William Ward, Boston, to Lucius Bolles, Salem, 25 December 1820.

Boston, Dec.  25, 1820.

My dear Bror

         I thank you for your kind invitation to Salem, & would avail myself of it if I could gain the time. I have already preached nine times in nine days & have to preach three or four times more this week. I must leave New York for England on the 10th March next, & have to visit & collect at Philadelphia, Baltimore, &, if possible, S. Carolina, & finish at New York. Nearly every day this week ^& the next Sabbath^ are occupied already, & I have promised to visit Andover. What can I do? Have you no call to visit Boston this week or Monday next?

         I shall leave the funds raised in America, in the hands of the Trustees of the Massachusetts Missionary Society, or in those of the Baptist Convention, with this proviso, that if, at any future time, Serampore should cease faithfully to appropriate the money thus sent from America to the Education of pious Hindoos, the Trustees shall have power to send such monies to any other Baptist Missionaries in India to be applied to this object.

         Wishing you every personal blessing, & all possible success in winning souls, I am,

                                             My dear Bror

                                                         Yours very affectionately,

                                                                                 W. Ward.

Address: Rev. L. Bolles, | Salem

Postmark: Boston 25 [Dec?] [20?]

Endorsed: Decbr | 1820

Text: William Ward Letters, RG no. 1373, American Baptist Historical Society Archives, Atlanta. Included here is printed announcement of the publication of volumes 3 and 4 of Ward’s A View of the History, Literature, and Religion of the Hindoos, sent to Bolles (forwarded by Mr Freeman) from Boston with a postmark of March 27 [1820].