The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-01-05
Published by Request
AN OLD LETTER
copied Prom The Book of The Knox Family.

From Mrs. Susanna Knox to her
daughters at Windsor, written during
trip to Winchester;
Winchester, Apil 90, 1899
My Dear Girls:
have the inexpressible happiness q
telling you that your brothers sOd sis
ters are perfectly well Of the small-pox
and have not a marx. Anna had three
on her face, and the others had just one
apiece What feel on the occasion Is
more than am able to express. and |
shall therefore not attempt 1t bat leave
1t to yourselves to imagine
My time will now PISS most aRree
ably as l never met q more oheimirg
set of ladies'. have already made
four visits. and have forty more TO
make. IL have one.
fret vent to DR.. MAckey's. He haf
q handsome house. elegantly furnished.
l think his drawing.room is one Of the
senteelest l ever saw. Mrs. NJ. is
foe, sensible, lively woman their
d lughter, Miss Mackey, e girl OF about
fifteen, is lovely, and has the most pre-
possessing countenance imaginable
the doctor reminds me Of Dr.. Leyster,
in Cecilia he laughs at me Whenever
he meets me In the street, and asks M
Il sll my children are dead yes. or only
a pAttl He is a fee, sensible old &c
tleman. My next visit was to Me-
Bush. She was Miss MaCalle.ttr,
bred np In Baltimore. She Is a most
beautiful little creature, with the most
gentle, pleasing manners In the world.
She lives about three doors from Mr.
Peacock's, and is particularly fond Of
Mrs. P, as indeed oil her neighbors
appear 10 be. There never passes day
but Mrs. Bush is here or we go there
sometime or other. / really feel some
thing like a maternal tenderness fJr
her. her manners are so like your SIS.
ter Vosss, and it appears to be recip'
rocal, for tho go there frequently
twice day. her lovely, animated face
will brighten up on my entrance as If
her mother had come to see her She
makes one Of our party this evening
to hear the organ for On hour or two
Yesterday we drank tea with a Mrs
Tidball. another most delightful wo-
man. She was bred in Philadelphia;
her husband Is a merchant # eminence.
and she made the greatest display of
plate at her tea table that ever cav.
A large solid-silver tea urn, coffee pot
tea pot, cream pot, sugar pot, slop
bowl, and q large silver goblet on the
side table, all beautifully ornamented.
They live in a very large stone house
l was only in the drswing.room that
was very handsome one, elegantly
furnished with mahogany. A settee
cover with copper. plate calico, red and
white, the widow curtains the same.
with white muslin falls drawn up IN
festoons with large tassels as big o.
my two fists.
They serve tea about in this town II
the prettiest manner ever saw Is any
where. They have two tea boards be
sides the one oD the table, one Is fillet
with tea and coffee, ana the other will
ell good things you can think OF =
toast and butter. puff paste. queen cake,
light cake, hard biscuits. thin slices OF
bread butter ed, and small plates OF
chipped beef and venison ham; one
servant takes one Of the tea boards
and one the other, so the company Is
supplied with very little trouble; IN
short, 1t is the most charming place
ever was at in my life. and although ]
want to see your papa very muchs yet
when the time comes to depart, l am
sure shall leave it with q sorrowful
heart. and 1 should be upgrateful If ]
did not.
The day before yesterday l visited
our acquaintance, Mrs. Gustin, and
am happy to tell you she seems to have
everything very clever and comfortable
about her. and anywhere butWinchester
would appear very fine. The doctor is
in excellent practice too, 30 that hope
they will do very we'll; they have both
been extremely kind and attentive to
me. There must be something condu-
Give to hospitality In the air Of this
place, o. why should q stranger, who
came here for her own convenience
alone, meet with such universal kind
ness, for it is not from the higher
class alone that experience this aiten'
tion. but many Of lower order, who
are entire strangers to me. seem snx-
ious for the welfare CT my children
kind. benevolent beings. miy prosperity
ever attend them; though ! suppose l
am partly indebted 10 my good host and
hostess, who seem to be very much be-
loved by all their neighbors and know
,heyare bothvery partial to me anG mine.
that rather suspect their kind hearts
have blinded their better Judgment go
far as 20 make them represent me as
one above the common order Of beings
and their neighbors seem disposed to
take their word for 1t
Mr.. Peacock has just made a pur-
chase Of beautiful lot with a very
pretty house, q number Of fine fruit
trees, q good garden andia we'll on IL.
and only gives e2OO for It. end that IL
- -. ....~,.o~ Al a,