Mercy “Cleora” Doddridge, St. Albans, to Mary “Roselinda” Doddridge, [Daventry], 27 July 17[50].

St Albarns July 27 17[50]

[No 4]

             If it was possible for my regard esteem & love for my Dear Roselinda to be increast it had been by her last most friendly affactinate & most Charming ^letter^ to describe any part of that social delight joy & satisfaction that my Dear Roselindas letter gave me would be impossible O my Dear you cant immagin how happy your Cleora thinks herself in having not only a sister but such an amiable & agreeable Friend in her Dear Roselinda whose company always gave me the greatest pleasure & whose Letter even at this unwilling Distence the perusal of which gives me that Delight which nothing else can equal and which no words can express & which is the only thing that could make my Dear Roselinda’s absence even tolrable to your Cleora happy very happy indeed doe I think my self if my Letters can give my Dear Roselinda the least pleasure I should have been very glad if it had been in my power to have compliyd with my Dear Roselindas obliging ^request^ of hearing from me before she left Daventry but I bleive that will be impossible as your letter did come to me Wednsday & as you propose seting out for Northtn on thursday tis imposible for you to hear from [m]e at Daventry as my letter could [not] get to Davty till Friday night thus my Dear you see I have indevourd to convince [you] that it [is] not posible for you to have this till Friday Night but I bleive you will not have this till Saterday as I doe not propose to send it by the post, & now my Dear Roselinda permit your Cleora to express her best wishes for your plesent journey & happy interview with my Dear pappa & mamma a pleasure I have long wishd for but must not alowe my self to hope for at preasent tho it is some consolation to me to hope to see my Dear pappa here very soon tho for but so very short a Time but to my great mortification Miss Clark has juste told me that we are to Dine out to morrow which will I fear deprive me of some of the few happy moments I might have to spend in my Dear Pappas company & this indeed is no small affliction to me, but I ^tho[ught]^ must not alow my self to hope for my Dear Mammas Company at present yet at the same time it is no small pleasure to me that my Dear Roselinda will be happy in having most agreeable company & amiable example, the pleasure & advantage ^the loss^ of which I now, so much regret, but what ever changes may happen to your Cleora it will ever be her most sincere & ardont wish that evry thing may concur to make her Dear Roselinda as happy as her one wish is ajoind with her Cleora can make her & so much does your Cleora intrest her self in her Roselindas welfare that if she is happy I cant be intirely unhappy as to hear of ^my beloved & amiable Roselinda’s^ happiness will always be the greatest joy & satisfaction to your Cleora but my time nor papper will alow me to say any more on this subject for we are to make a visit this after noon not to the agreeable Mrs Ashhurst who to our great consern left St Alburns on Monday & is gone a journey & we fear will not return in less then five weeks her absence will make St Albarns much less pleasant as those Ladyes were the most agreeable aquaintance we have here, O my Dear Roselinda how happy should ^I be^ if instid of visiting I know not who nor what I could spend this after^noon^ with my Dr Mamma & my Dr Roselinda but why doe I allow my self to wish for forbiden joys but sure I may allow to wish for this that I ware so far at my own disposal as to be able to spend the afternoon in conversing with by my pen with Dear Roselinda but as even this cant be except I could purchuse a pair of Wings which I see no probility of at preasent I must bid you an unwi[lli]ng adue.

             Well my Dear we have made our visit & had a much pleasenter after noon than I expected the Ladys we went to see was Mrs Parmer & Mrs Bell both which for my little aquaintance I think very agreeable ladies and as thay bouth came from Northampton & know a good many of my aquaintance thare it made thair Company very entertaining to me but I most conclude with my most sencer wishes that the Best of Blessings may ever atend My

Dearest Roselinda

your unalterable

Cleora

Pray my Dear let me have a letter from you very soon & a very long one for tho I perswaded my self I need not say that the longer the more agreeable your letters to me, I beg my Dear you will make my very particular Compliments to Doctr Stonehouse Sirvices to Mrs Bliss Miss Rappit & Mrs Ann [Lady Ann Jekyll of Dallington] be sure you send me word how Mrs Reminton [Remington] [is] my sirvice to her pray send me word [whether] you heard from your bettsy & how she does I beg I may have a great deal of news in your next pray is my Dear Sister Celia come home if she is my love to her I had like to have for good Miss Clark send their best Services to, I charge you show nobody a word of this for I am indeed quite ashamd of the writing I would not have sent this without wrighting it over again, but I flatter my self you will be so good as to escuse it as I have

Address page: none

Postmark: none

Note on First Page: N4 | Cleora Letters

Text: Crew MS 50, fol. 66, Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge.