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are broken. More a_ thousand times more than tell of their woes to each other. Beneath a joyful guise and smiling face how many bleed in secret and throb and pant for death. Would that I could comfort you. Happily you have had recourse to a power mighty to succor and to save. May you then find the consolation to enable you to bear this otherwise irremediable grief.

You speak of Sally. She is all in heart & soul and mind that I could desire, but yet I tremble for her. What heart what soul what mind can escape such troubles as you have experienced. This will be my constant aim to avoid for her.

You speak of your Aunt Mary. It's no doubt you have not heard a true reason of the transaction with John which led to her anger I will give it to you. You know that the young man broke his thigh. It was a serious injury attended with great displacement. I was called to see him & had been attending on him two days before his master would come to see him even and his wife had not even sent him food. They are in such a passion on account of his disobeying their orders about going about the Rail Road. When John came down to Townesville he said he was determined to sell him if he could not get any thing like his value. I advised him not to do so but he said he would. He then offered him to several people for $450-- but no one would give it. The next days having a patient at his house I saw him again. He then told me he was about to sell the negro to a man named Peoples for $450. but greatly preferred that I should have him--I advised him not to sell him again--He however followed me out to the gate and said if I did not buy him he would sell him to Mr. Peoples. Now Mr. Peoples was an irresponsible man already in debt to me for years & unable to pay who intended to buy him on speculation, get me to care him, sell him again. Dear me with another addition to the debts he owed me. I therefore concluded I would be better