No 249 Mountain Terrace
Mountain Street Montreal
June 3d, 1867
Col W. H. Taylor
My dear Friend,
Your kind letter of May 2nd reached me two days ago, and I waited a day in the hope of sending you a message from Mr Davis directly. But he has not arrived. And therefore I must tell you of our humble history in my own language. We arrived here safely and found the children quite well. And all assembled to meet us when we came. Maggie and Jeff have grown greatly, and Jeff is quite the plainest boy it was ever my fortune to see. But he is good and affectionate, and studies pretty well. Billy our youngest is a beauty, and his Father seemed quite astonished to find his baby boy whom he parted from to go prison a stout boy of five, able to play quite boisterously. We are established here for the time in a plain house in which we found my Mother who had rented it for us until September. Mr Davis has gone to pay a visit to Mr James M. Mason at Niagara, and I hope he may employ himself, and thus grow stronger for the life before him however, and whatever that may be. He is I think a little stronger, but very homesick for our own people. Nothing but the conviction that his return at present would be prejudicial to our own people prevents him from returning to bear with them what he cannot avert. You have no idea how glad I should be to see you again. The people here have called in numbers to see us, and been very kind in their offers of civility. It is lovely here now, just warm enough, and just cool enough for comfort. The enclosure came safely to hand, for which please receive my thanks. Do remember me kindly to your good Brother, and all your family and believe me dear friend
Yours most sincerely,
Varina Davis.
Source: The Archives of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Foundation, Papers of the Lee Family, Box 8, M2009.350
Transcribed by Caitlin Connelly, 2016 July 13
