Mercy "Cleora" Doddridge [St. Albans?] to Mary "Roselinda" Doddridge [Northampton], an undated PS [c. August 1750]. 

P.S. I am quite at a loss which to doe whather to thank you or to scold at you for your PS but as I fear the later would take up too much of my papper I bleive it must be the former but that I may be sure to doe wright I intend to doe both & first I shall lecter yu a little (to begin) pray what is it you mean by the begining of yur PS by saying least I should think you intend troubling me with too [sic] Letters, but it [is] very well you threten me only with imposibilitys for indeed that is so that too [sic] Letters to gather from my Dear Roselinda should be troubleing me but I cant forgive your useing that trouble which from you, my Dear is so Disagreeable, to your Cleora on any other terms than on your promising never to use it on any such ocasion again pray Madm, doe you think that I will indulge you so as to alow you to use that word in so inproper a sence as to tell me that is trouble which you know I have often told you I think one of my greatest pleasures please to remember that I am eldest Sister for if I write them not in such a maner as that you can not wrip them from the other part of the letter it will singify nothing now my Dear if you could prevail with my Pappa not to see our Letters this wold be much better I should be very glad if this could be done tho for the reasons mentiend in my Letter I dont chuse to ask this pray my Dear be so good as to tell P. [Philip, her brother] I should be very glad of the Favour of a line I am very much obligd to my Mamma for her obliging care do get my gound & Tamsure I shall like what ever she thinks proper pray my most affactionate Love to Dear Celia & tell her I think my self much obligd to her for intended Letter & should be very glad to hear from her I am not much surprized to hear that neither you my dear nor Celia are not much rejoisd to hear that Cousin Molly [Mary Doddridge] intends to return to Nor[ampton] again but my Dear dont you think that she would be so good as to bring my Canary bird from Wor[cester] for me I should be very glad if you wrote to Wor[cester] before she intends to come you would be so good as to mention it to her I was very sorry to hear of poor Gooley’s Death but have not the least doubt but that you my Dear took all possible care of him I hope your bird is recovourd many thanks to you my Dear for your kind care of Poor Gooley my best thanks to Celia for her care of my linnet, I was very Sorry to hear that Miss & Master Reminton [Remington] when you wrote I hope thay are recoverd We had the pleasure of Mrs Elistons [Elliston's] Company on Mond[a]y she is but very indefrent & has fell quite out with wrideng [writing?] which you will prehaps think this very strange but it is so she has been but very ill & has very much lost her Sperets I intended to have wrote but one line but your a bewiching girl & I no [sic] not how to leave of but my my papper obliges me to write no more

                                                adue my Dear

[I] think myself as good a jud[ge] of the prophetic words (in this respect only) as your Ladyship but haveing given you a tolrable long Letter for a short post script as I at first intended I now beg you will as I have subsequently [paper creased] my spleen on the word Trouble & being at present very serious humer pray give me leave to thank you for your obliging postscript but beg I may have no more apologeys about the length of your Letters but Indeed yu could only make apologeys when you doe write long on[e]s but I should be unreasonable if I was to complain for I must acknowledge you have been very [heather?] to [?] desire me my Dear if I have anything to say to you that I would not have omited that I would write it in a PS but then the whole of my Letters must be post Since besides my Dear what can I doe when I write by the post because if I then write long PS I must be obligd to make my Letters ter[se?] [end of page; letter is incomplete]

Text: Crew MS 50, fol. 44, Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge.