Anne Steele, Bath, to Anne Cator Steele, Broughton, 25 May 1751.

My Dear Mother

         I have been grieving at my disappointment in not hearing from you to day as I expected, my apprehensions on the account of your disorder are very painful and I have now been fill’d with fears that you were still worse and not able to write, but Mrs Waters coming this evening with Mrs Gibbs and telling me he saw my Father well Tuesday and enquir’d for you makes me a little easier for if he brings a right account (tho’ I doubt ’tis but an imperfect one) you were not worse at that time.  I wish to be with you, nor can I be easy here while you are so ill even if the scene were agreeable; but tis far from being so.  My sister wrote you Wednesday an acc.t of my illness if you rec.d it I doubt it made you uneasy which I objected to her sending but she wou’d not be satisfy’d without it – when I wrote to you last Saturday I had a pain in my side but did not mention to you hoping it wou’d go off [’t]was much better Sunday but worse again at night, I tho’t bathing might carry it off but find I was wrong.  I have had a very bad week & have not been out of doors but hope if I am not worse to go out to morrow.  I have taken Draughts from the Apothecary 3 nights & Mornings, the pain in my Side and Shoulders is a great deal easier and ye fevour I hope almost gone, but I am yet weak and have a bad pain in one side of my head, this Morning my face was swell’d, but tis now abated, it was much swell’d Monday w.ch I tho’t was occasion’d by taking cold after bathing but has not been so since till to day the Doctor says I must not bathe again till my pain is quite remov’d & indeed I have had such ill success in ye first attempt that I am quite afraid to venture again, but can’t be easy without it because you thought it wou’d be of service to me and therefore desir’d it, [paper torn] Steele is better tho’ not quite well drinks the Waters & designs [to] bathe next week – I had some hopes of M.rs Gibbs coming to [Sarum?] with us but she is going to  Trowbridge for a Week – I am sor[ry my] Brother can’t come to see us, Sister wou’d have wrote to him now but had not time, intends to do it soon and desires a Letter from him & to know how long he stays at home

         Hitherto every thing has wore a gloomy aspect but I hope I desire to acknowledge the hand of God in all to submit unrepining to his wise and righteous dispensations, adore his goodness in supporting & restoring me thus far and hope and trust in him for future Mercies –

         Sister joins with me in Duty to my Father & yr Self Love to Brother and to Bro.r & Sis.r Wakeford – I beg my [dear Moth]er you will write to me soon if you can, a Letter from you if it brings better news of your health will afford great satisfaction to

                                                         Your dutiful & obedient Daughter

                                                                     Anne Steele

Bath  25 May 1751

Service to M.rs Hoskins

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840, 8 vols. (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 2 (ed. Julia B. Griffin), pp. 278-79 (edited version); STE 3/7/xii, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. Address: To | M.rs Steele at Broughton | To be left at the three Lyons in | Sarum. Jenny Gibbs came to Broughton in early July of that year, not only to visit her relations but also to be baptized and admitted to the Baptist congregation there.