Gold Rush Era Letters

on my voyage out here. I was somewhat surprised to hear that Friend Sarah J. H. hopped off so sudden at last but after all if she was bound to get married perhaps the sooner she done so the better & have it done with. The newly married couple have my best wishes for their future welfare & happiness. Suppose that Henry Loring & Miss Francis Tarbell also Mr Phelps & Miss Therise J. Wright are now married as Miss Lizzie Lewis wrote me that they were calculating on being married about New Years Hope they all fell [feel] better

I had heard of the destruction by fire of Chichering Piano Forte establishment previous to your writing

Saw an account of it in the Boston Journal which I received the 5th inst It was truly a sad affair, & I was very sorry to hear that the Piano which you had engaged for Harriet was burned but hope you will succeed in obtaining her another one soon. I am thinking that you mean she shall have a pretty nice one when she haves any, an idea which I like myself for if she can't have a good one she might about as well have none. I suppose she felt somewhat disappointed when she first heard the report of the fire but as you say she must learn with the rest of us "to take things as they come"

S. P. T. [Samuel P. Tucker] continues to enjoy good health & is now writing letters home John Griffin has now been out here about two months. He has got a room in the same building with us & we have some quite social times