1830 September 2, Woodbourne, to Brother, Philadelphia

              Woodbourne 9 month 2. 1830

Dear Brother:



The kind sympathy expressed in thy letter of 25 ult. for the loss of my buildings etc, was very grateful. I have become, as I hoped wd. be the case when I last wrote, much better reconciled to my loss than I then was. I occasionally leave a sigh as I pass by ye remains of a beautiful rosebush or shrub, on which I have often looked with sensation of pleasures, now reduced to a black & unsightly stem, or a fine fruit tree, scathed & withered by ye scorching heat. But my feelings seem to become settled under ye conviction, that regrets are vain  & useless, for what cannot be restored. The joint invitation of thyself & Rachel to G. Walker was very acceptable both to him & the family. He hesitated to accept it, on account of not being personally acquainted with thee, but, upon further consideration, desired me to express his thanks to you, & to say that he wd. accept it, though he expected that most of his leisure time, when not occupied with attention to his duties as an Anti-Masonic delegate, wd.  he divided amongst his relatives & friends. He expects to leave here in ye stage on ye morning of ye 8th, & to reach Philada. on ye evening of ye 9th [inst]. I feel glad that he has concluded to accept of your kind offer, shall consider myself indebted for any little kind offices done for him, or services rendered, & will credit you for them as if performed for myself. I think ye members of E. Walker's family, are of real benefit in promoting & advancing ye interest of this Country, or of this part of it. They seem to serve as pioneers for ye better classes of society, & consequently ye more desriable kind of population.  their extensive correspondence & acquaintance brings ye country into notice, & their hospitality to those who visit it, creates an impression in its favour. They at present have 6 of their relatives with them as guests , from Philada. & Wynne Wood, in ye neighourhood of ye City: Mary Jones, whose beautiful & wealthy daughter was lately married to Levi, son of Israel W. Morris, her son, Levi & his bride, the widow Jones, Mother of Stephenson & Cornelius Smith, and her grandson. This