Washington, Jan. 1, 1819
I tender you my sincere thanks, my dear friend, for your
kind letter to me, and which has given me real pleasure, a pleasure
not the less hightoned by coming unexpectedly. I hear but seldom
from Craftsbury, and excepting a letter from Mr Young dated the
18th of December, written on business respecting the port road, in which
is a note at the bottom where he says, 'he has that day seen you,
and that you and Mary are well', I have heard nothing from home
since you wrote being the 4th of Dec. It is true I have had a
letter from Samuel dated the 9th which gave me no information from
home later than yours -- I have written every week, part of the
time to you, and part to Samuel, and shall continue to do so
while I tarry here. You charge me in your letter to give
you a journal of passing my time here - I will do it cheerfully
and truly, and so few the incidents, and the same so uniform,
that a history of the employment of one day, is with very small
variations, the history of every day - After this preface I will
begin in the morning - I arrive about sunrise, look over the bu-
siness assigned for the day and at nine o'clock we breakfast; after
that we attend on the committees, or go to the public offices to
get the several claims allowed, which [ ] sent to us in great num-
bers - and then meet in the hall of representatives, where we attend
until three or four o'clock, then go to our quarters and dine af-
ter which if the streets are dry, we sometimes walk half a mile
and back - at 7 we have tea or coffee, and the
rest of the
evening we
devote to writing letters, reading the public documents, and newspa-
S.C.C. To E.C.
Jany 1. 1819
pers, and about ten go to bed - This is the journal of one day,
and a repetition of it makes the journal of a week, or month &c. -
It is true that our employment vary a little to day - Congress ad-
journed yesterday not to meet again until next - an account
of the death of the Mr Mumford, a representative from North Carolina -
who died yesterday and whose funeral we have attended this forenoon -
and for whom Congress will wear mourning for one month - Mr Mum-
ford was born at New London in Connecticut and emigrated to N. Caro-
lina, when young - and was related to the family of Mumfords with
whom you were formerly acquainted - There has been no
performances at the theatre this winter, so that the only places of
resort for the beaumonde, is at the Presidents, about once a fort-
night, at levee, and the British an French ministers, about as
often; these levees begin at 8 in the evening and last until about
ten - and the whole process, as I am informed, (for I have never at
tended one), consists in making [ ] and showing themselves, and
if you please, taking a piece of cake and a glap of punch or wine.
Some of the members attend the levees, but I believe no one from
Vermont - I have in general enjoyed a tolerable state
of health - I expect you have some pretty cold weather in Ver-
mont - it has been cold here; for about a fortnight the ground
has been covered with snow and the river frozen about five inch-
es, and for several days the sleighs have run briskly - to day
it is thawing and the roads very muddy-
Give my sincere love to Mary-and accept the assur-
ance of my sincere love and affection to yourself.
Samuel