6

{in pencil: 7-7-40
LP to sister Susan}

-4-

To Miss Susan S. Polk, Raleigh, North Carolina

Bayou {struckthrough: Lafourdes} {penciled in: (Lafourche)}

Apl. 7th, 1841

My beloved Sue:

I received your letter at New Orleans
and thank you for the good account you give of your journey.
I hope ma gave to those naughty young folks, who dared behave
so much amiss as to marry without her consent, a patient
hearing, and a kiss or two, by way of forgiveness. I did my
best for them, and as a requital shall hold them bound to be
very civil to me from this out, and be very good neighbours.
Give my love to them and say we shall be expecting them home
very soon, and that when they come they must bring ma and Sue
back with them.

I thought I should have found time to
write you when in N. O. but had not. I sent to ma as a
specimen of the growing national extravagance, a certain
paper,a coverlid which I hope she received. On its envelope
I marked the date when I was in N. O. I spent near two weeks
in the city the greater part of the time Lucius was with me.
He has grown quite stout and weighs very nearly as much as I
do and you know that I am now the heaviest man of the family.
Lucius I expect will ere long be rolling and trundling along
quite like a certain great ancestor of ours. We came up the
river and turned into this Bayou for the purpose of examining
lands. This is the great sugar region and we have been looking
and are yet to look at more plantations. We are pretty well
pleased, but do not know whether we shall purchase or not.
It is a most singular looking country. By looking at the map,
you will see that this Bayou leaves the Mississippi River