[Letter from Elizabeth Upshur Teackle to her sister, Ann Upshur Eyre, October 18, 1813]

18th Oct^r 1813 P.A.

My dear sister

I am griev’d and shock’d to learn the ill tidings your last letter brings. It has always been one source of comfort to me when I have been in bad spirits, or sick myself, to believe my friends were all well and happy; and now that I feel myself getting a little better in health and spirits, all those whom I love most in the world are comfortless and delirish’d with sickness. But I fervently hope soon to hear of my dear brother Eyre’s recovery, and that you are quite well again. It would be a bad thing for hope to desert us, and I thank God that in situations the most painful, I have always found some relief from hope. As to Ann Upshur, poor thing, and little dear Virginia, I calculated on nothing more than to hear of their present plight, and am truly sorry to have my fears confirmed. If she stays much longer in Peachburg her constitution will totally yield and she will become a valetudinarian¹ for life. I have a horror for that courtyard. We are all pretty healthy here, and I wish you and Mr. E cou’d take a ride up to see us. I think a change wou’d do you both good. Indeed, I shou’d be heartily glad also to have poor Ann and her little family with us. We here have been confined a long time to the same scene. I hope Arthur keeps well. I think from what you write concerning Mr E’s symptoms that his spirits

have been affected by the succession of unpleasant occurrences which have involved his quiet, and when his spirits give way, things must be in a bad condition. Mr. Teackle is not quite so well for these few days past. He has been extremely imprudent I think, and moreover has taken cold. Otherwise, he had apparently recovered perfectly. Eliz^th is quite hearty. I have determined, if health and circumstances permit, to take her up to Philadelphia in the spring to school. I am now becoming extremely uneasy about her, as she is getting advanced in the time for the completing her education, and has been doing nothing, as I may say, for two years, except that she is very fond of reading, and that is all she has done. She has been very busy knitting negroes’ stockings. She has read Goldsmith’s Histories of England, Rome and Greece, and also the history of America. I am very proud of her I can tell you.

I wish I cou’d think of something to make you laugh. But, oh dear! What can make us laugh? The democrats have circumvented us again in this state and it hangs by a hair whether we shall not have another Demo for governor next year. We have but one county to hear from, Allegheny, and its vote is doubtful. Colo. Wilson has promised to give me a merino ewe lamb. “Yes, Madam. I really, sir, will give you a madam, ram

next spring.” Oh, no Col^o. You said it should be a ewe.” “Did I say ram, Mr Murray? No, I say a, sir, ram, sir?” Murray was laughing fit to split his sides, and the Colo. took great pains to convince me that “it was a ewe,” and that he had blunder’d, being a little Nonnyipsy at the time. Mrs. Earle and Mrs. E Wilson were to have dined with me on Thursday, but Mrs. E’s child was taken suddenly and violently ill the night before which prevented them, so we had no one but a Miss Cecelia Davis from Harper’s Ferry and Mrs. John Dennis and Mr. George Wilson. All the rest either sent apologies, or did not come. This Miss Davis is an old Cambridge acquaintance of mine, and a very fine girl.

How does Louisa and Mary Anne’s Baltimore trip come on? I suppose Mary Anne has so much business on hand she will scarcely find time to leave home. I am greatly obliged to the Captⁿ for his remembrance of me, and wou’d rather have heard him say to my face all the kind things he said of me. I hope he will yet put his plan into execution, and suffer us to see his good humour’d face in P.A. Give my best wishes to him; and tell my cousin Josham he must challenge the Captn or he will never have arrive at the acme of fame and lady’s favour. George Wilson will be down upon him

soon again too, having made himself a hero, and worthy his pretensions.

God bless you all!
E.U.T.

P Anne M^d
October 18

Free L. D. Teackle P.M.
P. Anne M^d

M^rs. Eyre
Eyre Hall
Northampton C.H.