47

Germanton April 10th 1843

My Dear Wife
I left Lexington on Saturday
morning without hving received a single [line?]
from you, and was horribly depressed in spirits
in consequence of it. I concluded that you
must have been to sick to write for I could
not for a moment believe that you had ne-
glected to appraise me as you promised of the
condition of poor little Mary whom I left
sick. I did not think it probable that a letter
could have miscarried between Raleigh and
Lexington. The only conclusion to which I
could come then was that you were unable
from sickness to write. My anxiety was
very great until this morning when I learnt
from Mr. James [Morehead?] that his brother, the
Governor, came from Raleigh on Thursday
and reported that he had seen Richard and
Columbus just before he left and heard from
them that you were all quite well. I am
now at a loss to know how you could have failed
to write, or if you did write how I missed get
ting your letter. I shall expect a letter certain
ly at Greensborough, and I wish you to write
on Saturday and send the letter to the office
that day by [?] or keep, in order to ensure
exemption from mistake or failure.