones of
Tenessee to reply to Henry on intervention –
so I went early to the Capitol – but
the senate Chamber was smoky –
the day was rainy – and the galleries
were thin – so the speech was
deferred until Thursday – Mr Grier
and I went to the House of Rep– where
we heard a speech from a free soil
Democrat of Ohio – we stayed here until
it was nearly time for the Senate to
adjourn – went for the children whom I
had left in Frankensteins room – picked
up Henry and drove home. Yesterday (it is
now Friday) I arose with a bad headache

but I did not like to relinquish my intention
of hearing Mr Jones so I went up with
medicine in my pocket – The galleries were
very satisfactorily filled and the speech
was adapted to the audience – you will
read it – Jones has always been a very
popular speaker at political meetings
that I should think his forte though
Henry says I undervalue him – Henry is
very charitable & generous – I think Jones
is a generous man, that is as generous
as a man can be who has always
lived at the South – it was evident
his sympathies were on the side opposite
the one he advocated. I have not yet
heard the general impression made by
his speech but I am quite sure that
Henry's is not affected by – George Grier
left this morning – I came home sick
from the Senate & have ^was^ not able to bid
him good bye – I have your two letters
from Auburn – I am sorry Dennis is so faithless
but I think as it will not now be
more than 6 weeks before I go home that
it is hardly worth while to take Bob
away – I wish very much to engage
the colored woman you mention. I know
all about her & presume I will finde