[Letter from Elizabeth Upshur Teackle to her husband, Littleton Dennis Teackle, January 20, 1810]
Mentioned in this letter
Princess Anne 20th Jan, '10
My dear husband
Last mail, coming irregularly, and again setting off when I was not aware of it, is the only reason why you had not intelligence of me sooner. To be sure, I have not much to say after repeating my affectionate solicitude for your health and welfare. I have been sorry since I wrote you last that I mention’d my customary mishap, least you might have made more uneasy for me, than the real state of the case admitted. For altho’ I have been confin’d to the house, prudentially, for nearly a fortnight, yet excepting a little debility, I have suffer’d no unpleasant effects from my misfortune.
As usual, I have heard much of your affairs rumour’d since you left me. The last report is that you have sold your ship for 100,000$, 50,000$ to be paid in money and 50,000$ in coffee on her
being delivered to the Haytian Government. I have also been told that you are to equip her in complete man of war style and that you have bought another ship also, and are fitting her out for a sea voyage to go in her yourself. I am satisfied, whatever you do is for our mutual advantage and therefore shall never say one word, pro or con, as becomes me best, but this - I hope you will beware of Imposters, nor let your property go without good sureties for the needful. The world abounds with specious villains ever on the watch for whom they may distroy, or turn to their own account. And you are so open, so generous, so unsuspecting, so liberal in very thought, word, and action. You have often told me that I am more cautious in some things than in all respects comports with generosity, but I never suspect ‘till my mind has been roused by appearances of good cause, and then, I am always awake to that one point, though astute to every other perhaps.
Whatever you many think proper to entrust
to me of your affairs, I shall be thankful to have. It wou’d serve to satisfy my mind and give me some just idea to go upon.
Mrs. and Mr. King have come on a visit to their mother; and Mary, I am happy to see, is very cheerful and happy. I had invited them to spend an evening en famille with me on tuesday. Mary ask’d for you, so does every one of your fr’ds. Poor little Elizath has made her first attempt in writing a letter and begs her dear papa to excuse it. She work’d hard all last Sunday morning to prod[torn page] [it], [torn page] the mail left her letter as well as [mine].
Will you be so good as to buy me a [new] split pen (metallic). I am so unfortunate in having always a bad one, that it is shameful to see my scribbling, and cannot make one fit to write with. Don’t omit the firkin of butter I wrote for. I hope to get a long letter per post from you, and and with that hope say
Adieu my love
T
The girls are distracted for fun they shall have no balls as Mr. Teackle is away. My back is so weak that I must go to bed, it is late.
20 Jany 1810
Litt'n D. Teackle, Esqr.
Barney’s Hotel
Light Street
Baltimore