To Mary W. Marshall

My dearest Polly                                                                            Washington Feby. 8^th. 1825

               I reached this place yesterday & paid our accustomed visit to he President whom I found in good health & looking quite chearful. I am now sitting by a good fire in an excellent room, the same I occupied last year, scribbling to my beloved wife. Neither Judge Johnson nor Story has arrived, and our brother Todd I am told is so very unwell that we have reason to fear we shall never see him again. Story too has been sick, but is on the way and we look for him today.

               I have never found the roads so good before in the winter season. I reached Alexandria on saturday evening before five, and have never before got in by daylight, seldom earlier than nine, and once or twice as late as eleven. I rejoiced that I had not taken the steamboat.

               I have seldom gone counter to your advice without repenting it; but as I came on friday & saturday, hugging myself up in my warm cloak, I could not help congratulating myself on the comfort I enjoyed compared to the suffering I should have felt had I come without it.

               I rode from Hanover court house to Fredericksburg with a Mrs. Stone, formerly Miss Booth, a niece of Mrs. Dandridge. She told me that the first ball at which she had ever been was in Richmond when she accompanied her aunt in Mrs. Amblers coach, and that both you and myself were in the same carriage, then unmarried. She said she had never seen me since, and that when I got into the stage she remembered the evening and all she saw as perfectly as if it had been yesterday.

               I dined on sunday with my Aunt Keith.[1] She was at first very much affected, but became chearful in a few minutes. I was visited on Saturday night by my nephew William Marshall, son of my brother Lewis, who is studying divinity at the Theological school in Alexandria.[2] He is a very promising and a remarkably fine looking young man. He dined at my Aunt Keiths on sunday, & I was very much pleased with him.

               I cannot help hoping that Mr. Picket has been able to fill the ice house on friday & saturday. If those two days have passed away without accomplishing the object I fear all the <chance?> is over & that we must look else wher<e for ice?> unless he should fill it with a cargo <from the> north. He spoke of this bef<ore…>. Farewell my d<earest Polly>

<J MARSHALL>