
          after her confinement. Sorrow & anxiety have no 
doubt bestowed this event. She had a premature birth 
3 weeks ago, & has been almost ever since in a wretched 
state from puerperal mania. Within these 3 days 
there has happily been an improvement in her:
her bodily health is better, but she is still in a 
very excitable state as to her mind. Whether 
this will be entirely restored to her, God only 
knows. She is & always has been with us since 
the marriage & this loss of William & nursing 
& watching have been almost too much for Lady 
Hooker & our only child who is at home, Maria. 
They have lately been very unwell & quite confined
to bed, but are now recovering. Indeed 
our house has been a [perfect?] hospital for some 
time past. The little infant lives & we hope 
will do well. My father has been quite well 
in health, but very sorrowful at seeing the 
young [father?] while he, at his great age, remains. 
Your little favorite, now no longer little, Mary 
Harriett is at a most excellent school, Mrs. Leeds
at Kensington, where the main object is to train]
the scholers [schoolers] for eternity, while at the same time 
nothing is neglected for [added: the] improvement of their 
minds so as to fit them for the best society. 
Our Elizabeth expressed a wish to go also, & 
she went last summer, but she fell also into 
delicate health & in the early part of winter 
she too has been obliged to seek a better climate 
& is now in the south of England in charge of
a most kind & excellent aunt. We found she 
improves, but notwithstanding the mildness of 
the weather there she is quite unable to leave her 
room. Nor are we without anxiety on Joseph's 
        