II 



CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 



r "^HIS chapter may most appropriately begin with 

 the following letter which has fortunately been 

 preserved. Jacob Heevener appears to have been 

 a carrier or local expressman between Reading and Phil- 

 adelphia who, in addition to packages, took charge of 

 letters and delivered them, probably at a lower cost than 

 the twenty-five cents then demanded by the United States 

 postoffice. The admonition to Jacob is written on the 

 outside of the folded and sealed sheet. 



From Mrs. Valeria Penrose in Reading, to Mrs. Lydia Spencer Biddle 



in Philadelphia. 



READING, Feb. 4th, 1823. 

 DEAR MAMMA, 



I can readily imagine how delighted you will be to hear of the 

 arrival of another grandson yesterday about half past twelve in the 

 morning. It was about ten days sooner than Lydia expected, but 

 she was, and still is so uncommonly well, we do not regret its having 

 come so soon. She was not very sick more than an hour or an hour 

 and a half, and I sent for cousin Betsey Eckert, who was the only 

 person with her besides the doctor. We had no bustle or confusion, 

 everything went on charmingly, and after the child was born, I was 

 so fortunate as to get a pretty good nurse, who will stay until Mrs. 

 Scott arrives, which I suppose will be on Thursday. 



Lydia expects you on Saturday or Tuesday, and I suppose if 

 you do not come she will have a complete chill. She says she never 

 felt half so well in any of her confinements, and I hope if you come 

 up for a week or two, to take good care of her, she will soon be quite 

 well. I almost forgot to tell you what a fine baby it is, very large 

 though not very fat, and looks a good deal like Will only it has dark 

 hair. They talk of calling it Spencer Fullerton, but I think it had 



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