Richard Ryland, London, to MGS, Salisbury, Tuesday, 7 July 1807.

London 7 July 1807 Tuesday Eveg

Dear Madam

   The Travellers are already advancing on their way, under that Guidance which I hope will insure their safe Conduct to you & my Daughter’s continued profiting by the Change – I consider her as entirely convalesced & as wanting nothing more than the Air she will now get & the kind attention she has always found, to restore her perfectly – a continued Course of Medicine is one of the things that she will now escape from & I am persuaded the less she takes the better – I believe she owes 2/3ds of her Illness to mistaken medical application – She shod also abandon immediately a habit she has been in too long, of lying in Bed late in the morning – and now rises constantly between 7 & 8 at latest – had her Mother not persevered in such early rising in spite of every Infirmity I do not believe her Life would have lasted half so long & I am sure it wod not have been half so useful.

   Harriet I think will now be well, if she can think herself so but she is rather apt to be fine-lady-ish – too often & too long when any thing is the Matter – needs strong Drink, such as porter – & Meat more than once a Day – both which we encouraged her in, when she first came home – I believe prejudiced to her Constitution – Mr Smith will have charged himself with the whole Expence of the Journey which I will trouble you to repay him – Harriet has somewhat more than £3 with her, which will serve for what she may want soon – I wod have it expended under your Eye & when that is gone please to purchase for her what you deem essential as before, allowing her for pocket money 2/6 per week – her Dress is rather lighter & more flaunting than her Sisters or than I wish – my mind is that she cannot be too plain – and when the Weather calls for warmer Clothing she could keep herself warm about the Legs & Ancles which was where her Complaint first began. I beg my best Respects to Mr Saffery & am

                                             dr Madam

                                                         Your obliged Friend & Servt

                                                                     R Ryland

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, p. 241 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, II.D.5.a.(12.), Angus Library. Mrs M G Saffery | Castle Street | Salisbury |July 7th / 7.