Letter to Laura Ann Arnold (Jackson)

Containers:

Box 2, Folder 32

Scope and content:

Written from Lexington, Virginia. Letter regards furniture purchases.

Language:

English

Other descriptive data:

Home Sept. 3rd, 1860

My dear Sister,
I have reached home safely with my health much improved. My physician said that I ought to have remained a month longer & I tried to do so but did not succeed, and I am satisfied with the sweet assurance that all things work together for my good. Anna's health was much improved, yet it was necessary for her to remain longer. I stopped in N. York and went to Brunner[?] and Moore's and also to I stopped in N. York and went to Brunner[?] and Moore's and also to Madden's. They are persons from whom I hoped to purchase your furniture, and at Madden's I have been able to get a better bargain than Anna & I got of him. The prices are as follows, center table with marble top $9, French bedstead $14 (width inside 5ft 1 inch), Elegant bureau $25, corresponding wash stand $15. The bureau is under its regular price which is $30. There is another bureau at $23 & corresponding wash stand $10. Wash stands have marble top& back. Sofa inside length 7ft at $25. Another sofa inside length 6ft 8 inches at $20. Nice tete a tete at $18. Shuck mattress to fit bed $6. Shuck and cotton mattress mixed at $9. Lounge opening out or not at $6. Also another kind of lounge opening out or not at $5. Colors of lounges black; green & brown[?]. 4 quartets at $5.

Boxing of table .75
" " Bedstead 2.00
" " Bureau 1.50
" " Wash stand 1.00
" " Sofa 1.50
" " quartets .50
" " lounge 1.00
Bailing mattresses .75
Total 9.00

All the articles are mahogany, and I like them except the $23 Bureau. I would get the $25 bureau as it is only $2 more and if the elegant wash stand is too expensive I will get him to make you a neat one for $10. I would advise you to get the $20 sofa, but if you prefer you can instead of the sofa get the tete a tate & $5 lounge which will come to $3 more than the sofa. But if you prefer the sofa, you can make a lounge of it by spreading a cloth over it. The tete a tate is handsomer than the lounge though much smaller than our tete a tate. I purchased oil cloth for the square & rectangle but didn't succeed in getting any for the stairs as it is not now fashionable for stairs. I got the oil cloth at Stewart's & they told me that they didn't know where any could be had for stairs.

Subjects:

Correspondence
Financial records

Access and use