1861 November 20, Newport, to Daughter

              Newport 11 mo 20th 1861

Dear Daughter

I find my hand is stiff this morning but I hope thee will be able to study out the letters. We have been out riding in the cold & I thought I was about thawed out & so concluded to write before dinner, but unless I get more limber before long than I am now I should make a mess of it. Tom & I had a very pleasant trip on. Got good seats on the sunny & lee side of the car where we could have the window open without damaging our neighbors with drafts of cold air & taking possession of two seats & that I c'd stretch out my leg we settled down to the enjoyment of the scenery & the views. A fat old lady enjoying our felicity or having sinister designs on our open window took advantage of Tom being temporarily absent on the port seat to cross from her seat on the other side & ask if she could have a seat there. I immediately drew down my leg called Tom back to his seat & motioned the old lady to the vacant one in front when in great disgust she said she didn't want that & slid back to her old quarters. I put up my leg again & betook myself to my vanity fair again. The fat old lady for lack of vanity satisfying herself with vexation of [-------]. When we got to Newport we took a cab for the Stevens house & went [---------] the same course of beefsteak and tomatoes which mama & [---]