Mary Hays, [Clapton], to Henry Crabb Robinson, [Russell Square], [before 4] March 1842.1

March 1842

   My dear good friend, acept accept my thanks for your liberal kindness, & still more for the manner in which it was conferred.

   You will come & see me, I trust, before you leave town, that I may once more, personally acknowledge your long & faithful friendship, & that in a season when the f world forsakes us & has, all that I have survived long forsaken me.

   In another & a better world I hope to meet you, with the kind & benevolent Spirits that have passed before us[.] Here, should you survive me, which for many years I trust you will, seek my remains in a humble grave in the Newington cemetary cemetery,2 with the simple memorial Mary Hays engraven on the headstone.

   I grieve for the pecuniary loss you are about to sustain, & I am concerned to be the means of adding to it. I feel as if it was wrong.3

   Once more acept accept my <-> ^adieu and^ thak thanks!!

                                                     Mary Hays

I have from disuse lost the power of writing, but I would not emplore employ any other pen.

Text: Crabb Robinson Archive, DWL/HCR/5/14/148b, Dr. Williams's Library, London. Crabb Robinson writes in his Diary for Friday 4 March 1842: "A fine day so that I was able to get rid of old engagements by taking a pleasant walk to Clapton – I had had a letter from Miss Hayes asking me to call on her – I found her very infirm rather than very ill – She was sitting in an arm chair which she finds very inconvenient. She wants to have a new one made according to her fancy and me to take the old one and pay the difference. I at once said I would take the old one & and pay for new – and afterwards I introduced Mrs Henry Rutt to her, and when the new chair is made she is to send to the Rutts and they will pay. I have a pleasure in rendering this petty service to my old friend – It will last but a short time. She is very weak and life is a burthen to her."

2 cementery] MS

3 Reference is unclear. Hays may be referring to Robinson's loan of money to his friend Richmond in an effort to get the latter to return to his family and position in America, money that most likely would not be repaid. It might also be in reference to the monies Robinson and Hays still had invested in various funds.