January 6: We have had today weather much more like June than January, most extraordinary for this climate, where at this season there is generally severe frost and snow. I went out with a cloak on but speedily returned and exchanged that for a silk handkerchief tied round my throat, which was as much as I could bear. Yesterday, the fifth, we walked off by eleven o'clock to visit Mrs. Decatur, who lives at Georgetown, which is separated from Washington only by a little creek, across which there is a shabby enough tumble-down looking wooden bridge. There is so thick a fog that we could not see three yards before us, "quite English weather," as our friends here tell us, but not disagreeable to my mind as it was very mild. At the door of Mrs. Decatur's house we met General Van Rensselear, "the Patroon," who with his wife and daughter is now here. He went in with us and introduced us to the lady of the mansion, who we found dressed in very becoming weeds, and she gave us an extremely cordial reception. She is a pretty, pleasing-looking person and very animated, with no appearance of woe except the outward sign of cap and gown. We sat some time with her and walked home.... If only Mrs. Hall had been able to say where the house was to which they walked from across Rock Creek on that balmy day in January! These other letters which follow are written to a young man then beginning to make his way in the world, who certainly was possessed of a most attractive personality, and it is not surprising that the widow might have been rather "setting her cap" for him. My dear Mr. Corcoran: If you should find yourself destitute of amusement this evening, while the belles are at church, I beg you to come and listen to some of my lamentations. Yours sincerely, S. DECATUR. My dear Mr. Corcoran: I am happy to say that I can take you under my wing today, on the way to heaven, and I pray you to call for me at ten o'clock. Yours sincerely, S. DECATUR. Union Hotel, Monday morning. My dear Mr. Corcoran: The Iturbides have deferred their visit until Wednesday evening and I hope you will be able to come and meet them, with your sister and Colonel Thomas. Yours sincerely, S. DECATUR. If you have a moment to spare this evening I pray you to come and tell me how your brother's family are after this dreadful alarm.[A] [Footnote A: The destruction of Mr. J. Corcoran's dwelling by fire.] As we know, it was of no avail, for he seems to have remained "fancy free" until he met and married Louise Morris. About 1828 Mrs. Decatur became a convert to the Roman Catholic Church through her close acquaintance with the Carroll family, it is thought. The latter part of her life was spent in a frame house on the brow of a hill about one hundred yards from Georgetown College, which she rented from Miss Hobbs. Here she died about 1860.