All as yesterday. Three regiments have gone off quietly. There are fewer people to be seen and there is less noise and bustle in the streets—transportation business having mainly ceased. The soldiers with their legs hanging out of the armory windows look very hot and weary. They keep sentinels patrolling the sidewalks in front and we hear the drums for morning and evening parade. Mike says that the people up his way generally sat up all of last night fearing riots. But except with the newsboys I know of no other signs of excitement. Now that their boss is gone the newsboys cry aloud late at night without restraint or temperance.

Meats have gone up 2 to 4 cts a pound and if the embargo is not broken in two days the supply of the city will be exhausted. We are fattening Curry in a little pen and baiting cats and doves in the yard. When these are exhausted we shall have the rats and spare the canaries to the last. How little we thought that Providence was providing for us when we complained of the [331] rats forming a colony in our house! Last evening I found a bug on my couch. (Rats can support life on bugs).

Richardson is here. Mary Barret is not.

We have not heard from Owen.

John is very well.

You know that although I speak and read French fluently I do not always catch what French people are saying when they talk rapidly or excitedly. You have observed my difficulty? There is a clerk at the office who has the same. And today I saw a painful thing in his efforts to converse with a very tall, very excited Frenchman who had a longer hesitation and a more explosive termination to hesitation in his speech than any English speaking man I have known. I found myself wholly unable to assist him. It was as unintelligible to me as a language which I did not speak.

So we have jumped to the end of another week.

I recvd last yours of 14th.

John is well again. I had Dr Campbell come in twice to see him. We liked the Dr very well. He is a pleasant friendly old scotch Presbyterian I [332] judge—with rather a twinkle in his eye, with the ways of an easy doctor gentleman. He was sufficiently thorough in his inquiries, approved the treatmnt in progress and added only a little pepsin and acid—and at his second visit said "you are all right—drop the velpean & keep on with the pepsin and boiled milk for a few days.”

I was so well I could not smuggle anything for myself.

I counted as much as I could on John’s apathetic habit, but after I got your approval of his transatlantic vacation I could not keep down my own excitemnt in sympathy with him. I took a day to lead him toward it and after circulating nearer and nearer, I had him lying in the prostrated back Richardson’s chair, while I hid behind my pigeon holes and writing. As if I was not thinking much about it, I observed that I had been thinking that perhaps it might do to take a trip across the Atlantic for his vacation & have a glimpse of things in Paris & London. He made no reply. Knowing that at his age such a suggestion might naturally have thrown me into a fit I peeped over my barricade and saw him looking rather cross and down hearted, reading Repton.

After a minute or two—I asked—”What would you think of it?” No reply. "John! What would you think of it?”

"I should hardly think it was worthwhile.”

And nothing more was said for twenty four hours. Then I told him that it was worthwhile and he was to go under orders as a matter of business—”All right,” and since then he has been deliberating upon it and begun reading up. He suggested that the best he could do would be to read two or three French novels just to get up his conversational French. But I put him in a course of Robinson and Alphand.

I don’t know why you suggest the London line for passage. Why not the Havre—to get up "conversational French?” (Please answer)

I don’t think he would have time for the Fields.

When are you coming home? We are doing very well.

Dr Campbell said he did not think there would be much left of John’s dyspepsia if he went to Paris & back this fall.

The Doherty’s are having a new back put in to their house. They say the rain drove in everywhere. The fault lay with the West neighbor, who refused to correct it & they will declare independence.

Is Molly rowing steadily?—