I met my cousin, Dr. James McDowell, son of Governor McDowell, of Lexington, and his western wife, _nee_ Bent, of St. Louis, in Buffalo, N. Y. He was recently married and from the way he wined and dined (on Champagne, etc.,) I presume he is on his bridal tour with a pocket full of money. His wife is an amiable and sensible woman, is not pretty, but inherited four hundred thousand dollars. This will cover over a multitude of small deficiencies if she should have any, besides plain looks. They urged me to go down the St. Lawrence with them, but the scenery of the 1000 Islands would hardly compensate a third party for the boring society of a newly married pair. I therefore withstood all their importunities, and they were so earnest that I began to think they were tired of each other. With much love to all the family, believe me my dear mother, your dutiful and affectionate son, J. LEWIS PEYTON. P. S. If I should not arrive on Tuesday send Gilbert in with the carriage, from day to day, until I do reach Staunton. I expect, however, certainly to get back on Tuesday. J. L. P. FROM WM. MADISON PEYTON TO MRS. JOHN H. PEYTON. Philadelphia, June 20th, 1847. _My Dear Cousin_: I arrived in this place a few hours since and finding from consultation with my children, that our respective purses are so nearly exhausted as to make it necessary that we should husband what remains and take the straight _chute_ for home. I have determined to confide the articles purchased for you to the care of Lawyer Davidson, of Lexington. Both the children and myself regret exceedingly our disappointment in the visit to Staunton, but their and my unexpected long absence from home, and the extreme anxiety of my wife for our return, leaves us no alternative. We must select some more appropriate occasion and pay you a special visit from Elmwood. I have ransacked the whole country for teachers without success. The young lady recommended by Dr. Nandain, was engaged by Wyndham Robertson before I reached here. None others unite the qualifications specified in your memorandum, without requiring a salary greatly beyond your limit. I have, however, set a good deal of machinery to work, which will in a short time put me in possession of a great deal of information on this subject, and enable me to provide you with a good teacher, at a reasonable price. My children are improving very much where they are at present, and I regret exceedingly the necessity of their removal. Sally, (his daughter,) has employed a Dolce Cantati, a Dolce Digetati, a Danseuse, a chirographist and a "_parlez vous Francais_" professor--that is, a singing mistress, a pianist, a dancing mistress, a teacher of penmanship and a teacher of the French language,--with her fine _he_ and _she_ professors, she enjoyed the