Adams Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-07-02-0174

Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams Smith, 15 January 1787

Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams Smith

Paris Jan. 15. 1787

Mr. Jefferson has the honour to present his compliments to [Mrs.] Smith and to send her the two pair of Corsets she desired. He wishes they may be suitable, as Mrs. Smith omitted to send her measure. Times are altered since Mademoiselle de Sanson had the honour of knowing her.1 Should they be too small however, she will be so good as to lay them by a while. There are ebbs as well as flows in this world. When the mountain refused to come to Mahomet, he went to the mountain. Mr Jefferson wishes mrs Smith a happy new year, and abundance of happier ones still to follow it. He begs leave to assure her of his esteem and respect, and that he shall always be happy to be rendered useful to her by being charged with her commands.

FC (MHi: Jefferson Papers); notation: “Smith mrs.”

1A reference to AA2’s pregnancy, which WSS had confirmed in his correspondence with Jefferson in Nov. (Jefferson, Papers description begins The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, and others, Princeton, N.J., 1950– . description ends , 10:479, 518).

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