From Thomas Waters Sr. to his wife Elizabeth Waters (September 3, 1831)

[Thomas Waters. R.M.. to his wife, Elizabeth]

Addressed to Mrs Waters, 21 Mulgrave Place, Woolwich, Kent

H.M.S.Barham Spithead 3 Sept. 1831

My Charming Love

My delight is in answering your letter, everything is secondary to that, and receiving your letters, I wish it may give you the same pleasure- Mary’s Portfolio I shall send back, as I cannot take that care of it, aboard ship, that it requires, it is very neat, I would rather have had a small drawing of hers. If you was to come I should be indeed glad to see you my darling love, but what would my feelings be, on your leaving me to go all the way back alone, no my dearest love I would rather be deprived of your invaluable society for the next two or three years than that you should be put to such a disagreeable inconvenience, particularly as we can have constant communication by letter, the delightful pleasure of which I am sure you will not refuse me, it is the sweetest cordial of my heart- I have not been out of the ship since we first sailed from Spithead, neither do I intend going while we remain here, excepting once to call on my agent for money- I do not know whether you ever received my letter, recommending you what to say to your cousin and Mr.Chadwick- I feel for your disappointment in Betsey’s not having a tooth through, but all in good time I hope, I am glad she is not so cross- You do right to get your potatoes from allen, it is no use to run from one to another unless you are pretty sure of bettering yourself. I am glad the boys make themselves useful in catching the mice. How I enjoy my sweetest love, your sitting down, after the children are gone to bed, to write to me, I figure to myself your sweet and chaste Image addressing yourself to your Husband, conscious of your own propriety of thought, your excellent example, what a fine effect it has upon the children; I suppose there was quite an emulation between them to get up in the morning to write letters- My pretty little Betsey must be very interesting, I dare say she likes to get her shoes off— I think Thomas very naughty to be cross and peevish to his dear mother, I shall not love him if he is so, he must behave better- 

Miss Beiley is mistaken if she thinks that by doing without a servant it will make up for the expense of sending the two eldest boys to boarding school, besides, it is not for them so much you want a servant, it is for the three youngest children you most need one, and the others would be home four or five weeks at a time twice a year, how would you manage then? setting aside anxiety on your part, I have no doubt it would be a very good thing for the boys, could we afford it, and that there would be sufficient care taken of them, but we must not go above our means- The Doctor here, has no doubts that Josephs throat will be quite well, by the time he is fifteen or sixteen years old- Make my respects to the Miss Beileys- The promissory note, I may as well destroy, I see no use in keeping it, I suppose you have no objection- The very thought that you should have any fear that I could be angry about your sending or saying any thing to me that you wished, would make my heart ache, no my Love too happy am I when I have the felicity to please you- Hindle was much pleased with his present; the Licorice and sugar-candy, I shall take care of for your sakes, my most amiable Wife and I hope my good children, they can gain nothing by being bad- 

I send you a crown to buy a trifle for the half dozen children. we are just going I believe for a short cruise we expect to return here again in a few days- Believe me ever Dearest Wife

   Yours affectionately
   Tho^s. Waters