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16 January 1863
Powell Family Papers – 65 P875, Box III, Folder 4
_ _ _ _ _
Kenmuir Jan 16th 1863
My darling Nina
I have delayed my letter
a little in the hope each day that I might
be able to tell you something more about our
arrangements or that your Uncle W & the
girls might come & give me the more to
write about. But I have nothing more to
tell about either – We have not heard a
word from Leesburg, nor has your Father
recd an answer to his proposition per Mr
Haskins. He has given up all idea of going
to Richmond for this winter and desires
to get employment as a teacher. I do not
know what inducements Farmville may
offer. As it is a Methodist institution
I suppose they will desire to get a Meth
odist teacher. I do no see in any of the
papers any advertisement from the trustees.
It would be expensive to go to housekeeping
or to board in Farmville & I suppose too
[2]
it might be difficult to procure the services
of a good music teacher, which would be
indispensible in a girl's school. I hope
your Father will be able to arrange with
Mr Haskins, as I should very much like
to be near Hatty for a while & observe her
health, and I think too that in these times
perhaps it is better to be in a private family
with no expenses except your clothing,
though I do hope we shall not have to continue to
live so very long, for I do pine for the time
when I may have my children around me
once more. We have all to bear our parts in
the inconveniences & privations as well as
the afflictions which this war has brought
on our country & we must not expect to
be exempt. I wish very much now that
your Father could get employment at once
His health is restored & now I feel as if
it was wrong to be here any longer than
we cant possibly help, though Mr G
& Fanny are as kind as possible. It will
be irksome for your Father to teach small chil
dren – but Mr. H's are not
[3]
very young – The eldest boy is 17 – If there are
any very young, I can help him with them.
I am very glad darling that you had such a
pleasant visit in Charlotte – It must have been
a great refreshment to you & I hope will
enable you to work again with renewed
energy – Not that I think you need to work
any harder yourself or to make the chil=
dren work harder – You must be careful
not to require too much of them. It is a
great mistake. Try to get them to work
with interest & spirit, but dont expect too
much of them – Neither Children nor grown people
can do their best all the time. I should
be very glad if you had opportunity for
more reading, but if society fills up your
spare time, I dare say it is as good
for you & at any rate, you have not the
choice. Read any light work that may
you have work enough to do in your school time &
fall in your way, provided it is not en-
light words will be better for your noon retire time.
tirely worthless – Any of Scott's novels one
Have you read that Bleak House of Dickens' which
again. Carhil (?) is very nice: but I should
I read – It is worth reading.
not read it all through – The Task is
[4]
considered his best work – His thoughts are
very pure and his versification smooth
and elegant, but I never was at all
He has been called the Poet of familiar life & is remarkable
absorbed in his poetry. It flows like
for his common sense views & good moral & religious senti-
a clear stream over smooth stones, but
ments. Yr Father thinks his versification is rather strong than
there is nothing very striking or grand.
smooth –
Milton now is very different. He has much
more force to sublimity. I have been reading
a good deal lately while I knit. I have
read a volume of Doct Chalmers sermons –
The Christ of Hist – over again – a vol of Miss
Strickland's lives of the Queens of Eng[land] – Bryon's
Childe Harold's Pilgrimage – (I wish you cd
read that especially the last two Canto's)
There is much that is objectionable in this
but it is not necessary to drink in any
of his false news & the poetry is very
beautiful. I have read Vanity Fair & Pen-
dennis too & a book of Mrs S_______ to women
& Woman's thoughts about Woman &c &c. We are
reading aloud at night a new work of Bulwer's
"A Strange Story" which is a story
about Mesmerism & Magic & is well writ
ten & exciting. We sat up one night till
[1 - Top]
20 min after 9 & the
clock is always 1/2 an
hour too fast, but the
next morning Kate
announced that sitty
up after 9 did not
agree at all with
her – She had mis
sed that hay here
all night & did not
feel at all like get
ting up at ________
here this morning.
So you see we are
not at all dissipa-
ted on our morals.
Give a great deal of love to Mrs Redd,
Mrs W – Patty, Mr. R
and all – Tell them I would be very glad to be able to
drop in on them.
