Susan Ridgeway Rotch letter to Charity Rotch, New Bedford, October 8, 1821

              B-299-1 
	 
	PS  I shall be very happy to hear from you, but I will
	write without standing upon ceremony whenever I meet
	any interesting subject.
			           New Bedford  Oct 8.  1821
			   I fear I have forfeited all claims
	to the character of a good correspondent, my dear Aunt,
	and I am quite ashamed of my remissness, but in truth
	I have been much engaged this Summer and even when
	I had the Leisure to write, my thoughts had been so
            constantly occupied with household affairs, that I should 
	unconsciously have given you a letter filled with
	uninteresting details,-- Altho  I ve took possession of our
	new house soon after our arrival here,  It is only since
	a few weeks that I have felt settled, there was a
	great deal to be done, etc etc. the mechanics have to
	much business that we had to wait for the Car=
	=penters, then for the Plasterers, until I thought the
	house would decay with age before it was finished.-
	I had also great trouble with our Servants, - the Cook I
	brought from Philadelphia, was very different from what I
	expected, she drank to excess, and was in every respect
	completely worthless- all these troubles have ceased
	however I have a good set of servants, at present, and