Anne Steele, [Broughton], to [Marianna Attwater], [Bodenham], undated [c. January 1767].

         My poor state of health which together with the severity of the season render me unfit for anything but to hover over the fire has prevented my writing sooner to thank my dear Cousin for her kind Letter—I sympathize with you in your tender concern for the dear little Orphans (for how can I think them otherwise) but hope they will be protected by the Guardian care of the Father of Mercies   I fear yr tender heart is indeed hard not to have discover’d any impressions from so near a prospect of Eternity, but there is still room for prayer  methinks I cou’d fain have Master [illegible word] go to M.r Fisher again when the Town is free from the distemper

         I hope you left our Friends at Bratton well I was half afraid you intended to winter there, but now resume my hopes of seeing you at Broughton as soon as the weather will admit of the journey  my Polly a little enlivens the solitude but at present she cant step out for the snow   I suppose she will go to Yeovil as soon as when the weather is favorable  she longs for the company her dear Cousin Jenny who I hope will yet be able to visit her—I was more then half disappointed in ye expected visit of the American Ministers, as only Mr Occam came nor cou’d I go to hear him – he had pretty good success here however I had a little conversation with him in ye eve[ning]  Is there not my dear something very chearing in the prospect that seems to be opening of the blessed gospel being preached among the poor unenlightened Savages  

When shall the Gospels healing ray

(Kind Source of amity divine)

Spread o’er the world celestial Day?

When shall the Nations Lord be thine?

of the glorious blessings of the Gospel being imparted to the poor unenlighten’d Savages happy period!

  When the Knowledge of the Lord shall cover the Earth as ye waters cover ye Sea  O may the consideration of the advantages we enjoy in the Land of Light exite our pity for the multitudes of our fellow creatures who are surrounded with the gloom of pagan darkness or popish superstition and awaken us to livelier gratitude & warmer dilligence by the aids of Divine Grace to improve our invalluable blessings to the praise of the Almighty Donour the Sovereign Goodness which has thus distinguish’d us! –

  We have now through the mercy of our Almighty Preserver begun another year on retrospection of the past how short it seems (& I may add with conscious regret for myself how insignificantly fill’d up!) well might the Psalmist say “we spend our years as a tale that is told” years & months & days fulfill their constant revolutions rounds and bring us still nearer & nearer to Death & Eternity awful words! O may we be deeply sensible of their infinite importance and be enabled with firmer affiance to lay hold on the blessed hope set before us in the Gospel may the all-chearing influences of the Sun of Righteousness invigorate our faith & hope & awaken all animate all our active powers to improve the remnant of our days on Earth time as a talent intrusted in our hands for noble & important for purpose of great importance for which we must be accountable to our Great Master who has given us in his word a variety of many encouraging promises of assistance & acceptance these my dear Cousin are my ten years wishes for you & for my self our united friendly commendations & good wishes attend both Families  Polly desires to know when Miss Jenny can come to Brough.n

Text: STE 3/12/iii, Steele Collection, Angus Library, Regent's Park College, Oxford. No address page. For an annotated version of this letter, see Timothy Whelan, gen. ed., Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 2 (vol. ed. Julia B. Griffin), pp. 327-28. 

The letter can be generally dated by the reference to Samson Occam, but the other reference to having ‘begun another year’ would seem to place it in January 1767. Samson Occom, the American Indian preacher, may have preached at Broughton at the request of George Whitefield, who had been instrumental in his conversion and his coming to England with the Rev. Nathaniel Whitaker in February 1766.  Money was being raised for Eleazar Wheelock’s school in Connecticut, which later became Dartmouth College (named after Lord Dartmouth, who contributed greatly at Whitefield’s request to the school).  The Steeles no doubt contributed generously to the fund-raising effort. See Broome, A Bruised Reed, p. 186.