Ills Mother. 79 



can never feel alone, whilst he is conversing with 

 his Avife — for writing is conversation. 



I am quite well ; have enjoyed mA'self about as 

 much as a man can be expected to do, who is very 

 fond of domestic life, and who, after a very few days 

 from home, finds the world a busy, bustling scene, 

 in which he feels no interest, sufficient to cause him 

 to wish a longer absence. 



I have done what I had to do, and I have attend- 

 ed to my and my mother's affairs, as far as I could. 

 I am packing up all that I think will be useful to 

 her. We leave liere to-morrow for New York, and 

 sail in the steamship for Charleston, on Saturday 

 next. 



The parting with her early friends will be hard 

 to my mother; but she wishes to come to us — besides, 

 she wants the comforts of religion. I am quite de- 

 lighted with Dale's children, their attention to their 

 grandmother merits the esteem of every one. 



Little Harriet is so great a likeness to our Harriet 

 that I sometimes forget myself, and almost imagine 

 that I have my daughter before me. There are 

 many inquiries about you, and sister Maria, and I 

 think, that you would enjoy very much another 

 visit here. 



Two days ago I visited the Bald Mountains — cer- 

 tainly among the most splendid views that ever I 

 beheld. Albany, Troy, Lansingburg and Water- 

 ford, were so near that it seemed as if I could throw 

 a pebble into either of them — the beautiful Hudson 

 and Mohawk rivers were flowing gently by, as if at 

 my very feet. They were covered with boats and 

 bridges, a dozen villages and a hundred farms, were 

 in my eye at the same moment. The hills and 

 valleys, were covered with green pastures and nu- 

 merous flocks ; the sounds of busy industry and the 

 music of a thousand warblers that chanted around 



