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December 19, 1854
Davidson College
Much estemed cousin,
I again find myself seated for the purpose of responding to your kind letter, which I assure you gave me pleasure to receive and which I also take great pleasure in answering. I am sorry that I cannot supply you with the news of more interest than I have been accoustomed to do here tofore, but it looks like I can’t better it any this time, but howsoever I will try and give you all that I can raise. I did think that I would not get home Christmas, but I think perhaps I will. The Faculty wents all the students that can get home to go, they are afraid if they stay here that they will do too much mischief, and for fear that I might happen to get in to some and get suspended, I have thought it best to come home, I don’t like to be running home so much either, it looks to childish, but I begin to feel like I would like to see you all again, especially as it is Christmas times. There is generally something fresh on
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hands then and folks generally have something good to eat then too, and I want just to get where I can get something good to eat. I have not had any thing but smoked mush and stewed beaf since I came back here, and I am nearly founderd on it, there is about sixty boarders at the hall. (that is what I heard, it takes so much to do that it would not do to have things to good or they could not have enough. You wanted me to give you some advice about what sort of a husband Mr somebody would make, I ask to be excused from that I for several reason, the principle one of which is that I do not know. I think you ought to be a better judge if that than me. I can give you a little information on one point you mentioned though about men being so deceitfull, that young girls did not know when to trust them. I don’t think he has any deceit atall about him. I think you may rest assured about that and as a general thing they gentlemen have a great deal less of it than the ladies, or at least I come to that conclusion, not that I have experienced the matter at all but just form what I have saw and heard.
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I don’t really know whether I ever was in love or not, I use to think sometimes that I was in love, but I was to fraid of the little fickle creatures. To let them know it and it hall vanished. I am happy to say that I am now free from the snares of love, but I can’t say how long I will continue so if I get home Christmas I would not be surprised that I would be entangled in some net before I would get back, I come very near falling in love last vacation but I concluded I would try and find out whether my love would be reciprocated or not, which I have not done as yet. Mr Elder I understand is going to teach at Yorkville in the female academy next year. I think I will try and visit him a little of tener than I have done when he gets among so many prety girls. Tell Miss Eliza bhat I will try and be so condescending as to write to her some of these days before soon. that I would be glad to receive a communication from her at any time and as longas we are______near kin folks, I dont think she nead wait for me to wright I would take pleasure in answering her letter. I must close as it is getting late what I have not
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told you I will tell you verbably when I see you. I am not certain yet that I will come, home, if I do I rekon I will get there as soon as this letter. I had liked to forgotten to tell you about a student breaking open your letter, he went ot the post office and he took out my letters for me and he got one pretty much like yours to me and with out noticeing much broke open the wrong letter, he said he did not read any of it and he is a man of honour I reckon it is so. Give my respects to Miss Eliza Jane and all inquiring friends.
Yours in cencerity
Pink
James Pickney Crawford
P.S. My room mate has gone home his farther is sick, I feel very lonesome her by muself sometimes, especially when I get to dreaming some abo____ dream. It is now nearly eleven oclock, and somnous has enveloped everybody but myself and soon it will me. Goodnight pink
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Original
From: DC0112s Crawford, James Pinckney, 1835-1861 (1856) Letter, 1854 (View Finding Aid)
Cite as:
Crawford, James P. Letter to Cousin. 19 December 1854. DC0112s. James P. Crawford Letter. Davidson College Archives, Davidson College, NC. Available: https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/digital-collections/james-p-crawford-letter-19-dec-1854/.
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