Caleb Evans, Bristol, to Mary Steele, Broughton, [Tuesday] 23 February 1779.

Bristol Feb: 23. 1779.

My Dear Friend,

   Y.r letter much affected me.  I have read it, & read it, again and again, with those sensations which friendship only excite.  I know not how it is, but somehow or other, I feel a much greater anxiety ab:t Sylvia’s happin:s since the death of Theodosia than I did before.  For tho’ I can truly say I have ever highly esteem’d you from the very begin:g of my acquaintance with you, yet now I feel a more than ordin:y solicitude for y.r welfare, because, (perhaps, this may be ye reason of it,) you now more than ever need my friendship, and I have now no other mode of expressing my friendship for Theod: than by every act in my power tow:d the Surviv:g Sylvia.  And I can assure you, my hon.d & much lov’d friend, I feel an inward joy in the attempt I have made to fulfil the desires of the dear Dec:d with respect to her Sylvia, that I would upon no acc.t part with; and to which nothing can add, but the seeing those desires accomplish’d.  You will not however supp:s that I lay any superstit:s stress upon your mak:g a profess:n of relig:n.  By no means.  But I can’t bear to have my Theodos:s Darling still follow afar off, and appear as tho’ she were deaf to that charm.g voice of her beloved Redeem:r. – If ye love me, keep my command:s I want to seal the friendship of your Soul to Jesus that friend of Sinn:s.  What those objec:s are to wch you allude I know not, or I w.d attempt to remove them.  Talk them over with y.r hon.d father, or impart them to me.  I am persuaded they are not insurmountable.  I have somet:s been ready to think that providence intends by remov:g one dear fnd from you after another, to teach you, may I be allow’d the phrase? To walk alone.  When we have our friends ab:t us, too often we forget ye friend above us, and lean:g on earthly supports do not look upw.d for that grace wch can teach & enable us, accord:g to the uncouth phrase I h.v adopted---to walk alone.  But then then it is, after all, we are least alone – for our God, our Sav.r, our best friend is with us, & He will never leave us, but bring us all at last to himself, & to all our dear kindred immort:s, in heaven.  That’s the consummat:n of ye Xtian’s hope, & a noble consummat:n it is.  You & I, Sylvia, are now travel:g for it – shall we object to the methods us’d for that purpose? Ah! my friend, w.t we know not now, we shall know hereafter – & what pains us now, shall hereafter be recollec:d with pleasure.  Don’t shed, if possible, a tear now, wch you may have reason, to be asham’d of then.  O my Sylvia, I wish to have you – w.t shall I say – w.t can I better say, than – w.t Theodosia was – the humble, resign’d, steady, patient, cheerful Xtian.  Be thankful for every present mercy,  & look O look forw.d with joyful hope to fut:r immort:y. 

   I fully tho’t to have ans.d y.r much esteem’d fav.r long ago---excuse ye delay---& I’ll endeav.r to be bett.r for ye time to come.  But indeed three rapid edit:s of my Serm:s – ye last of wch is nearly sold, and publis: Some other circumst:, have of late devour’d my leis.r hours.  Let me hope to hear from you soon, with y.r objec:s to wt I hv urg’d – wch I will thus candidly answr.  I send you a proof of Danebury, & shall be happy to exec.t y.r orders relat:v to that or any other publica:n either of y.r own, or of our dear Theodos:s. W.n I send Dr. Ash’s Sent:, I’ll send you my Serm:n  The Last Death – I h.v never yet been able to read, with:t a moisten’d eye, & a heaving heart. My wife & dau.r unite their affec.e complim:s with mine.  We sh.d be happy to see you here.  I am, & think it an hon.r to subscribe myself,

                                 Sylvia’s Sincr & affec,.t fnd

                                                         C Ev:s 

Text: STE 5/16/iii, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford.  No postmark. Address: Miss Steele. Near the end of this letter is the confirmation of  Mary Steele's poem, Danebury, being published in Bristol in 1779 through the efforts of Caleb Evans, as well as the new edition of Anne Steele's poetry and prose that appeared in 1780 in Bristol.