1839 March 18, Charleston, to Mother, Philadelphia

              Charleston 3rd mo 18th 1839 Dear Mother, Verily I think I must be a prodigious correspondent.  I have just taken this last sheet of paper from my trunk for the express purpose of adding another to the already many budgets of news I have sent you.  Do not immagine however that I am afraid of worrying you with my letters.  I have too good an idea of myself for that.  I know that my letters poor things though they be in themselves derive additional value from coming from the source they do - a value that will repay all the expense of postage & trouble of reading - and the trouble of writing.  I find that a pleasure and one too that I would more frequently indulge in if I had the opportunity.  I had almost a mind to write to thee last evening from Augusta but I had nothing to say and I concluded to leave it till we came to Charleston when I was in hopes I should have a letter to answer - nor was I mistaken in those hopes.  Uncle Alfred has just returned from the post office with a bundle of letters - one for myself from Father & several for himself, two of which he read me.  It was quite a treat to hear them read.  After so long a time spent in the company of strangers to have the voice & countenances of those that we love brought before us by new evidence of their affection is a pleasure than can never cloy but becomes greater and greater the more frequently it is experienced.  I should have been glad to have received a letter from thee in addition to the antescript & postscript of Father & Mary.  But although the post office did not show it to me I knew too well that I was not forgotten by my own dear mother and that it was only want of time that prevented her from giving me a token that she remembered me.  Father made somewhat of a miscalculation when he wrote as to the time it would require a letter to get from Philada to Charleston.  His letter is dated on the 10th and I have seen Philadelphia papers of the 14th so he either thought it would take longer for letters to come from Philada or did not imagine we would stay so long at Charleston as we have and indeed I may say seem likely to stay for we cannot find how to get away.  How did Mary find out that I thought of not returning to school?  I was not aware that I had expressed any opinion other than that I had held before.  That I would think it better for me not to go back if my health did not improve.  If it is necessary for Father to decide immediately on the subject perhaps it would be best for me not to return but if a decisive answer could be put off till my health assumes a more decided position it would be better still.  I never expect to "find my place (Haverford not excepted) like home" but young though I am I have learned that there are other things besides pleasure to be sought after in this world - and even if pleasure were the only object of my desire I should perhaps enjoy home more after going through the full course of introduction at school than by partaking of its pleasures imm