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Florence November 30th 1837

Dear Madam
presuming that you are anxious to hear from us as early as possible even though the letter may not contain much to interest you other than of our general health &c, I have taken the earliest time to write, at which I could make out a satisfactory letter in those respects-

You must know then in the first place that Libby has had the varioloid! She took it of course from on board the ship but did not feel its effects until we were on our way from Havre to Paris, at which latter Place, we were obliged to tarry one week before she was able to proceed. She had it but lightly however in comparison to the poor fellow on ship board and the external appearances of it were very few, only about two dozen pits.- six or seven were on her face- no trace of them is left now- and she is as well as she can be So are the children and I may add, with the exception of a remaining cold of which a few days ago I was very unwell, I am in good health too-  I thought, from the pains in my neck, back, and limbs that I was attacked as Elizabeth was, with varioloid and a fever following at night I was quite confirmed in my fears, but a few doses of Dr Cobbs Samson, and some other remedies have nearly cured me of whatever it was- a slight cold in my throat still remains but will soon be gone

The children both of them are so fat, that we often threaten to punish them for mischievous conduct by sending them along with the pigs to be sold for roasters- Nicky, stares! and asks us? "euh- euh- euh- would dey eat us all up tight?"  They are both of them very unruly and have run wild, with indulgences, as we could not correct them among strangers, while traveling  Jimmy, we find most refractory, and he has to be trimmed a little now and then Nothing but the whale bone will do.  If I talk to him, perhaps in the middle of my admonition, he will repeat his offence without heeding a word that I say.  He is a fine boy, for all that, and by degrees, we shall have him straight again-  They both of them threaten us with their Grandmothers displeasure, when we punish them, they shake their heads, and say that they will leave us and go to granma &c- Nicky grows quite pretty, and several have told us, that he has the most knowing look, of any child they have ever seen- his cheeks hang, they are so very fat, Jimmys look like those of a china pig - either of them eats more than I do, and alltogether we make the good people of Florence (most of whom look like dried up and half famished rats) stare, and wonder at a bountiful providence for giving such appetites to human creatures- In the morning, we

Transcription Notes:
varioloid: a mild form of smallpox affecting people who have already had the disease or have been vaccinated against it.