I am sorry to have given Aunt Porter such an opportunity of charging me with neglect in executing her commission, but I can easily convince her I did not deserve censure; for until last Friday I never received yours of Nov. 22nd, and I shall execute that part of Aunt’s request which I can in Scarborough—the gown patterns I shall enclose. The one with a fan back is meant to just meet before and pin the Robings, no string belt or any thing. The other pattern is a plain waist with strips of the same sticked on, and for white, laced between with bobbin or cord. I have a muslin done so with black silk cord, which looks very handsome—and I have altered my brown silk into one like the other pattern. I was over at Saco yesterday and saw one Mary [King] had made in Boston. It was a separate waist, or rather the breadths did not go quite up. The waist was plain with one stripe of cording let in behind and the rest of the waist perfectly plain—the skirt part was plaited in box plaits 3 of a side—which reached to the shoulder strap and only enough left to meet strait before, as is one of the patterns I have sent. You ask so many questions that I hardly know how to answer them. Isabella is almost recovered—her family well. The baby I believe will be named Charles Orlando. The assemblies begin next Thursday—as also do Saco assemblies, and on Friday I go to the Saco assembly—probably I shall go to next Portland assembly. You ask how Mr. Little and Laura do? A strange question. Laura is well or was last Thursday, and Mr. Little is soon to be married to Miss Bowman of Exeter. Papa has been confined to the house a week yesterday by a wound on his leg which he made with an axe, he wounded the tendon which leads from his great toe up, he cut it a little above the ankle—it has been very painful. Give my love to Aunt, tell her I shall not be able to come down this winter, for my next visit will be to Boston. Write me the next opportunity respecting the sables, and the time and how Uncle goes to Boston that I may be in readiness. Family all well. ELIZA. To Octavia. Boston, Feb. 7th, 1800.