A visit from ' three little women'

In light of it being the day on which Robert E. Lee was born, and seeing that I am currently reading some of his letters, which have been a great delight to read, I thought I would give a quote from this good man. I read this one a few days ago, and thought is was very sweet, this is an account of a visit he had from "three little women" in January of 1865.

Lee writes:

"....Yesterday afternoon three little girls walked into my room, each with a small basket. The eldest carried some fresh eggs, laid by her own hens; the second, some pickles made by her mother; the third, some popcorn grown in her garden. They were accompanied by a young maid with a block of soap made by her mother. They were the daughters of a Mrs. Nottingham, a refugee from Northampton County, who lived near Eastville, not far from 'old Arlington'. The eldest of the girls, whose age did not exceed eight years, had a small wheel on which she spun for her mother, who wove all the cloth for her two brothers-boys of twelve and fourteen years. I have not had so pleasant a visit for a long time. I fortunately was able to fill their baskets with apples, which distressed poor Bryan (his mess-steward), and I begged them to bring me nothing but kisses and to keep the eggs, corn, etc., for themselves. I pray daily and almost hourly to our Heavenly Father to come to the relief of you and our afflicted country. I know He will order all things for our good, and we must be content."

From Recollections and Letters of General Lee by his son R.E. Lee