Mary “Polly” Doddridge, [Norwich], to Mercy Doddridge, Sr., [Northampton], 6 February 1755. 

Thursday Morning or rather

Noon Feb. ye 6 1755

             Just now have I finished a long Letter to Mr C. & most sincerly do I wish my Dear Mama a Sight of it if it would give her the best pleasure, I should not at all think much of the Trouble of Transcribing for you Madm tho it would be a Tedious Task for any body else but as it [is] so long sinse he heard from me I am unwilling to Detain it longer than is Necessary, so I flatter my self my Dear Mamma will have the Goodness this once to excuse me & accept my most graitful thanks for her indulgence with regard to sending my Letters to Glasgow, but still more graitful am I for the Favour of that very kind Letter wi^hi^ch accompanyed that endulgence,

             I did indeed begin to think long before I heard from Northampton, but at length ariv’d the Dr Welcome Pacquet that brought me the ever most acceptable of all Tidings those of my Ever Dear mammas Health & Felicity but this joy was not so Compleet as it would have been if yours had inform’d me you had quite lost that undesirable Companian the old pain in you Frith & Fair which I am very sorry to hear it [is] still so troublesome.

             How impatiently do I often long to see my Dear Mama & what Joy it would give me to make one in your happy Circle when you entertain my Sisters with reading <  > not that I am at all tir’d of Norwich or confin’d by Mr W’s & Miss Woods behavour that they are at present grown weary of your Girl which I must confess I sometimes think a little unaccountable, but so it is & all owing to their goodness without Doubt.

             Mr & Mrs Wood insisted upon it this morning that I should send Mr C an invitation in both their names to come to Norwich, nay says Mr Js tell him it just be so, for we won’t part with you.

            I am much oblig’d to my Dear Mamma for her Care of & Goodness to me with regard to the Legacy bequethed me by my Uncle, how many ways do you Dr Madm find of obliging your Polly she must be a sad girl indeed if she was not Graitful.

               I had intirly forgot that I had taken the lyning out of my Brown Silk Gownd, & perfectly agree with you Madm in thinking it would be by no means worthwhile to send it to Norwich, I am glad tho without knowing it fulfil’d my Mamma’s pleasure with request to my Pink Gownd, having had nothing on my back for these 2 months but that & my Stuff ^Short^ Silk, my white Silk being in a very declining way & I thinking as some people are inclin’d to do in Cases more important that was I to apply to the Learned whear it [is] more than possible I might meet with some relief yet it is possible the Physicians Firs would be a greater expence than the Patients Life is worth & tho I immagin both Amphutation & Scarification in abundance will be absolutely necessary. The Armes alredy shewing Dangerous Sympthoms of a Mortification appearing Black in several places, & indeed the whole Body seems to be in a very weak state, yet I have determin’d to rely upon my own Skill ^& Abillites^ & to proscribe for it ^myself^ the First Opportunity & Desperate as the case seems to be I have the most Chearful Hope that when it has undergone the Disiplin I am meditating for it will again become a useful member of Society & that I shall have the pleasure to reinstate it with her Dignity into its former Office.

             What a parcel of Stuff – wch my Mama forgives her Idle Girl, & permit her to ask her this question Whether she intends to Favour her with a new Silk Gown this Summer, now if this thing pleaseth my Dear Mama & seemeth good in her Eyes & it be both perfectly Convenient & Agreeable otherwise I would by no means Desire it ^but if this shd be the Case^ than would I humbly propose (if she aprov’s of its being bought at Norwich) then & in such Case that she will be pleased to send me forthwith because Silks are Cheaper here at this time of the year than any other Traders sometimes selling them at Prime Cost for the sake of Re^a^dy money to go up to London with in the Spring, all needful advice & Direction for Making this purchase I am afraid my Mamma will think me an extravagant when I informe her that Money will be one requisite as I am now reduce’d to my last Geniua [sic], I intend to send my account in my next Pacquet, but at present I have so much writing that I hope my Mama will be so good as to excuse its not attending her now.

             If you approve of it Madm I should Chuse a Slight Genteel Flower’d Silk, suppose a white Flower’d with Green this kind of a silk if my Mama likes it I should prefer to either a strip’d, a strip’d & Flower’d, a Check’d, or Shaded or plain Silk but it may seem odd to make so many objects with out asigning any reason for so doing, I will therefore take them in their order & tell my Mama my object, a Strip’d Silk I have, Strip’d & Flower’d are a good deal out of Fashion a Check’d Irish Stuff  I have also, a Shaded Silke is so like the Stuffs made here that at a few yds Destance a good Judge cannot Distinguish the Difference, a Plain Silk Except it be realy a good one looks but indifferintly & that wod be too great an expence, & were it not so I am inclin’d to think a Slight Flower’d such as I first mention’d wd be Gentieler, but I leave the affair intirely to my Dear Mammas Determinations & Doubt not but I shall be pleas’d with that what ever it is

  I sincerely tho at Norwich rejoice at the Civilities of the Chimblies at Thumb Hall, & Heartily wish their Politness Ever Continue, I am vastly pleas’d that my Dear Mama intends to Favour her Friends with her Ever Acceptable Company when the wethar grows warmer, in the mean time I wish every Circumstance may Concur to make her vollentry solitude as Happy as possible,

             I am Sincerely Grev’d to hear of good Mrs Somes renew’d allarms with reguar’d to her Breast & shall not fail to mention her case to Mr Wood,

            Sinse I wrote last Mr & Mrs Kitt have suffer’d the enexprissable Grief of Lossing [sic] their only son, Master Kitt was a fine boy about eight years old he Dye’d on Christmas day of the small-pox, Miss Kitt has sinse had them & is perfectly recover’d, Mrs Kitt is near her time expecting to Lyeing in March, Mrs Jenny Tompn to[o] was brought to bed last Saturday but came before her time & the Child the 5 or 6 Boy was dead but she is very Finely & we hope likely to do very well,

            Miss Betsy Chitty either is ^married^ or is just on the verge of matrimony but I know not the Gens name but I hear it is a person of Mrs Claytons recommending

             Adieu my Ever Dear Mamma with a Heart fuller of Affection & Gratitude than words can express I am

her ever Dutiful & Obedient

Polly Doddridge

Address: To | Mrs Doddridge

Postmark: none

Note on address page: Polly Feby | 6 1755

Text: Crew MS 50, fol. 37, Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge.