Caleb Evans, Bristol, to Mary Steele, Broughton, [Thursday] 27 April 1786.

   I am really asham’d to take pen in hand so hastily as I am oblig’d now to do it, to write to such a friend as Sylvia; because it will be out of my power to do any sort of justice either to her or myself.  But her Candor will throw a veil over my defects, & lead her to give me the merit of good intentions however short I may fall in the execution.

   I ought to apologise for my last, for after it ws gone, upon reperusing my friend’s letter to wch it was a reply, I perceiv’d I had assum’d an air of severity & spoke in a tone of blame, where I ought rather to have addres’d my frd in the style of congratulation and praise.   But this also she will excuse.

   I am howev.r truly happy that my D.r Frd is able to say wt she does, & have no doubt, in my own mind, that she will eminently find, & that more & more, that tho’ Father & Mother, & many much valu’d friends have forsaken her, the Lord will take her up, comfort & support her thro’ ye remainder of her pilgrimage, till at length her turn shall come to rise to the blissful circle which is already brighten’d by so many happy Spirits, & to fear to be with those y.t now compose it of those immort.l joys which are at once sure in their nature, elevating beyond tho’t in their effects & even in their duration!

   I rejoice in ye hum: char: of a fellow traveler with (I ws going to say) the poor dejected Sylvia, & having once lov’d those she most lov’d, feel a peculiar pleas:r in soothing her soul under the pain of her present separat:n from them, till the mom:t arrives when there, where they are, she shall be also – & I trust shall not myself be excluded! The time is short, & ye day of final redemption draweth nigh!

   But I must not forget the purport of this letter which was to say y.t our dear Pershore frds came safe here Mond.y even:g, and hope to be at Sarum next Tuesday aft:n.   Clary stays behind, but M.r Hall talks of coming with M.rs Ash & her son & dau:t.  He offer’d his services this aftern:n to M.rs Ash, & as he has been out very little since he came here, I made no objection to the proposal, as I tho’t his company might not be unacceptable. He possesses a larger share than ever of my esteem, & tho’ some of his leveties have been strangely magnified & misrepresented, I declare the more I know the more I love him, not more for his splendid astonishing abilities, than for his virtues.  Nor do I think he will be always destitute of that puny virtue the world calls prudence.  Please howev.r to send him back as soon as you can, as I shall much want him.

   Our frds are all well, Clary much better than w.n she left Broughton but has a cough wch she wishes to get rid of. – With ye generous salutat:s of this whole house to yourself, M.rs S. & every one as tho’ named, permit me thus hastily to subscr:b myself Y.r faithf.l & ever affec:t frd

                                 C Evans

Text: STE 5/16/viii, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Postmark: Bristol. Address: Miss Steele / Broughton near / Stockbridge / Hants. Also mentioned above are Clarissa Goddard and her relation, Mrs. Martha Goddard Steele, Mary Steele's stepmother.