20 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



better be Elihu Spencer. I suppose you will decide when you come. 

 Will and Sam are delighted with it. I am afraid they will kill it with 

 kindness, they are so rough. Will catches hold of it as it were wood 

 or stone. 



Lydia says she has a long message to send you. She is now 

 asleep but I suppose I must leave room for it. Love to all. 



Yours affectionately, 



VALERIA. 



P. S. Lydia wants to know whether you think Aunt F. would 

 like her to call the baby Spencer F. She is afraid perhaps it may give 

 Aunty some dislike, or rather recall disagreeable recollections to her 

 mind. 1 If you think that will be the case she will call it Elihu 

 Spencer. She likewise wants a box of tapers, which I forgot to bring, 

 a bottle of lavender, and some raisins for cake. I believe this is 

 all her important message, except that I must tell you she is uncom- 

 monly well. V. F. P. 



N. B. Please give my compliments to Mr. H. Hall and request 

 him to send me a few books, some entertaining ones for Lydia and 

 some improving ones for myself. I leave it to him to select, as I 

 have such entire confidence in the goodness of his judgment. Lydia 

 wants a few smoked herring. V 7 . 



P. P. S. 

 DEAR MOTHER, 



I observe by the city papers that the puerperal fever prevails in 

 the city. As this is a disease which is peculiar to ladies during their 

 confinement, almost invariably proves fatal, and as it is believed 

 that the infection is conveyed from one sick chamber to another in 

 the clothes of nurses, should Nurse Scott have attended any lady 

 who has been sick with it, it would be advisable that she should 

 leave the garments she wore at the time, in the city. I have heard 

 of no case of the kind in this neighborhood this season. V. P. 



Jacob Heevener will please to carry this letter round to Mrs. 

 Biddle's as soon as he gets into the city, as she may wish to come up 

 with him in the stage the next morning. 



1 Owing to the recent death of the cousin so named. 



