William Smith to William Short, 30 September 1786

I have received yours of Sept^r. 17^th. — I wrote you on the 22^d. & gave an account of Lediards departure, and have concluded it is best to be silent on the subject of a Servant — accept of my thanks for your intentions — the Books you request shall be sent, but the request came too late for them to accompany M^r. Jeffersons, for as I take great pleasure in serving my friends, I had been so expeditious as to have them all parked and deposited at Stackd<...>ales to be sent by the diligence, before I was acquainted with your wish, I shall however, send them, the first convenient opportunity, addressed to your Friend, who I am sorry to find has met with the misfortune of dislocating his wrist — if while he labours under this inconvenience it should become necessary to make any communications to our friend Humphries, it will furnish him with a subject for a pun — in his own stile, which if know him, would run thus — "well I'm glad to find it so, it is just as it ought to be, my friend, Short has become M^r. Jeffersons right hand man" — I have wrote him by the last Packett, not a Letter of Ceremony, nor a Letter of Business, but a Letter in Latin demanding the reasons of this silence, I know I have committed myself by it, but it will give him an opportunity to lash and be witty, he will pass his time agreably when he is answering it, and I shall laugh most immoderately when I receive it = I have never yet been frightened with the length of your Letters — that this is so short, you may thank Monsiur Mad-zei —