I recd your letter my dearest wife of the 15th many days after the date of it, and have been not a little puzzled to decide whether it would be best to address mine to you at Rippon Lodge or Mount Vernon, as you intended to remain only a few days with your mother; I shall however direct this to the latter place presuming that before this time you have returned.

     The account you give of the happy effects of the pills upon your health has made me very happy & very proud. It is particularly grateful to my feelings to think that I have been in any manner instrumental to your recovery. How fortunate I was in having preserved the reciept for making this medicine and in thinking to recommend it to you! Should they continue to answer the desired purpose, I am happy that it will be in my power to prepare them always of the same kind, which I am persuaded was not the case with those recieved from Doctr Jones. The second Supply you got from him were quite different from the first. I humbly hope that this medicine together with the Sulphur water, exercise & freedom from much care & trouble in housekeeping this Summer will entirely restore you to health— then indeed I shall be happy.

     I do not like my beloved wife to excite in you false hopes which can possibly be disappointed and therefore I speak doubtingly as to the probable duration of the Court. It is certainly the expectation of many of the lawyers who are most engaged in the business & consequently best able to Judge of the subject that the business will not employ more than this week, if so long. I sincerely wish they may be correct, and am strongly inclined to think they are. In that case I shall be with you by the 3d or 4th of May. I must go to Jefferson sometime after my return, but am not so clear as to the Staunton expedition. That will be extremely irksome & I shall certainly get clear of it if I can. You must not however forget our trip to Richmond in June.

     Mary's letter dated the 18th with your postcript has this moment come to hand. She dates her letter at Rippon Lodge but proceeds to say that you returned home on Sunday and had a very disagreable ride. I am unable to explain this, but still I understand from the postcript that you were then at Rippon Lodge and intended to return home on the 20th. This letter therefore will recieve a proper direction.

     I am quite astonished my dear wife that you should have understood that I do no business in Court now‑ On the contrary I have never done more in the same number of days, or been more completely occupied both in & out of Court. I rise about 5 in the morning & get ready for work as soon as it is sufficiently light, and I seldom go to bed earlier than between 11 & 12 at Night. Notwithstanding all this, I did not complete until late last Night some written Opinions to be delivered upon causes which were argued in the early part of the Court and which were so novel & difficult as to have given me more labour & required more thought & research than any cases that have ever come before me. The idea I suppose has arisen from mistaken notions respecting the disturbances in the City in relation to Olmsteads case. But the fact is that nothing was seen but a few guards about the house of the ladies' meant to be protected, and the warrant of the District Judge agt the General & his Officers was submitted to without opposition. The business of the Court proceeded of course as quietly & as entirely unaffected by this circumstance as if it had not existed. This you may easily concieve when I inform you that in less than a fortnight that the Court has been sitting, we have tried & otherwise disposed of at least 120 Causes. This is very nearly an answer to your question how I spend my time? I have drank tea once at Mrs Powels, once at Mr Harrisons, been twice to the Circus and dined once or twice out. The Circus has afforded me the only amusement. I was there on Saturday night, when there were supposed to be at least 1200 persons in the house. It is (to use a Bond Street expression) all the go here, and even rivals the Theatre when it is open. That closed about a week after I got here, but I never went to it. I think you would be delighted with the Circus. I am so thorough a Virginian that I could be amused for hours in seeing the performers ride around the Course which is done at more than half Speed. But the exhibition of 8 well dressed Turkish Cavaliers on fine horses advancing, retreating, charging, & maneuvering in an area of about 250 feet Circumference is magnificent.

     I have not heard of one person of my acquaintance going to the Southward, and I expect to be Myself the bearer of the books to you. It will not be long I hope before you will see him & them.

     I forgot to mention in my former letters that you had neglected to put into my trunk your brother's watch which I am sorry for as I expect he had much at heart the getting it repaired. When I return home however I will if possible contrive it to a friend here who will attend to it & return it by some safe Opportunity.

     Mrs Adams has removed to their Country Seat so that I have not yet seen her. Mr Adams is to dine with us everyday, and we are anxiously expecting him. He enquired in the most friendly terms for you.

     Present my love to all with you and believe me my beloved wife most truly Yr faithful & affect. husband