Saturday 27.
The morning spent in setting coppies, Sums &c., for the School—After Breakfast, I spent a couple of Hours in the Dancing-Room—Mr Lee in our Room raved against the Scotch—He swore that if his Sister should marry a Scotchman, he would never speak with her again; & that if he ever Shall have a Daughter, if She marries a Scotchman he shoots her dead at once!—At twelve I rode to Mr Washingtons, the Country extremely pleasant Dined with the Parson, his Brother, Mrs Smith, Miss Pettit, Mr Blain, Mr Buckner,[197] & several of Mr Lowes Boys; Mr Lowe was from home. On my return I found no company, except Grubb who had come in my absence. We spent the Evening after sipping our Coffee in Chat with Mr & Mrs Carter.
Sunday 28.
Mr Grubb rose very early, having yesterday made every previous necessary preparation, & set out for Home about One hundred miles Distance. He has so much good Nature, is always so cheerful, & at the same time void of any thing malicious, clamorous & impudent, that I cannot but esteem & very much respect him—On some whimsical unsubstantial Miff or other, however, our Girls cannot endure him—he wrote them some Copies the other Day, & tho' he writes a much finer neater hand than I they would not allow it, nor hardly—Strive to imitate—I laughed at the ridiculous, the perfect Picture of Female Caprice, & Obstinacy in Miniature—Sermon is to Day at Ucomico, so that I keep my Room—I wrote several Letters which are to be forwarded by Mr Blain, one to Jack Peck, one to John Duffield,[198] at Dr Shippen's[199] Junr Philadelphia, & one to Laura. I begun also a Sermon I understand by Mrs Carter & Ben who were at Church, that the Parson was unable to read Prayrs or Preach, having a Fever, but that there was a thronged Assembly; many I am told, have the Ague & Fever, but none are dangerous or have it fixed—
[Letter of Philip V. Fithian to Elizabeth Beatty]
Nominy-Hall. August 28: 1774.
To Laura.
There is a Letter of yours lying before me, in which you say "that if I had continued writing to you, it is more than probable you had been as negligent as ever; but that my leaving off for a Time has at last extorted a Letter from you"—Mighty pretty! I dare say the Sentiment is genuine, & you may be assured that I allow & believe it.
You are not, therefore, to account this any thing more than the Ghost, the Shade of a Letter; for, thinking this an extraordinary Case, I have gone beyond my usual Manner of speaking, in Order to convince you of my Resolution—And swore that I will not interrupt you til' I have received several.
If you receive this by the Conveyance I expect (I send it by Col: Lee who attends the Congress) it will be a few Days before I leave Virginia; for I intend, by the Permission of Heaven, being at Home by the beginning of November at farthest.