Mr _Grubb_ rose very early, having yesterday made every previous necessary preparation, & set out for Home about One hundred miles Distance. He has so much good Nature, is always so cheerful, & at the same time void of any thing malicious, clamorous & impudent, that I cannot but esteem & very much respect him--On some whimsical unsubstantial Miff or other, however, our Girls cannot endure him--he wrote them some Copies the other Day, & tho' he writes a much finer neater hand than I they would not allow it, nor hardly--Strive to imitate--I laughed at the ridiculous, the perfect Picture of Female _Caprice_, & _Obstinacy_ in Miniature--Sermon is to Day at Ucomico, so that I keep my Room--I wrote several Letters which are to be forwarded by Mr _Blain_, one to _Jack Peck_, one to _John Duffield_,[198] at Dr Shippen's[199] Junr Philadelphia, & one to _Laura_. I begun also a Sermon I understand by Mrs _Carter_ & _Ben_ who were at Church, that the _Parson_ was unable to read Prayrs or Preach, having a Fever, but that there was a thronged Assembly; many I am told, have the Ague & Fever, but none are dangerous or have it fixed-- [198] John Duffield was graduated at Princeton in 1773. He served as a tutor there during the next two years. [199] Dr. William Shippen (1736-1806) was a distinguished physician of Philadelphia. He was at this time professor of surgery and anatomy at the medical school of the College of Philadelphia. Shippen had married Alice Lee, a sister of Richard Henry, Arthur, Frances Lightfoot, and William Lee. [LETTER OF PHILIP V. FITHIAN TO ELIZABETH BEATTY] Nominy-Hall. August 28: 1774. TO LAURA. There is a Letter of yours lying before me, in which you say "that if I had continued writing to you, it is more than probable you had been as negligent as ever; but that my leaving off for a Time has at last extorted a Letter from you"--Mighty pretty! I dare say the Sentiment is genuine, & you may be assured that I allow & believe it. You are not, therefore, to account this any thing more than the Ghost, the Shade of a Letter; for, thinking this an extraordinary Case, I have gone beyond my usual Manner of speaking, in Order to convince you of my Resolution--And _swore_ that I will not interrupt you til' I have received several. If you receive this by the Conveyance I expect (I send it by Col: _Lee_ who attends the Congress) it will be a few Days before I leave Virginia; for I intend, by the Permission of Heaven, being at Home by the beginning of November at farthest.