folder 18: February 1856

[in bracket, top left] Miss [Florence B.King] c/o Messrs [Couper] & [Fraser]- Savannah, Georgia

Retreat 14^th Feb 1856

My dearly beloved [Florence]

I wrote my your three sisters by the Tuesday Mail. I have not time to write to all by this - [Geo] tells me you say you "have written me two long & one short letter since you left-me"- for those I thank you dear [Flora]!

I will forward tomorrow letters from your dear Father to each of you. I really dreaded the opening of yesterdays Mail so fearful of hearing bad news. God! be praised in this I was most delightfully disappointed I had two letters from your Father one from [Mall] - [C?ler] - [Lord] - [Tootee] (and she never disappointes me) & dear [Geo]. How mercifully I have been dealt with. I cannot be sufficiently grateful that I am permitted to hear of my poor [Appy]s improve ment- & that all the otherrest of you beloved ones are in your usual health. My poor [Appy]! [Tootee] says when she & [Cousin A.] saw the dear child on Saturday they both thought I ought to be informed how slowly she was mending- but the next day & up to Monday evening she seemed to be gaining more rapidly on the road to health. God! be praised! [Georgia] too speaks very encouragingly of her case as does [Lord]. [Florence] I am thinking my poor child has been much more ill than your letters would go to inform, me & yet I can't believe you [Geo] & [Lord] would have been going to balls had she been in danger

[left margin, written at right angle] 15. [Floyd]s bowels disturbed him very much yesterday & again towards day light this morning - I put first a mustard plaster & then a poultrice - he is now getting up feeling better- his knee is also less painful - breakfast is ready & I must conclude God bless you all my children your mother

[AMKing]

My poor little girl! certainly the worst fit of sickness she has ever had - to be from me & yet my duty to poor [Floyd] keeps me here. You & [Geo] cannot be too careful of her - should she take cold the consequences would be terrible on her already enfeebled constitution. Did the D^r ever think her case a dangerous one? I am sure you & [Geo] & [Clementine] did not let her suffer for want of attention. Kiss her tenderly for me. And tell her I think of her constantly. I am sorry to say poor [Floyd] is not so well the last two days - he begins to behave now that there may be danger after leaving his room. I do not think he has taken cold. for 12 days after breaking out - he had no appetite but for the last week his appetite has been enormous. It is true he ate only simple food but for two days past his bowels have been much out of order. & he consents to go back to rice & arrowroot with accasionally a corn waffle. I had to give him a Dovers powder last night. I wish I could be told what I had best do. I try to go by the Homœ :pathic book but I am very hard to understand that treatment. Dear [Butler] still oughs very badly but is out. I am sorry to hear that [Clementine] was complaining - God! grant she may not become sick Tell her [Christiame?] & her child are both doing very well. The former looks thin & is still quite hoarse but says she feels very well - the child was quite

sick on Tuesday better yesterday & today is as lively as a cricket. [Pussy] is as usual. No one ill but more sick than is agreable or [profitable?]. This eventhen is very favorable to [invali?] I hope it may give more rapid improvement to my precious [Appy]-

[Malley] & [Tip?] both assure me they are in good health []ly nothing complained of but the cold. You must be govern ed entirely by your sisters condition in your movement home. [?] not the slightest risk of her [?at?ing] cold - An ordinary journey taken in three weeks after having measles in good weather would I think be safe - but to leave a warm house for a streamboat cabin then to land & ride three miles in the night maywould be running a great ristk. If dear [Appy] convalesses faster gets (what she dear baby calls) quite well, if the weather is dry & clear & not cold. Then you can bring her home. For fear I may gorget to mention it next week. be sure to get from [D. Witt & Morgan] two warm blankets. Do not depend on Streamboat cover ing for [Appy]s bed. But she is not to venture until it is safe her so doing. Poor [Floyd] thinks it the wisest plan to keep from table & eat his rice in his chamber He had gone up into [Butler]s room & after dinner I went to ask him how he felt. He said "very well all to my knee I thought it very queer for his complaint to

fall so low as his knee. He then confessed he had run a tack into his knee & it gives him considerable pain yesterday he was hammering away at a [piece?] of board which flew up & gave him a back eye. He [c?] tainly is a most unfortunate youth all oweing to his own carelessness. [Pussy] has just sent me word that [Julia] has measles - Hang that [Miller Grant] say I. I suppose [Ginny Grant] has informed you of his heartless conduct to them? Mrs [JHCouper] has been on a visit to her Lords new possession Hamilton only remaining 3 nights [Butler] & myself called to see herself & [M^r couper] on Tuesday evening - I returned in quite a fit of the blues Having fully realized that Hamilton has in deed fallen into other hands. It is strange how I do covet that place even after all the negros are gone I should like very much to take a peep at you all my beloved children. Write to me particularly how my beloved [Appy] is - hide nothing from me. My beloved child I hope neither you, [Gea], [Lord], [Tootee] or her precious children may get sick Kiss each other for me kiss my dear [Tootee] her children & [Cousin A] for me. Take every care of [Appy] & yourselves for your own sakes & for that of your devoted Mother AMKing

Thursday 14^th Feb 56

My beloved child

I am quite uncertain who to address this letter to - I had got that far when the thought came into my head that by being industrious I possibly could get two letters written instead of only one for all of you. So I put this sheet aside to fill as much as I could to you after I had written on a smaller one to dear [Florence] paper being very scarce - I could not throw this one aside. Ten thousand thanks for the encouraging news you gave me in your last of my precious [Appy]. My heart died within me when I read the opinion you & [Cousin A] had of my poor child when you saw her on Saturday. Praise be to God! that your opinion was more favorable on Sunday & Monday. As the weather has been more favorable for invalids this week I hope & trust your next letter will contain still more favora ble news of my poor little girl. My situation is far from being an enviable one. Here am I separated from 7 children a beloved husband & those precious little ones. The only two I have with me are neither of them well - ([Floyd] has been ailing these two days - I do not think from fresh cold - but his appetite became very great during the last 8 days & he thinks as [Butler] & I do he has eaten too much for the weak state of his bowels - [He?] is glad to go back to rice & butter. He says he feels better this afternoon but he must go & run a tack into his knee I have just had a poultice put onto it) [Butler] renewed his cold some days ago & has been coughing more he says he has no pain now in his chest but that it feels very weak when he coughts). so much for the necessity for me to stay at home. Then there is my precious [Appy] I fear it will be long [ere?] she rejoins her usual health - I sussp suspect she was more ill than either her Doctor or sister were

[left margin, written at right angle] able to read this scrawl I am writing by candle light & shall not attempt to read this over - Tell dear [Lordy] I will answer his affectionate letter on Tuesday and that [Butler] will send the [grist?] for [?] my [Tootee] I try not to look forward to any other than a joy jul meeting with yourself your sisters & those precious children. God grant it will not be otherwise - your affectionate Mother [AMKing]