Charles S. Taylor Letter, May 13, 1844

              Natchitoches    May 13, 1844    Monday morning
Dear Judge,
                        I arrived  here last night safe and sound, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and am waiting for a New Orleans boat for which I may be detained one or two days.  Had a hot trip - hotter than red pepper decidedly, but otherwise pretty comfortable.  I was twice taken for Parson Fowler; once by one of his neighbors, the hostess where I stayed the night, and she was so very glad to see me that I expected she would salute me with a holy kiss, to prevent which I, of course, undeceived her as soon as possible.  By the bye, the night at that house was rather an interesting one to me.  The whole household having got into a flurry about the mistake, mentioned they sought to wear off the excitement by showing me some extra attentions.  The chickens squalled and lost their heads for my benefit, and the supper was most bountiful in quantity, and as it was rather dark at table I found no fault with appearances.  The baby was sick and the old woman proposed a dose of salts after supper, which was duly administered.  Several of the nine or ten children, boys and girls that had been working in the cotton all day, complained a little. The old man said a dose of salts would be beneficial all round and accordingly they had to take it.  Well, at bedtime I was sent into the "other house" with about six of the aforesaid boys to sleep.