Caleb Evans, Bristol, to Mary Steele, Broughton, [Tuesday] 15 June 1784.

Bris:l  June 15. 1784.

My Dear Friend

   How is it that we have so long been with.t any epistolary conversation? We may enjoy that when depriv’d of every other.  You’ll say, Why then have you neglected it? Have I neglected it?  I take shame to myself.  Have you done so?  Take shame to yourself.  After all, I am more excuseable than you are, as you have more leisure as well as capacity for literary converse than I have by far.  So much am I continually hackney’d in the common forms of necessary busn:s of various kinds, that when I attempt any thing higher I appear as awkward as a clown in a belle Assemblie.  But Sylvia calls me her friend, and under that condescend:g name allows me to address her with.t ceremony, & to talk to her for want of ano.r subject of myself.  I will therefore be silent no longer.  If you knew the pleasure I felt in reading the follow:g paragr:h in a letter lately sent me, you w.d not doubt of my title to ye appellation of y.r friend, with wch you have long honor’d me, howev.r inconsist:t my long silence may appear with that character.  “I was just reading Miss Steele’s Danebury yesterday & admire it much.  It is remarkably correct and breathes a most elegant and tender spirit a lively image of that exquisite sensibility and refinement from whence it flowed.”  And why says the writer of this remark, does not Miss S. undertake some other work upon a larger scale? What a pity that such talents sh:d waste their sweetn:s “on the Desert Air,” instead of being diverted to the nobler purpose of soften:g and exalting human nature and human life? Let your friend answer these quest:s if she can and if an Infant Design is rising to her view, let me call it forth into life and reality.

   When I lately heard of y.r being at Abingd:n, I really felt mortified that I could not make one of the happy circle, if it had been but for an hour.   But alas it could not be, and unless you sh.d favour us with a visit I know not when I shall enjoy the pleasure of y.r company, as I believe it will not be in my power to visit this Summ:r either Broton or Abingdon.  I have already been not only to our own Assoc:n at Calne, where we had a very agreeable meeting, but since that to Wales, where I preach’d in the open air to many thous:s, and enjoy’d singular pleas:r.  My Subject Ps 119.129.  But delightful as these opportunit:s are they exhaust my strength & spirits, & I find  y.t ye flesh is weak.  I shall be oblig’d to attend an ordin:n at Plym.o also, if not at Oxford likew:s, so that I cann.t, dare not think of any other excursions. And besides this, we have lodgings at Downend, a mile bey.d M.r Cox’s, and wish to enjoy a little retirem:t there.  M.r Hall is once more with us, improv’d in his person & address, and if possible, in his conversation and Sermons.  He is no small [letter torn] to my domestic felicity, & sh.d I live to [letter torn] as much the man of business for purposes of practical life as he is ye Man of Genius, Taste, & Sublimity of Soul, I shall die in peace, & be happy to withdraw & leave the Church to be illuminated warm’d & cheer’d by his rising beams.

   I have felt much for the afflictions of M.rs Whitaker in the loss of her husb.d & of the rest of ye family in the remov.l of M.r W. and wish’d to have wrote to each a consolatory letter, but I had neither leis:r nor ability. I am happy in the reflection that they are not ignor:t of those sources of comfort religion so abund:y opens to y:m that they will n.t theref.r be strangers to those comforts, which in the multit.d of our thot:s within us are able to delight the Soul. – And now, aft.r hav.g said just noth:g, my paper is full, & I h.v only room to add our united & most cord.l Salutat:s to yourself & our d.r frds y.r good fath.r & Moth.r Sis.s &c &c – and y.t I rem:n in humble expec:n of ye renewal of our correspond.e, y.r very sinc.r and affec.t however, at times, neglected friend & correspond.t

                                                         C Evans

If you h.v wr.t any thing lately, how happy sh.d I be to have a copy of it.

Text: STE 5/16/v, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Postmark: Bristol. Address: Miss Steele / at / Miss Steele’s Esqr / Broughton near / Stockbridge / Hants.