I anxiously desired to converse with you before you left the neighbourhood on the subject of this most ruinous and distressing debt, but circumstances have occur'd to prevent our meeting— I wou'd see you to day but the health of my little boy is too precarious for me to leave him,¹

I wish you to believe that I have not been Idle, or negligant in my endeavours to procure the Money due you, but I have been unsuccessful which is nearly akin I have urged my agent in Kentucky and he had collected $2000—but there was a most ungenerous (I may say) demand for it there— my lamented husband had made himself liable for a debt of Charles Todd—suit was brought and Judgment obtain'd—and he C.T. made me pay $2000—which my agent informd me he did rather than suffer the property to go off at Sheriff's sale for one third of its Value— he is still using every exertion to collect—but has had to bring suit on some Notes—which will cause perhaps a few Months delay—and I have tax'd your patience I fear by my lengthy explanations, which after all might have been said in few words, or written in two lines, and amounts to requesting your patience for a few Months longer[.] If you will take those 40 shares of bankstock at $80 I shall be glad to liquidate so much of the debt at this present time but if you woud prefer not to have them I will do my best endeavors to pay the debt in a few Months.

If I shoud not see you before you leave the neighborhood permit me to wish you health and happiness, and many repetitions of a Visit so grateful to your affectionate friends— Very Respectfully Yours