L. B. Randolph Writing to his mother, Mrs. Thomas Eston Randolph.

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Mary was slightly affected by the water once for a few hours, &
Jeff was one day sick. Nanny's child too was smartly in-
disposed, but the rest of our party were blessed with stomachs
not to be affected even by hot rotten lime stone water.
Elizabeth felt no ill effect from it, from first to last.
I begin to think she is as strong as old Iron himself.
This is a very comfortable house of Francis's, roomy and airy
& quite good looking for a log pen. The floor of our loft
(Mary's & mine) is not nailed down, and the seams gape rather
more widely than is pleasant, but we have remedied the
evil by spreading down your parlor carpet. the house
is on a little eminence, skirting the barrens, but with
hammock enough round it for beauty & shade. the yard
is fenced in, & nicely cleared up with only a few trees
left standing; at the back of it is a fine crop of cotton
growing, & round the other three sides the most spleen-
did growth of forest trees I ever beheld. superb oaks
covered with the long moss of this country which
I cannot describe to you. I never even imagined any
thing so beautiful and so graceful.
I believe Francis had found everything going on as well as
possible. this is fine country I am sure, and worth the
trouble of getting to. dear Mother, it strikes us all now
as a perfect absurdity that we should ever have talked
of this journey for you. you! I really believe Lucy
could not have borne it. no one can, without personal
experience form an idea of such an expedition as this.
Bonaparte's Russian campaign could not have been harder
upon a soldier, than this journey to a delicate woman.
I am all impatience to have our building begun. If you
do not come out immediately I hope Papa will write, or has

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