Bargain Town May 14^th
Saturday
My dear Sister,
I congratulate you on the return of your Husband
for by this time I suppose you are enjoying your own home
& with the little boys are all, I hope very happy. I feel
a good deal disappointed that I could not have gone on with
Henry, but I hope to be able to do so in the course of the Summer[ . ]
I have just returned from Phila where I spent a delightful week
with Mrs. Conaroe (Miss West that was of whom you may have
heard H. speak)— I found many agreeable acquaintances, and
begin to think better of the city— the people I think are more
hospitable & civil than the New Yorkers.
I have been cleaning house & of course am tired, the luxury
of a clean sweet no house compensates for much fatigue
I hope you have had a pleasanter Spring than we have
had, it has been so cold windy & comfortless I was almost
discouraged untill a few days it has been delightful Yesterday
we had a few radishes for a taste. I wish you would
tell me how you managed your son did you suffer
him to be out doors from morn till night? I cannot keep
my Augustus in at all & he will be so black you will not
want to see him, he is as hardy as a young Indian but small,
& very nimble I think he runs so much und he has not time to
grow— Looking over your letter just now I was surprised to find
it had been received more than a month since, time gets
along very swiftly tho it seems a very long time since I saw you

since I came home from the City I have hard work to persuade my-
self to be content in these sands, it is so dreary here & so little society
but I must not complain — tho’ I would love to have one dear friend
whom I could see occasionally. Will you accompany Henry to
Albanythis summer or remain in A— you can hardly have
made up your mind yet, if you were as much of a traveler
as I am obliged to be, you could come & spend that time with
me that would be delightful can’t you do so, bring Lasette
& the little Frances along.
Monday we came near losing our dear little boy again yesterday
Mary took him to the ice house & sat him down for a moment
she said on the straw whilst she came out to get something
to break a piece of ice, when she went back he was missing
he had gone down the side of the house where the ice had melted
& quite out of sight. Mahlon ran & pulling away the straw could
Just see his little bonnet, he laid down & made out to reach
him — dear little fellow I had almost despaired of seeing him
alive, we had not long been home and if we had been gone
I think he would have chilled or suffocated before there could
have been any help brought, the neighbors are mostly gone
he runs so many risques I think sometimes we shall never
raise him, it is almost impossible to keep up with him.
Did you know that GWShas been disappointed in a love affair
poor boy the took id Miss Whirley marriage quite to heart, he is
young enough yet. I rec'd a kind letter from my dear Brother tell
him on my return from Town, shall answer it before long give my
love to him & kiss the dear children & tell Augustus Aunt C will try
to get to Auburn& take the little Cousin

L.C. Canfield
Aug 14,1831