Anne Andrews, Portsmouth, to Maria Grace Andrews, Salisbury, [c. June 1797].

   I have at length a few moments to devote to the pleasing employment of writing to my beloved Friend, and it is my earnest desire to improve them in conversing with you, but I really doubt my ability since I feel this Morng a considerable degree of pain & stupor in my Head whh renders me very unfit for the exercise of the Pen – Yet since I cannot well be destitute of a Subject while addressing you, or of inducements to it while gratitude for your exertions on my behalf, & the flattering expectation of communicating pleasure to your Mind present themselves to my attention I have no thought of relinquishing – Need I express the satisfaction your kind letter afforded me particularly as to the assurance given me of the comfort of a spiritual kind you enjoy. I am convinced, & I trust it is by experience that while you feel this you can in some good measure adopt the language of the Apostle as to all outward perplexities & trials “None of these things move me” – Seeing the advantages of having the Mind kept in perfect peace as stayed upon God let me call your attention to that so much needed exhortation.  Hold fast therefore your confidence whh hath great recompence of reward  how strange is it that in this respect we should so easily and frequently be turned away from our steadfastness – We had a very pleasing & solemn Day last Sabbath – 2 candidates gave in their experience in the Morng and in the afternoon both Ordinances were administer’d  Dr Mr Horsey was unusually well & animated.  5 were baptized & 4 added to the Church.  I find myself agreeably disappointed as to the State of Religion at Portsea: I think indeed there is a good deal of the life and power of it experienced  the Prayer Meetings & Conferences are remarkably well attended and there appears a very considerable degree of Activity & zeal as to the propagation of the Gospel tho’ foreign missions are not so generally approved of as at S–  but I conceive this to originate more in a difference of Judgment than defect of affection to the Cause – let me hear in your next how you go on, and who is expected to come forward –

   I wrote yesterday to my Father principally with a view to hear from him whh I requested might soon be the case tho perhaps it will afford me very little pleasure but I cannot help feeling anxiety respecting him –

   I am happy in being able to say that our dear Esther is much better she is restored to almost her accustom’d measure of health and is in excellent spirits, but grieved & almost angry at the repeated disappointment of a letter from you  I hope indeed she will not have another to umbrage –

   Tell my dear Mama that Mrs Horsey & myself went into Town after Tea to see Mrs Shoveller who to the general joy went to her new habitation Monday afternoon.  We found her much fatigued poor Mary who looks if possible worse than ever having laid apparently in a dying state all the Morng – we came in just in time to deliver her from some perplexity  Mrs H– went to work up Stairs & I took charge of Master John – we did not get home till ½ past ten tho’ we had Mr Y– for our escort I felt really terrified not having been accustom’d to witness such scenes of confusion & riot.  I do not know how you would have felt but I suppose worse than myself whh was needless –

   I pleased myself with the thought of writing to my dr Mama but fear from a variety engagements it will be impracticable  remember me with dutiful affection to her & my dr Papa – I suppose you are by this time anticipating the pain of a second separation. I am sure I do for you but desire to rejoice in the conviction that however Streams may be dried up or for a Season with-held the Fountain is to you ever near & open – I am besides well assured of the various resources whh the absence of Friends discovers to you in your own mind there are in a measure latent while Society engrosses our attention when this is removed we begin to make researches and are sometimes inexpressibly gratified and ready to adopt in some sense the language of the old Song – My Mind to me a Kingdom is – What a mercy is it if rightly consider’d to possess a cultivated understandg & to be deliver’d from that frivolity of mind whh is so generally consequent on the futile superficial educations of the present Day – Adieu

                                 Yours tenderly       

                                             A A

Talking the other day with dr Mrs Horsey on the Subject of Buckles the old set Buckles, formerly my dear Mother’s were mention’d on whh Mrs H– told me she had often wish’d for a Pair of that kind & seem’d quite pleased at my proposing her seeing those – will thank you to send them unless any particular objection shd arise in your mind for myself all things consider’d I do not feel averse will thank you to send me at the same time a flannel Petticoat

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed.,  Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 134-35 (annotated version); Reeves Collection, Box 14.3.(c.), Bodleian Library, Oxford.  Address: Miss Andrews.  No postmark.