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2 February 1863
Powell Papers – 65 P875, Box III, Folder 4
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Springfield Feb 2nd /63
My dearest Mother
Having dismissed
my scholars for the day, eaten my din-
ner, & dressed myself, & attended to
one or two little jobs I had on hand,
I shall devote the rest of the after-
noon to a chat with you, though I
do feel a little tired, & consequently
you must not be shocked if my letter
is not very well written. Your last
letter reached me on Saturday, &
I was very glad to hear from you
again, for though not anxious, I grow
right impatient after more than
a week or ten days has passed without
my hearing from you & Pa. It has been
three weeks today since I had a
letter from Sis [Hattie], so I think the young
lady is treating me rather shabbily. I
was very glad to see from her last
letter to Nina that she was feeling
much better than before Xmas, & that
Maria was doing very well. I trust
the improvement will be permanent
as I suppose Col. Tucker is at home
by this time. I think the climate
of the lower country, & my present
mode of life, must agree particularly
with me, for I do not think I have
[2]
looked as well for a long time. I
don’t know that I am particularly
fat, but my skin is smooth & I have
a good color, & certainly am not thin.
Mrs. Bent remarked it when I saw
her in Farmville “Why”? she said
“you look so well, you don’t look at
all like the people in Winchester.”?
I was quite glad to hear that Pa
had decided not to take the school
in Farmville. Every thing which is
needed about a house is so very
high now, & so many things are
not to be had at any price, that
I think it is much better for us
not to go to housekeeping life after
the war if we can avoid it. I hope
very much that he has concluded
a satisfactory arrangement with
Mr. Haskins, as I think you & he
would both probably find his home
an agreeable house, & then it could
be right near Nina & myself, & Uncle
Fred, but I feel a little anxious
lest Mr. H should not be willing
to pay a fair salary. Mrs. Dickinson
tells me that he is noted in the
county for his closeness. I think
it would be well for Pa to limit
the number of scholars which
he would take for Mr. Watkins
& reserve the privilege of taking
these at his own terms. There
[3]
are so few good boys schools in the
county now that I think it very
likely he could be applied to take
nine scholars. Mr. Holladay had
a school of about 20 boys at $5 a
month here at the College & he
thinks it very likely he will have
to go into the army under the con-
script act this spring, & if he should
there will be no one to take his school
& I shall have Lennie & Clem on my
hands. I am glad to hear that
Uncle Wm has come out & brought
Arthur & the girls & to hear that his
household are all well, but very sorry
to hear of Uncle Llews affliction.
Truly there is not a house where
there is not one dead. When will
the measure of God’s wrath be poured
out upon our land, & His hand be
stayed. I pray that it may be soon
but I do not see any signs of a coming
peace. I suppose the danger of an
attack at Fredericksburg has passed
away & that it will be impossible
for the enemy to advance for some
weeks at least, & I am very glad of
it. How much wet weather we
have had in the last three weeks.
I have hardly been out any, & am
beginning to want fresh air & exer-
cise, but the time has not hung
at all heavily on my hands, on
the contrary it has passed away
very pleasantly, though we have
[4]
had very little company, May Belle
Foote (Mrs. Armstrong’s sister) has been
staying in the house all the time
but few other persons have been
here. I have knit 2 more caps
one for Lennie and one for Mrs. D’s brother
Capt. Irvine, & then I have read
quite an interesting novel, which
I hunted up on the office shelves
& am now renewing the romance
of my youth reading Byron’s Bride
of Abydos & The Corsair. Last Satur-
day (day before yesterday) I did not go
anywhere, neither roads nor weather
were in sufficient good order to
tempt one out. The Saturday before
Miss Wood & Miss Flournoy (?), two very
agreeable ladies from the Ct. House
came over & spent the day, so I could
not go away in the morning, but
in the evening Clem drove me over
to College to Dr. Atkinsons & I spent
the eve & night there & returned
with Mrs. D from Church the next
day. It was the first time I had
been to Dr. Atkinsons except to make
a call since I have been in the
neighborhood, & I had a very pleas-
ant visit, still I do not think I
shall go there soon again to stay, for though
May invites me to come I can’t
help thinking there is a little
want of cordiality in her invitations.
[5]
I heard from Mrs. Hopkins that Alf
had been discarded by Miss Page.
Indeed I think he has been very
badly treated. Did you notice Len-
nie Mason's marriage in the
Enquirer. He married a Miss Hill
of N. Carolina. The same young lad
I think whom I met with in
Stratford when I was there.
She was a very nice girl, but I
am surprised at her marrying him.
I always thought a little sense
a very desirable quality in a hus-
band. I am glad to hear from
Uncle Richard & I do hope he
will succeed in preserving our
western property. I hope too he
will send that money to Uncle Frank
& that if he can get & send us those
dresses he will do so. They say
every thing will be higher than ever
this summer. Mrs D. [Dupuy] and Mrs. Arm-
strong have gone to Farmville
today on a shopping expedition &
I asked them to get more things
for me, when they get back I
will tell you what they have
gotten & at what prices. I had
a very pleasant letter from Cousin
Llew last week in answer to
one I wrote him at New Year.
[6]
He seem to be well but to regret his absence from “dear
glorious old Va”? very much. I had a letter too from
Willie Hull. He was in Staunton & expected to join Imboden
in a short time. I sent him some of the socks Nina & I have
been knitting & he seemed very glad to get them says he had
been trying in vain to get some like them. I have not seen
Nina since New Year but if the weather will only be as
bright for the next 2 weeks as it is today so that the roads
can improve I shall try to go over & see her either next
Saturday or the one after. Mrs D. has just come back. She found
things very hard to get & very high. Got for me 2 yds of white cambrics
to make a spencer [?] at $1.75 cts a yard such as we formerly gave 37 ½ cts
for. I asked her to get me 8 yds of crossbarred muslin or cambric at
not more than $1.50 a yard for a morning dress but she could not
get it & blk goods (_____________ & alpacas) are $6 to $10 a yard. So
if anywhere you can find anything for a summer dress white
or black at not more than $1.50 a yard please get it for me.
I wish I had gotten a white wrapper last summer. Blk
gloves are not to be had. I am right well off for shoes at
present having gotten some white kid slippers & inked them.
[1]
Nina will want
an every day
summer dress
very much tho
will she not &
how are you
off. Well Goodbye
dearest Mother
with much love
to my dearest
Father & also
to all your house
hold I am
ever your devo-
ted daughter
Rebecca Powell
