December 8th, 1860.—Miss Sadie Talbot, our new governess, arrived today. She and her sister are Southern girls from Easton, Maryland.
They are tall blondes and very pretty, I think. They have the little touch in their speech which most Marylanders whom I have known have had, and it sounds real sweet from them though it sounds affected in a great big man like Mr. Burton. These young ladies were educated at Poughkeepsie, New York, but they are real Southerners, though they are not in favor of secession; but they are quite young and full of fun.
The legislature met in Tallahassee in November and Governor Perry advised that they call a convention to meet January 3rd, to consider whether Florida shall follow South Carolina’s example or not; so I suppose we will soon know our fate. Florida is a big state in area but her people are comparatively few and the settlements are far apart. Florida is a young state, too; she is only one year older than I am, so she must be almost a child still. The question is, can she stand alone? I hear all the pros and cons of this movement from both the Secession and the Union side, so I am afraid I am sometimes a little mixed as to politics. Anyway Christmas is much more interesting so I will think about that. I like Miss Sadie, (she says we must call her Miss Sadie and it is best for her sister is Miss Talbot).
