Gosport January 14th 1837

My dear Sister,

Yours of the 9th came yesterday, I had

expected an answer to my letter by Edwin Jeffries some time

ago, & also the promised one of advice frona Mother, which

you said she had commenced; why did she not send it. I wish

she would write to me, your cape engaged you , too much, to

allow you time sooner, you say, 'tis a bad excuse, I hope

however six months will not be required to finish it, as a

certain other one I know of. I wrote to you Jany 1st &

wonder you had not received the letter when you wrote;

you see I am one ahead of you. I ought to wait until you

answer my last, but perhaps I might wait in vain, therefore

for my sake, I will write now; The Mail is very unregular

between this place & the North & the paper does not come

regularly, the 31st Dec is the last I have rec'd, is the

Henry Carpenter whose death was mentioned some weeks ago,

the one who lived next to Kitty Yeate's, there have been

more deaths since I left you, than while I was at home, &

have I been gone three months, how Time flies, my mind is

so much occupied by my studies, that the old wretch with

his glass goes unheeded, he cant go too fast, I wish May

was here & then in a little while I should be a Passed

Midshipman & among you all. If Mr. Buchanan will be quiet

& allow the Navy Bill to pass, without opposing it so bitterly

& unreasonably as he did last Spring, 1 shall very soone be

something more than a P.M. & the U.S. of America as a nation

& the Navy as belonging to it, will be materially benefitted.

He is not blessed by the Navy Officers, but quite the

contrary: I have been in hot water several times, for I

could not hear him so abused, without defending him he is

not so much to blame as those who gave him wrong & false

information, they I would hang, short, or kill some how,

if their fate were in my hands.

Tell Sam, to answer my letters & also John Myers

that he owes me one. I am delighted to hear the young

ladies are all well & blooming. When you write again, you

can do as you said you would: tho’ I doubt if it will be

of any use, but try.

How is it that Grandmother allows Adah to intrude

the Sanctum of the Nursery, 'tis the first Dog or animal of

any kind tolerated there, I think, has she grown any, in

size or beauty.

I have been to several Egg Nog parties lately,

whereat we danced, played cards, & the agreeable, &c &c

until late hours. I had to lament Miss Phoebe's absence

however, which deteriorated very slightly from my enjoyment:

to tell the truth, the chicken salad & the Liqueurs, amply

made up for the loss. I forgot to drink her health in

silence & tears, to my shame. Miss Mary Stark was the

reigning belle & ‘me’ the beaux. Several more gatherings

are in contemplation, to which I shall go, in course.

I must recommend you to read your letters, after

you have written them, for in every one there are words left

out here & there not that I cannot understand them, but you

will be writing to others than me, & 'twere better you should

correct this fault. You never have mentioned how Bangor

flourishes'; & where I wished you to be most particular you

are most general, do you not remember? Tell Mother to please

write to me & excuse the scantiness of this letter. I am not

in the proper vien for writing; & do not suffer a cape

or any thing else to keep you so long from answering me.

The tortoise on your seal was quite appropriate; by the way

take care of my seal, which I left on the desk in the

office, this I know I mentioned before, & with my love &

remembrance to you all

I am your most affectionate Brother

Wm Reynolds

Miss Lydia M. Reynolds

Lancaster

Pennsylvania

P.S. Enclosed is a lock of “virgin Whiskers”, do not laugh,

its true: I never shaved from the time I left home until

a week ago, & I had quite a respectable pair, I only took

them off to turn them out with increased ferocity. I have

been scolded for doing so, by some of the fair, who admired

them very much, they were, so nice so soft & so silky, ‘as

they said’ & I promised to leave my cheeks unmowed for ever, fiw

you can show it to whom, you please; but do not lose it.