[Letter from Elizabeth Upshur Teackle to her sister, Ann Upshur Eyre - December 16, 1799]

Phila December 16^th 99

My dear girl

Your two letters which were intended to be sent by Hickman, I have just received from the penny post. The excuses you made for my apparent neglect were kind and sisterly. You are right. I never will neglect you whilst it is in my power to do otherwise. I did write to you two or three days after my arrival in P___, but I really think I directed my letter to S----. Thus my heedlessness amounts for you not having receiv’d my letter, and not any lack of regard. In it I gave you an account of all the male acquaintances I had then seen and I don’t think I said anything about Hollingsworth. I had not seen him, well, he call’d five or six times (by his own account) when I was out. At last he came one evening when my ladyship was at the Theatre.¹ He was determined to see me and so went there where he sat in our box all the evening. To be sure he look’d dismal. He had had the jaundice and was just recovering, his manners and prepossessing qualities are the powerful same. He enquired minutely after your health and seem’d pleas’d when I told him of your recovery. Ann, that fellow is

the very quintessence of correctness. I sing his praises in such a masterly style that some good gentlemen tell me I am inspired by love. E’en let them have it so, but you know my heart my dear girl. It is not H’s, but [my] own “free as air.” I was diverted the other night with the said lady and one Davis (you know him from Maryland). D__ is [ ] Democrat, H__ a gentleman. They began on politicks, introduced by D__ and I cou’d not help laughing to see how H confuted him on every point. I began to be afraid they would forget themselves and grow too warm, so I call’d them both to an account and wonder’d at their want of gallantry in talking on a subject unintelligible to me. I said I thought they knew very little how to please a female when they debarr’d her from partaking of her favorite amusement vis. talking. At this elegant and witty harangue they both laugh’d and thus ended my fears. I can perceive that ever since that evening D has disliked H – and truly if being as far superior to him as the sun is to the a candle can raise the envy of

D – poor H must lift the burthen of his most rancorous enmity. I plague Davis with praising Hollingsworth whenever I have an opportunity.

What do you think? J. Fisher has not been to see me yet! He knows I’m in town for I saw him at his father’s. Ben and I often meet in the street, he walk’d with me the other day, I’m sure 9 miles. I had your finest muslin in my hand carrying it to Mrs. Wright’s. He begg’d to carry the bundle and I gave it to him. Oh thought I! If you knew for what this muslin was design’d what wou’d you think? He prais’d it and ask’d me if I’d forgive him should he drop it in the mud. I told him ’twas not mine but that I was sure the lady for whom it was intended wou’d forgive him so slight an injury (and I again thought further) when she cou’d be so thankful for one which the world might esteem of so great import. My dear girl! How fortunate you have been.