Transcript:
Of the type worn by a child or small adult, circa April 26th 1818
My dear mamma,
I now write to you from a sense of duty, no that I expect my letter can afford you and pleasure. My _____ have been so long ____ so low, that now they have become dull and sleepy; and thus, my mind is _____ unfit for invention, or at least, for inventing any thing, not tinged with the gloom of its own dark melancholy. Sometimes, to be ____, when excited by surrounding mirth, they spring up from their dismal den, to play for a moment in the light, but becoming soon tired by the sport they sink again, and sleep.

During my present affliction, Mr. Norton, of whom you have heard me say so much, has acted towards me, with kindness, which he speaks affection. But of _____ he has endeavored to extract good; these misfortunes, he said, were sent to man, to raise his thoughts to heaven, by showing him the frailty of all his hopes of happiness here. Moreover, they taught us to lay a small ____ on the petty occurrences, which we are pleased to term, evils of life, that it opened the heart to sympathize with the misfortunes of others, and as much as in us lay, ____ them ____ life; and that, it ought to excite me to greater exaction in the way of well-doing, to ____ as light as possible the lots which my family had sustained.

The oak is fallen, the sapling bough to all Duncraggon’s shelter now”. You must suppose, my dear mamma that I have not been badly employed since I have been here, or I could not have obtained the regard of such a man.

I hope Ann does not intend to break the promise she made to write to me. I wish you could prevail on Smith and Robert to do the same. I cannot think they love me much, if they cannot be persuaded to do it.

When I arrived here from Va. I brought $30 to pay Dr. Wane’s bill, for one had come out, while I was away, therefore at the end of this term, which will happen about the middle of May, I will be in debt to the Dr. $95. My tailor, I will owe about $140, but I shall only pay him $100, at that time. These with a quarter bill, which will be due at that time, shoemaker’s, bookseller’s, and what I will owe to the clerks, and what I will want for pocket money, will amount to about $350. This sum will last me until August. $400 more at that time until the next Feb. 2 which will be $800 for the year. I am afraid my dear mamma that I can not live for less than that sum.

Give my love to aunt Fendall, uncle and aunt Edmond and their families; to Mr. and Mrs. Fitzhugh; but particularly to Ann ____ and Mildred. Ann is I believe fond of reading novels, I recommend to her G____ M_____ and all the other novels by the author of that. I like Waverly rather the best, but she would be more pleased with that just mentioned. But all of them, are considered, not only the most entertaining books that were ever written, in prose, but are placed in the front ranks of the productions of geniuses. Let no one _____ __. __. R. in writing these letters, I advise them, not to bestow much labour in them. I remain dear mamma, your affectionate son
C.C. Lee
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, ARHO 2546