_Concord_, June 10th, 1844
_Only Belovedest_,
Thy letter came yesterday; and I suppose thou didst get mine about the
same time. Dearest, I take it for granted that thou hast concluded to
await the arrival of the money from O'Sullivan; so that I shall not
expect thee till Friday or Saturday. I think it is an excellent plan
to have thy mother come with thee; so pray ask her immediately, if
thou hast not done it already. I shall not be able to send away Mr.
Farley before thou comest; but he will go on Monday.
Mr. Farley is in perfect health, and absolutely in the seventh Heaven;
and he talks, and talks, and talks, and talks; and I listen, and
listen, and listen, with a patience for which (in spite of all my
sins) I firmly expect to be admitted to the mansions of the blessed.
And there is really a contentment in being able to make the poor,
world-worn, hopeless, half-crazy man so entirely comfortable as he
seems to be here. He is an admirable cook. We had some roast veal and
a baked rice pudding on Sunday--really a fine dinner, and cooked in
better style than Mary can equal; and George Curtis came to dine with
us. Like all male cooks, he is rather expensive, and has a tendency to
the consumption of eggs in his various concoctions, which thou wouldst
be apt to oppose. However, we consume so much fish of our own
catching, that there is no great violation of economy upon the whole.
I have had my dreams of splendor, but never expected to arrive at the
dignity of keeping a man-cook. At first, we had three meals a day, but
now only two.
We dined at Mr. Emerson's the other day, in company with Mr. Hedge.
Mr. Bradford has been to see us two or three times. And, speaking of
him, do thou be most careful never to say a word in depreciation of
Sarah Stearns, in his presence. Both of us (horrible to say!) have
fallen into this misfortune, on former occasions. Mr. Farley has given
me most unlooked for intelligence in regard to him and her. He looks
thinner than ever--judge, then, how thin he must be--his face is so
thin, and his nose is so sharp, that he might make a pen with it; and
I wish he would make me a better one than I am now writing with. He
is particularly melancholy, and last Saturday, when we were alone on
the river together, seemed half-inclined to tell me the why and
wherefore. But I desire no such secrets. Keep this to thy little self.
I love thee, I love thee! Thou lovest me, thou lovest me! Oh, I shiver
again to think how much I love thee--how much we love, and that thou
art soon, soon, coming back to thine own home--to thine ownest
husband; and with our beloved baby in thine arms. Shall I know little
Una, dost thou think?
Now good bye, sweetest wife. It will be no more than decent for me to
go down and offer my assistance to Mr. Farley in some of the minor
preparations of dinner. Thy mother must put her skill in exercise;
else he will find a sad falling-off in our living, after thy return. I
shall look for thee partly on Friday, but shall not be disappointed if
thou comest not till Saturday. God bless thee, thou belovedest.