Lucy Hopkins Johnston to Sarah "Sally" Tate Steptoe Massie, circa 1818

La Belle Assemblée (1817). Wiki Commons

[Lucy Hopkins Johnston at [Sandusky, Lynchburg, Virginia,] to Sarah "Sally" Tate Steptoe Massie at Pharsalia, [Nelson County, Virginia]. Undated [circa 1818.] Massie Family Papers, Virginia Historical Society. This is my rough, annotated transcription from a copy graciously provided by William Myers. Extra paragraph breaks inserted for easier reading.] 

[Looks like she started the letter one way, writing out "Sandus" (Sandusky), but then wrote it on the other side with a different orientation].

My dear Sally

I have sent you one of the corset[?] patterns which were worn when I was in Richmond. But the most fashionable ones are those that are  pleated[?] in the middle a yard and a half in between for yard wide colinets[?] are not worn at all.

Mr. Massie told you the reason I did not write by him. It snowed so fast while he was here that I could not go out and after he left us the streets were so bad that I scarcaely ever put my head out of doors. 

I should have written afterwards but I did not know where to direct. 

When I was down I got ten yards of edging at six and nine pence a yard and if you choose you can have four yards of that. I will send you a little piece of it to look at. 

[I]t is so cold that I cannot write any more.

                                                yours affectionately

                                                          LHJ

[p.s.] The colent[?] that I have sent must be turned in when you put it on. I will mark the place so that you can see it. 

LHJ = Lucy Hopkins Johnston (1800-1888) married Thomas Marshall Ambler (1791-1875) on April 14, 1819. Their main abode was "Morven," Fauquier County, Virginia, from about 1820 on. For a link, see here. 

Sarah "Sally" Tate Steptoe Massie (1796-1828) was married to William Massie (1795-1862) and was the daughter of James Steptoe (1750-1826). Their son Thomas "Tommo" James Massie (1817-1877) was born on March 23, 1817.There is a massive Massie collection at the University of Texas here.]

[Many thanks to Sue Davis, William Myers, Mary Davy and Sally Young for their ongoing research collaboration.]