Washington February 12th 1821.My dearest friend,

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I sit down to write with my mind filled with fears and apprehensions, not only for Samuel, but also on your account. I am so sensible of the interest you always take in the situation of the unfortunate and distressed, [     ] I fear you will forget the feebleness of your own constitution, and will undertake more than is absolutely necessary for you personally to perform. I therefore beseech you, as much as possible to spare yourself from bodily fatigue and let others perform what is not absolutely necessary should be done by you. Samuel informs me that Mrs Wilkins was with you when he wrote; I was pleased to hear it and hope you will continue to employ some person until I come home. I wrote to Dr Todd some weeks ago, & gave him as particular account of Samuels situation as I could from your letters. I have not yet received any answer from him, but hope he has written to you before now. Dr Smith has written to me and has been very particular in his [         ] of the complaints with which Samuel has been afflicted and says that it is his opinion that the chance not so evidently for an immediate rrestoration, as for a prolongation of life, is apparently in his favor. As he appears to have given his opinion with frankness & sincerity, I have been strengthened in my hopes that Samuel may yet have the good fortune to be restored to health.

Your letters I believe have all come on though very irregularly, the last were dated the thirtieth of January - I have so far [    ] had the good fortune to enjoy my health as well as usual.

Altho' it has been uncommonly sickly here this winter there are at present but four or five on the sick list, and only one of them is thought to be dangerous. The others are convalescent And it is believed the cause, whatever it was that has caused so great a mortality, does no longer exist. We have been all day engaged on the Missouri Question, and have by a majority of three, refused to admit her with her slaves, we did not adjourn until seven this evening. I was not able last evening to finish this letter in season to get it into the mail - on account of company which called at our room. I now (on the thirteenth) sit down to close this letter and will only add that after another tedious sitting, which lasted until almost 7 o'clock, without interruption, we have reconsidered the vote we gave last night against the admission of , and after discussing the subject all day & with considerable warmth, we have again decided the question against her admittance by a majority of six. There were several absent last evening when the vote was taken, which was the reason the subject was brought up to day. As all were present on the last trial it is hoped we shall be troubled with it no more during the present session.

S.C. Crafts Feb. 12. 1821

I enclosed to you in a letter two or three weeks since twenty dollars, which I hope you have received. I shall be on my way home in less than three weeks, for the arrival of which time I wait with the most anxious impatience. My love to Mary and the family. And may heaven preserve you and them.

Mrs E Crafts

My remain your most sincere & affectionate friendSamuel C Crafts