My dear Papa--I have received both your letters, that from Lake George and of June the 26th. I am very much obliged to you for them, and think the bark that you wrote on prettier than paper. Mrs. Monroe and Aunt Bolling are here. My aunt would have written to you, but she was unwell. She intends to go to the North Garden. Mr. Monroe is gone to Williamsburg to stay two or three weeks, and has left his lady here. She is a charming woman. My sweet Anne grows prettier every day. I thank you for the pictures and nankeen that you sent me, which I think very pretty. Adieu, dear papa. I am your affectionate daughter, MARIA JEFFERSON. _To Mary Jefferson._ Philadelphia, August 21st, 1791. My dear Maria--Your letter of July 10th is the last news I have from Monticello. The time of my setting out for that place is now fixed to some time in the first week of September, so that I hope to be there between the 10th and 15th. My horse is still in such a condition as to give little hope of his living: so that I expect to be under the necessity of buying one when I come to Virginia, as I informed Mr. Randolph in my last letter to him. I am in hopes, therefore, he will have fixed his eye on some one for me, if I should be obliged to buy. In the mean time, as Mr. Madison comes with me, he has a horse which will help us on to Virginia. Kiss little Anne for me, and tell her to be putting on her best looks. My best affections to Mr. Randolph, your sister, and yourself. Adieu, my dear Maria, TH. JEFFERSON. In a letter written to Mrs. Randolph in July he announced the arrival of his French steward, Petit,[44] who he said accosted him "with the assurance that he had come pour rester toujours avec moi," he goes on, as follows: The principal small news he brings is that Panthemont is one of the convents to be kept up for education; that the old Abbess is living, but Madame de Taubenheim dead; that some of the nuns have chosen to rejoin the world, others to stay; that there are no English prisoners there now; Botidorer remains there, etc., etc. Mr. Short lives in the Hôtel d'Orleans, where I lived when you first went to Panthemont. [44] This servant had made himself invaluable to Mr. Jefferson; and in a previous letter he wrote to Mrs. Randolph, "I have been made happy by Petit's determination to come to me. I did not look out for another, because I still hoped he would come. In fact, he retired to Champaigne to live with his mother, and after a short time wrote to Mr. Short 'qu'il mourait d'ennui,' and was willing to come."