William Short to Peyton Short, 26 November 1785

         To this Moment I have recieved only one Letter from you since I left Virginia That was dated in Nov^r. 1784, now more than 12 Months I have answered it long ago, but still I cannot help writing to you frequently in Hopes of extracting from you one Line to let me know how you do & in what Situation are our dear Sisters whose Interests as well as yours are as near to me as my own If you knew my dear Brother what real & poignant Distress it gives me not to be able to hear from you I think you could not fail to take Measures for conveying me one Letter at least. In this there could be little Difficulty since I have frequently informed you that you have nothing to do but to put your Letters into the Hands of m^r B Harrison Merch^t in Richmond

         You may well be able to form some Idea how ignorant I am of your Situation as well as that of my Sisters— & of whatever relates to you in general after being told that I have received no Letter from you since that written in Nov^r last. Every Circumstance that has occurred to the one or the other since that Time remains entirely unknown to me unless it be just a vague Account that you had sold or exchanged a Part of your Land— & secondly an advertisement I have seen in the Virginia Papers where you offer the rest for Sale as well as some Lands in Kentucky— On this I form conjectures— & after revolving in my Mind the Causes of these Sales, I end with only dreary & melancholy Ideas on the Subject— — May Heaven grant my dear Brother that you never have Cause to repent of it— that you may find Success, Prosperity & Happiness in whatever you undertake is the most ardent Wish of my Heart, as I am sure you have long ago been persuaded.— — But these Sales seem to me to bode no Good— — I cannot but augure ill of them— Perhaps this proceeds from my too great Anxiety for your Welfare— Write to me fully I besech you if you value my Quiet & let me know particularly what is the Situation of all our Affairs in Virginia.— Tell me also what has been done with Col^o Harvie? whether he has been to Mush Island? what has been done with the Negroes? etc etc.— To this Moment I have never been able to learn ^ ^{in direct Terms} whether Col^o Harvie has paid the Certificates into m^r Harrison’s Hands.— & only infer _^^it from m^r Harrisons having made me a Remittance which is probably the Interest of the Certificates— though he does not say so & only sends the Bill of Exchange with a Letter in which he tells me he will write to me very soon (not having Time then as is always the Case with our Friends & Correspondents in Virginia) in which he will give me a full Account of my Affairs that were entrusted to his Care.— Just so you observe in your Letter— that in your next “you shall inform me more particularly of several other Matters of which it is not worth while to say any Thing at present.”— & why not worth while? since there is nothing that could afford me so much Pleasure as to be particularly informed of whatever concerns you, my Sisters, or myself in Virginia.— — But this next will never come— & you know not how much Pain it causes me.— I desire above all Things to know what are your present Plans? where you live? where you are about to settle etc etc.— — I suppose you have relinquished both the Plans that I wished you so much to adopt— that of practicing the Law & representing the County of Surry— Whatever Plan you adopt I question much if you find one in which you will be more happy— but of this you are the best & most proper Judge. Be assured you have my most fervent & unalterable Wishes.

         This Letter is a kind of Duplicate of one I have lately written you— I hasten to finish it that it may go to morrow by the Way of London in the Care of a Gentleman who sets out early in the Morning for that Place & it is now late— — Give my best Love— & my most unalterable fraternal Affection to our dear Sisters. Tell them all how much I love them— My best & sincerest Wishes for the worthy Major Edmonds— & believe my dear Brother that with Sentiments of the purest Friendship & most unalienable Affection

                                                              I am

                                                                       Yours