Washington City
Feb. 13. 1859.
Mary,
Another week has passed since
I wrote Lizzie, who, no doubt, informed you;
& I am now quite as well as usual. There is
[is] now but three weeks left of the session.
I have recd. & answered a letter from
Frances since Ellen had a letter from Thomas
& I have, at the solicitation of the girls,
promised to visit them on my way home
at the close of the session.
A very unpleasant proposition, that is,
the acquisition of Cuba, is now agitated in
Congress & will occasion much discussion &
I may have to perform & present a full
speech on the subject. You know such a
preparation & performance is a matter
of real work for me. Others may so entirely
discuss the matter that I shall feel excused.
A few days will determine.
I was out to dine one evening last week
at J. Thompson's Secretary of the Interior. It was
entirely a party of gentlemen & the dinner was
much as usual. Four Senators & the rest
members. On my return in the evening I
called at Mr. Sexton's party of gentlemen &
stopped a few minutes. I declined one
invitation to dine out next Tuesday. The
weather is now dry & fresh, but most of the
time it is rainy & damp, & in such weather
I go out as little as possible & never in the
evening. I have been this day to hear the
Congregational minister Mr. Bassett. He
preaches in the church where Dr. Butler
once preached & where we used occasionally
to go with Mr & Mrs Buffington. His
discourse was mainly of slavery. His
audience very thin & indeed it is quite
obvious he will not succeed in getting up
a congregational church in this city.
It being settled that our Meetinghouse is
to be repaired, I suppose some other place
of worship must be had for the next season
& I hope some measures may be taken to
obtain the Town Hall, but presume they will
take no measures until the opening of next
spring. I think the arrangements for our
work should now be entered upon immediately.
I suspect from what Mr. Williams wrote me
that no meeting for action will be holden be-
fore my time of return. I need write no more
of this as I presume it is enough a topic of
conversation at home without my writing.
We hereafter meet at 11 o clock instead of
12, So have time for nothing in the morning
but I make it up at night, never going to bed
before 12 o clock.
Love to all. Good night-
.Affectionately Your Husband.
P.S.
Monday Morning (Feb. 14)
Just recd. Mary's note of last Friday.
All well. Tell her Mr. Ewing says Mrs. Sherman
now resides at Levenworth Kansas & her health
is now good.