(Livingston Manor, November 5, 1720)

November 5, 1720.

My Dear Husband

I cannot forbear from letting you know that I and the people are in reasonably good health, except Syoo: [he] is very ill. I hope your distressing ailment may abate, which God, I hope, will grant you.
I am having trouble enough here with our people. Tam does not do anything and doesn’t want to do anything and is fat and greasy. He wants to keep his letter himself, he said, or he will do wrong. I am afraid he will do something evil [like] setting something on fire, so I am sending him to be sold or to be sent away, for he is not working and refuses to look after anything. I had him.... And the High-Dutch woman has had him for 4 days, and she said there is nothing wrong with him. She thinks he is doing it on purpose in order to get away. Have him sold or sent away. Our people who have driven up the 66 beasts are not at home yet; I hope they will get a good price. I have written to Flip that he should send you the list [recording] what the beasts have been sold for. I am sending you a fat heart and a side and a tail. You can dispose of it as you like.
Send for 1 ½ dozen chairs from Boston; 2 gild[-framed] paintings from England: [one] of 2 yards wide and one yard high – adventuresome in the new room! -, [the other] 1 ½ yards in width and the same in length; together with a flower-pot. I have written to you about the 2 mirrors and frames and about the 2 coloured frames for the 2 large mirrors. I wrote you to send for a cask of hats, 4 small pieces of white [and] 4 of blue cotton, and 10 pieces of multi-coloured cotton fabrics, [and] 3 pieces of coarse cloth: liver-colour and snuff-colour and gray.
I hope this will find you without pain and [that I’ll] see you at home like that, God willing.
My regards to all your children.
Your Beloved Wife
Alida Livinghston.
In the Man. of Livinghston

In the left margin:
- starting at the (A) mark: Cotton and stems of ginger; please, bring the thousand needles, large and small, [and] 2 pieces of white and bromine [-coloured] or amber [fabric].

- at the (B) mark: Another one with a gild frame

- at the (C) mark: One of those frames has to be black and japanned.