Washington City Feb. 13. 1859Mary,

Page 1

Another week has passed since I wrote Lizzie, who, no doubt, informed you; & I am now quite as well as usual. There is is now but three weeks left of the session.

I have recd. & answered a letter from Frances since Ellen had a letter from Thomas & I have, at the solicitation of the girls, promised to visit there on my way home at the close of the session.

A very unpleasant proposition, that is, the acquisition of Cuba, is now agitated in Congress & will occasion much discussion & I may have to perform & present a full speech on the subject. You know such a

preparation & performance is a matter of real work for me. Others may so entirely discuss the matter that I shall feel excused. A few days will determine.

I was out to dine one evening last week at J. Thompson's Secretary of the Interior. It was entirely a party of gentlemen & the dinner was much as usual. Four Senators & the rest members. On my return in the evening I called at the Sexton's party of gentlemen & stopped a few minutes. I declined one invitation to dine out next Tuesday. The weather is now dry & fresh, but most of the time it is rainy & damp, & in such weather I go out as little as possible & never in the evening. I have been this day to hear the Congregational minister Mr. Bassett. He preaches in the church where Dr. Butler once preached & where we used occasionally to go with Mr & Mrs Buffington. His

discourse was mainly of slavery. His audience very thin & indeed it is quite obvious he will not succeed in getting up a congregational church in this city.

It being settled that our Meetinghouse is to be repaired, I suppose some other place of worship must be had for the next season & I hope some measures may be taken to obtain the Town Hall, but presume they will take no measures until the opening of next spring. I think the arrangements for our work should now be entered upon immediately. I suspect from what Mr. Williams wrote me that no meeting for action will be holden before my time of return. I need write no more of this as I presume it is enough a topic of conversation at home without my writing.

We hereafter meet at 11 o clock instead of 12, So have time for nothing in the morning but I make it up at night, never going to bed before 12 o clock.

Love to all. Good night.Affectionately Your Husband

P.S. Monday Morning (Feb. 14) Just recd. Mary's note of last Friday. All well. Tell her Mr. Ewing says Mrs. Sherman now resides at Levenworth Kansas & her health is now good.