Writing to his wife from New York on January 4, 1825, he says:—­

“You will rejoice with me, I know, in my continued and increasing success.  I have just learned in confidence, from one of the members of the committee of the corporation appointed to procure a full-length portrait of Lafayette, that they have designated me as the painter of it, and that a subcommittee was appointed to wait on me with the information.  They will probably call to-morrow, but, until it is thus officially announced to me, I wish the thing kept secret, except to the family, until I write you more definitely on the subject, which I will do the moment the terms, etc., are settled with the committee.

“I shall probably be under the necessity of going to Washington to take it immediately (the corporation, of course, paying my expenses).  But of this in my next.”

“January 6, 1825. I have been officially notified of my appointment to paint the full-length portrait of Lafayette for the City of New York, so that you may make it as public as you please.

“The terms are not definitely settled; the committee is disposed to be very liberal.  I shall have at least seven hundred dollars—­probably one thousand.  I have to wait until an answer can be received from Washington, from Lafayette to know when he can see me.  The answer will arrive probably on Wednesday morning; after that I can determine what to do about going on.

“The only thing I fear is that it is going to deprive me of my dear Lucretia.  Recollect the old lady’s saying, often quoted by mother, ’There is never a convenience but there ain’t one’; I long to see you.”

It was well for the young man that he did not realize how dreadfully his jesting fears were to be realized.

Further on he says:  “I have made an arrangement with Mr. Durand to have an engraving of Lafayette’s portrait.  I receive half the profits.  Vanderlyn, Sully, Peale, Jarvis, Waldo, Inman, Ingham, and some others were my competitors in the application for this picture.”

“January 8. Your letter of the 5th I have just received, and one from the committee of medical students engaging me to paint Dr. Smith’s portrait for them when I come to New Haven.  They are to give me one hundred dollars.  I have written them that I should be in New Haven by the 1st of February, or, at farthest, by the 6th; so that it is only prolonging for a little longer, my dear wife, the happy meeting which I anticipated for the 25th of this month.  Events are not under our own control.

“When I consider how wonderfully things are working for the promotion of the great and long-desired event—­that of being constantly with my dear family—­all unpleasant feelings are absorbed in this joyful anticipation, and I look forward to the spring of the year with delightful prospects of seeing my dear family permanently settled with me in our own hired house here.  There are more encouraging prospects than I can trust to paper at present which must be left for your private ear, and which in magnitude are far more valuable than any encouragement yet made known to me.  Let us look with thankful hearts to the Giver of all these blessings.”