Matthew Gage to Mary Gage (24 March 1850)

              At Home  March 24th 1850 )
Dear Mary,)
I at this moment seat myself for the 
purpose of answering your last favor that duly came 
to hand sometime since and owe you an apology in 
failing to answer it on early date - but having had 
heretofore - nothing worth communicating in regard to our 
family and friends have deferred it to the present moment.)(Which must plead my apology." I have now the pleasure of 
informing you on the 18 Inst - Your Mother - presented me 
with another little Miss Julia or Miss - (about which we 
are undetermined) and is quite as well as could be expected 
which is all and every thing that has transpired in our own 
little circle of any interest.  As everything now a days goes 
by Telegraph - at least with us - I suppose it would be neither 
new nor of much interest to inform you of our Judge (______)"
wedding that came off on Wednesday night last past at 
Prayer Meeting - Baptist Church - Richland - to Miss Cook - all 
of that place.  Enough of this.  Your brothers Mat and Jerry 
are going to school at Richland - under rather favorable 
auspices - school has some character and I hope for its welfare 
but would just add by way of information - that so far as 
I am told - the female school seems not to flourish much in 
point of numbers - say some 30 pupils.  I am much pleased 
from time to time to receive so favorable reports of yr. or rather the 
school of our mutual friends Holt & Wear - both as to number & 
This argues much for the Institution - and whilst I feel a deep