Betsy Mix Cowles Letter to Sisters Regarding Teaching Position in Alabama

              Marietta Nov. 17. 1841 
My Dearest Sisters 
I ought to have written 
to my dear home last week- but waited 
to get returns from an application wh. Lins 
ly's Uncle had made for me- at a first rate 
place. The result is the application was one 
day too late. This has been the case in 
one or two cases. Well! You will Say- now 
I hope you will come home & be Satisfied. 
Not exactly- I may come home to winter 
but if I do it will be with the expectation 
of returning in the Spring.  One of two things 
I will do- & I do not know wh. to do- am in 
a great dilemma & wish you would tell me 
wh. to do- th'o I know pretty well- wh. you would 
wish to have me.  I will go home or to 
Alabama. I can have a School there in 
the Northern part of the State with a Salary 
of $500. to begin the first of January.  But then 
here are objections. First Our folks will be un- 
willing to have [caret] me [written above line] 10 or 1200 miles from home- & (I have 
some qualms of conscience about it) tho if I must 
be away at all I may about as well be that dis- 
tance as any other.  Another objection is that a 
warm climate is not for me as healthy as a 
colder one. Another those predisposed to billious 
attacks are Subject to the digestive fever wh. 
often proves fatal- tho this last is not so much 
with me- for there is [caret] not [written above line] much that I care for 
in the world. Another I have no money unless 
I could it from home- If I decide to go- I shall