_West Newton_, Septr. 19th, 1851
_Dearest Phoebe_,
Here I am as thou seest; and if not here, I know not where I could be;
for Boston is so full that the Mayor has issued proclamation for the
inhabitants to throw open their doors. The President is there.
They all appear to be well here; and thy mother, if Horace and Georgia
say truly, walked three miles yesterday. I went with Mary to see her,
last evening, and found her much better than I ever hoped.
Talking with Mary, last night, I explained our troubles to her, and
our wish to get away from Lenox, and she renewed the old proposition
about our taking this house for the winter. The great objection to it,
when first talked of, was, that we, or I, did not wish to have the
care and responsibility of your father and mother. That is now
removed. It strikes me as one of those unexpected, but easy and
natural solutions wherewith Providence occasionally unknots a
seemingly inextricable difficulty. If you agree with me, you had
better notify Mr. or Mrs. Sedgwick that we shall not want the Kemble
house. We can remain in the red house till we come here.
We shall pay a rent, but I know not as yet precisely what. But we
shall probably only remain half the time Mr. and Mrs. Mann are in
Washington.
Mary will write.