Jane Attwater, Bodenham, to [Mrs. Henry Philips], Salisbury, [c. 1782-83].

Dear Madm

   The tender solicitude you expressed for ye happiness of ye unworthy Friend that frankness & Benevolence of disposition together [with the] refinement delicacy of sentiment I discovered [shorthand] readily adress on this occasion wt may appear trifling to some may be of utmost consequence to ye peace of others but without further preface I suppose Mrs P is not unacquainted [shorthand] our young [shorthand] indisposition it indeed much alarmd us this is to beg [shorthand] a line [shorthand] to acquaint [shorthand] particularly how he is as I suppose [shorthand] an assurence of [shorthand] Happiness will never fail to give me sincerest pleasure whilst on ye contrary uncertainty produces ye opposite extreme I hope Mr P took no cold Sunday Eve that my amiable Friend is restored & yt you are all happy in ye injoyment of Health & every blessing wch is requisite to sweeten life – We should rejoice to see you at our Cot of content where you shall share a sincere welcome – a simple humble repast & a sincere heart – My dear & hond parent thro’ divine goodness continues as well as for some time joins me in affecte commendation to each of our worthy Friends at Sarum  Can you excuse this adress comply with ye request & partially view yr affecte

Jn [A]

Please to read this to yourself & acquaint none with ye contents of as wrong constructions may insue

Text: Timothy Whelan, ed. Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 8, pp. 155-56 (fully annotated version); Attwater Papers, acc. 76, II.A.11.(a.), Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. No address page. Since Jane’s mother is still alive at the time of this letter, the letter was written sometime prior to April 1784. Most likely the ‘Mrs P.’ is the fourth Mrs Philips, wife of Henry Philips, pastor at Brown Street; they married in 1781 and she died in 1784. Apparently, Attwater felt that the sensitive nature of the material required shorthand, one of the few times it appears in her letters or diary.