Maria Grace Saffery, Salisbury, to Anne Whitaker, Bratton, [c. late November 1810].

Salisbury Friday Eveng

   There was a sort of moral inability in my case for writing when the last communications were made to you by dr Lucy who closed her epistle just time enough to ease yr anxieties on her account; a lingering indisposition of some weeks standing was succeeded on the day following by an immediate attack of fever; wh laid her on the bed of pain & languishing for several days.  Her head as you will readily suppose was more especially the seat of suffering.  When Lucy was seized Harriet was confined to her bed, wh was not the case when our dear Bror was here.  They are now past the season of solicitude the latter having been out in defiance of the excessive cold with more advantage than injury & poor L. managing to keep her place on the Sopha with tolerable ease thro’ the whole day.  Mary and Jane are both well slight coughs excepted, but my poor little boys have added largely to my preceding anxieties.  I had indeed fears of Sam five or six weeks since but hoped that the timely aid of medicine wd not merely have suspended but have prevented the dreaded attack.  The mischief was however still collecting and appeared in Typhus about ten days ago.  To day we speak with decision of his amendment wh thro’ great mercy is unquestionable even to me his fever was accompanied with the Mumps with wh little John was attacked the night before last, to a very considerable degree unattended however with any general illness, whereas they were but a circumstance in Samuels case.  I fear much from the irritation of the pain & the discipline of calomel this cold weather for my youngest darling you know what nursing such an one in Mumps must be. Besides wh Sally the nurse maid has kept her bed these two days with the same malady, and general illness but quite of the inflamatory kind. I would terminate my list of Patients here – but my dear Carey adds to the number by sufferings of a different class – Smith indeed suspects a combination those of us who know him do not because all the features of his complaint are precisely what bile has so often occasioned him only the attack has been very severe and of course the subsequent debility is very great  the nursing he requires now that he is better cannot be easily described.  Amidst this presence of distress my Mind has been more than once subdued to great heaviness & vexed with uncontrollable agitation.  Many very many cries augmented the bitterness, and I could not write to you without imposing silence on almost every feeling, but I repeat the language of David for myself.  “Heaviness may endure for a night but joy cometh in the Morng”  I had very imperfectly recovered my strength when I was first < > to more than usual service Mason was deliberating till Lucy seemed somewhat better left me for the vacation before they boys were taken ill – and now my beloved Anna what can I say @ a visit to Bratton poor little Mary’s heart palpitates for sight of the Farm & mine has more than equal longings after yr Society.  I purpose sending the child at all events if my holiday shd be deferred much longer ’tis impossible to fix the time now.  I will write again soon.  I had indeed determined on giving Anne a holiday and trying my little darling with change of air for a few days, wh was thought suitable for him especially but now I am wholly of a loss how to proceed.  I can use your prayers, your sympathy and confide in yr knowledge of the zeal of my friendship to satisfy you that I shall not delay my visit when it is allowed me to leave home.  You know that my dear S–  sets out on his long journey on Monday he has written @ the poor Girl we will take care to receive her kindly. Adieu love to my dr Bror the children & your’s ever

                     Maria Grace Saffery

Salter has been nurse to all, but says she cannot get her turn without fever or Mumps  I bless God for this

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed.,  Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 300-01 (annotated version); Saffery/Whitaker Papers, acc. 142, I.B.4.c.(23.), Angus Library. Address: Mrs Philip Whitaker | Bratton Farm.  No postmark.