Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, to Anne Whitaker, Bratton, [c. March 1806].

Salisbury Monday Eveng

   It is with great willingness I comply with the request of my dear Anne and send her a line of information but I believe I must adhere pretty closely to yr commission & limit my intelligence as far as may be to a line –

   Poor Jenny arrived in safety & is I suppose as well as might reasonably be expected, tho’ her languor & depression are indeed great she says she bore her journey tolerably to Deptford but after that felt very ill she can talk but little this Eveng & complains of her head & the pain of Chest with the tickling of her throat she has however cough’d very little & I conjecture fatigue has a large store in her immediate sufferings, you may depend on our paying her every possible attention – Alfred is quite well poor fellow! he burst into tears at sight of Jenny’s extreme defection and exclaim’d in his accustom’d expression of distress, “O dear!”  He begs love to all & duty also to Papa & Mamma & G. Mamma –

   I have been in a perpetual scene of hurry since my dr S–  has been lame occasion’d not merely by my concern for him but the great anxiety of the people @ him – yesterday he had no help & was greatly fatigued tho’ he sat to preach & return’d in a chair – we have changed the application & he is much better today but confined at home he still purposes to Bristol the latter end of the week – the boys & girls are well & as am I and dr little M- A- we all unite in cordial love to you & dr Bror  I expect to see you both at size!

   I feel much for the case of Watts & Mrs Seagram truly interesting & melancholy indeed! are such scenes my dear Anna must guard however against undue depression in the exercise of her most benevolence sympathies – May the God of all prepare the suffering parties for his will – Adieu my love, believe that

                     I am yrs most faithfully

                                 Maria Grace Saffery –

many kisses for little C –

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed.,  Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, p. 212 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.B.4.c.(10.), Angus Library.  No address page or postmark.