In 500... (or less)

The Letter from Larry

The curator delicately slid her hand into her glove, she did not want to damage the letter.

"Where did you find this?" she asked her assistant.

"It was among the effects of an elderly man in Fredericksburg, tucked into a leather-bound book," he said. "Do you think it's authentic?"

"Let me read it first," she answered. "I want to see what it's about before we send the ink and paper off to be analyzed."

She carefully unfolded the centuries-old paper.

Dearest Mother,

I should have hoped to write this letter under better circumstances, as you well know this endeavour was for the purpose of improving my health.

My health has not taken a turn, as we had all hoped. 'Tis warm and sunny here, but little else. I consider it no misfortune to have attempted to cure this blessed cough in Barbados, and yet I bear most horrible news for you.

My dearest Brother, George, has fallen quite ill here. He took a heavy fever but a few days ago, such that it forced him into bed. 'Twas a pity for him, for he was enjoying the waves of the mighty ocean and the other sights of this place. And yet, it was most troubling that he agreed to rest without the slightest protestation. It was much unlike him, and worried me so.

But for another day, my fears became realized. His face now bears the unmistakable Pestilence of smallpox. I beg you forgive me for having asked for young George to accompany me on this journey. Convincing him otherwise may have been fruitless, but from the beginning I feared that some Calamity might befall us.

He is in the hands of the Almighty now, whether he should perish or survive. I hold the most solemn hope that both of us may return to you alive and well.

Send my Blessings and Love to dearest Betty, and stop at the Prayer Rocks to ask for the speedy return to health of your Beloved George. 

Your Humble Servant,

Lawrence

"So?" The assistant was quite impatient.

"The story matches up to some extent," she said. "Lawrence was 13 when his father married her, I suppose he would have thought of her as his mother."

"I didn't know he ever left the country," the assistant said. "George, I mean."

"Well, he did go to Barbados with Lawrence when he was 19, and traveled with him often to the springs in Bath," the curator said. "I have trouble believing this letter was ever sent."

"About that..." the assistant said. "I did some research on the man. He was related to Lawrence's wife, Anne. It is entirely possible she kept it in her papers and never gave it to Mary."

The curator carefully folded the letter back up.

"I couldn't say," she said. "But they did come home shortly after that. Good thing for all of us, huh? I mean, who knows what would have happened if George Washington had died from smallpox?"