Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, to Philip Whitaker, Bratton, [Wednesday], 7 April 1802.

   Our dear Brors letter of ys Morng was productive of an inexpressible concern to us! This indeed may well be conceived since it conveyed intelligence of ye interrupted health of our beloved  Sister. < > in every circumstance nothing is < > from tenderness to me I wd be thankful yt ye symptoms be not of a more distressing nature – I have read ye acct over and over, & bless God for ye alleviating remarks wh accompany ye recital of her suffering & weakness – I have no occasion to say how exceedingly I desire to be at Bratton – I am consoled with ye idea yt ys is not requisite  I long for our next letter – May it bring most welcome tidings – Let me entreat you not to delay writing as my anxiety would be almost insupportable in that case – Needful, doubtless, & solitary are these chastenings – what a mercy to reflect when under ye pressure of them,

         “The pity of ye Lord to search as for his own

         Is such as tender parent feel &c”

I hope my dr Anne will soon be enabled to adopt ye language of her favorite Psalm & say under ye benign influence of his “healing word”

         O bless ye Lord O my soul – nor let his mercies lie

         Forgotten in unthankfulness – And without praises die

         ’Tis he forgives thy Sin – ’Tis he relieves thy pain &c

I am glad little Edward was weaned pretty easily & hope his dr Mother will not repine at his being too soon denied ye breast – this is what many of ye tenderest maternal hearts are forced to embrace.

   I now say the sweet fellow will thrive very well under her guardian auspices without this indulgence wh indeed from her present situation must have been injurious – keep such for ye Boys for now I must not indulge much more as I am hurried for time & indeed my Spirits will not bear much additional exertion – It is a great mercy we are all in tolerable health – I am myself a good deal horrified with bilious affliction – but ys must be expected & taking it altogether there is much cause for abounding gratitude. Our unified love to our very dr Sister & to all @ you – Philip’s love to his Cousins

                     I am my dear Brors most affectionately

                                 Maria Grace Saffery –

Wednesday Eveng April 7th 1802

Nurse was call’d to Mrs John Hudden last week – Ye Lady is pretty well I hope Nurse is something better

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed.,  Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 190 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.B.1.(16.), Angus Library. Address: Mr Philip Whitaker | Bratton Farm | Westbury | Wilts.  Postmark: Westbury. Lines above are from ‘Abounding Compassion of God; or, Mercy in the midst of Judgment’ and ‘Praise for Spiritual and Temporal Mercies’,, in Watts, The Psalms of David, Psalm CIII, p. 213, 211-12. Other references are to Edward Whitaker, third son of Anne and Philip, born in early 1802; and Philip John Saffery (1800-69), Maria Saffery’s first child, born in August 1800.