[Letter to Hetty Teackle from her nephew William White Bancker]

[To Miss Hetty Teackle]

Philadelphia March 28th 1837.

Dear Aunt,

Whether diffidence in obtruding my correspondence upon your Ladyship, or arrogance in supposing that my epistles by being, like "the visits of the angels few and far between" would consequently be more precious and acceptable, is my plea for apparent indifference negligence, I will not presume to infer, nor will I like Master Midshipman Easy attempt "to argue the point", but rather, when I have comitted a wrong, ^or been at fault -^ like a good Christian, endeavour to retrieve my error.

But, to speak more seriously, my dear Aunt, I was very glad to learn that your health had so much improved during your visit at the South; altho' I do not much wonder at the effect; as I always considered a warm climate and warm hearts to be a sovereign cure for the most obstinate chronic[s?], and my only prayer is, that my poor mother, who has been so long a sufferer, may yet have a opportunity of again

visiting the scenes of her childhood and enjoying that change of scence and atmosphere which she has always found to benefit her. As the spring advances, the mildness of the weather allow her occasionally to walk down into the parlour, and had she now the strength to endure the fatigue of a short ride, I believe she would rapidly improve.

(Your two Letters to my sister and cousin Virginia I had the pleasure of reading, and had the gratification of deliverying them to those young ladies who were highly delighted with what I said I had purchased from a boy in the streets.

We have had our agreeable Cousin, spending the interval of her vacation with us. She had never before this visit to our City, seen any of her numerous cousins here, and you may suppose she was somewhat surprised to meet with such an assemblage. Her education and manners have been formed with the requisites which so little characterise it the tone of the present school, that she is a pattern .

As you know, the most judicious plans of education her have been pursued, and she has been brought up under the charge of females who are an orna[illegible] to their country. How happy it is, that when a child has the constituents of a fine character, that it is tutored by those whose highly cultivalted

powers enable them to form it in the right mould. Mrs Sedgewick was, I believe, one of her earliest friends.

Time and circumstances are working changes here; our mercantile world is in great confusion, occasioned by the failure of some of the prominent houses; all attributed to the ongoing obstinacy of your friend the hermit ex president, for you know they say, he was a great favorite with the ladies, and of course I suppose that you admire his friendly successor, upon the principle of "love me love my dog" or rather as you know, he wants against to cut the Gordian knot and then to tye it once more in an indissoluble cord chain which the Lady of his affections is to hold till the last link is broken; so that you must espouse his cause, attend his public and private levees and then invite us to your wedding. My flame, by the bye, is not to be forgotten, altho' I don't take any more of those twilight walks in order as you said to evade your presence, still I am as devoted as ever and hope to be so 'till death us do part. I feel much for her as she has now for some time been suffering from a severe cold, which you are depreses the spirits as well as the health. She is about to leave Mrs Smiths. Mrs E. M. has a most interesting little girl, a remarkably pretty [babe??bale??], but the affliction of her recent loss seems to be opened afresh by any occurrence which revives the recollection of her little darlyng, and it seems as tho'

notwithstanding the powerful resource which she finds in religion, that nothing can remove the weight of distress that oppresses her.

We have had Robert Taylor and his pretty wife with us. She has not altered in the slighest degree excepting that her loquacity is greater than formerly and when she now speaks, she throws about her pretty eyes, that were she not as they say "upon the shelf" I believe she would have made a great many hearts feel funny. -- Our church affairs I must inform you as churchwoman, are at present in excellent train. Parson Do catch it according to Gauter is still prebendary of St Stephens, with its painted glass.

[pencil note middle of page: Mention of Cousin [illegible] Teackle (Priory)]

To cut matters short, Cousin [E. J.??] goes as ever in with Mrs Austin. Her [3 illegible words] is partly the [object?] her visit. her decrepit [lover?] is in my opinion a very [shabby ??] fellow. She was to have met him here. Cousins Chauncey with uncle are well. Cousin: S was at a little party Nelly gave to her little friend. ^and [illegible]^ We had a dance to gether I wished much you had been with us. We are all very well at present. All unite in their love to you. Will you remember us affectionately to Cousin Mary and to William and C. Elisabeth S. &c and to Mr Eyre. Present my best regards to cousin Mary Eyre and tell her I often think of her kindness to me, and that we hope she may deign when she next leaves home, to pay us a visit with cousin William and little [illegible]. Begging you not to forget the wedding.

Believe me your affectionate nephew W. W. Bancker.

P. S. V. received Miss A. Floyd's letter, through the politeness of Lieut: Barns, who also handed in your two.