Page:Memorials of a Southern Planter.djvu/293

Rh lost three old and valued friends,— Mrs. Mary Roy Cox, of Louisiana, Dr. Thomas A, Cooke, of Louisiana, and Governor A. G. Brown, of Mississippi. The first two were life-long friends whom he had first known in Gloucester, and Dr. Cooke was the dearest friend of his life.

", 14th June, 1879.

..."As you have not seen that article of mine and can't get it, I enclose it to you; not so much on account of any supposed merit that may attach to it (except historically) as to keep you and the major up with whatever I may be about. The paper contains enough of Buena Vista for one time, I suppose; but, as I know a good deal more about it (from General Taylor's own lips to me at Pass Christian), I may give you more incidents from time to time. . . . Three days ago Sue asked me to pour some boiling water from the big teakettle, which I proceeded to do, and more than was desired, as I turned the spout on myself, and poured a tablespoonful or two in my shoe. As it was impossible to get the shoe, and particularly the sock, off until the water had cooled of itself, I have a burn that will annoy me for some time. My foot is considerably swollen and hurts me badly, and, as I cannot wear a shoe, I am confined to the house, and pretty much to my chair, with my foot cocked up on a pillow in another chair. This gives me leisure to think over my sins. Mr. Boot, the great bee man of the North, offers through his paper one dollar a quart for bees, to which Sophy has responded by driving about a peek into a box and sending it to him...

"A sad accident happened to George Page's daughter Puss and her husband two days ago. They had some powder in a trunk, which they attempted to take out, in the night, torch in hand. The powder ignited and burned them both terribly"...

Thomas happened to have a few pounds of ice in the house and some ice-cream, which he sent to the burnt woman. She had not slept since the accident occurred, thirty-six hours before, and was in much agony. The ice-