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

                                                                                     Lord’s Day Aftn – 6 o’clock.

   The Date will sufficiently instruct my dear Grace not to expect a long letter nor will she < > if she reflects for a moment on the various & important duties & privileges whh have this Day claim’d my attention – indeed I could have wish’d to have defer’d writing till a Season more convenient for the enjoyment of free & unreserved communication, but your affecte solicitude forbids delay & I must solace myself in the flattering idea that even a few imperfect lines faintly expressive of the tender & fervent love whh glows in the breast of a Sister will be capable of conveying real Satisfaction & pleasure to the Mind of my beloved –

   O my Friend how solemn, how affecting, are the Services we have been call’d to engage in how delightful if enjoy’d but alas! as it respects myself how does coldness distraction & pride move my comfort & pollute my joys so that I am ready to address my own Soul in the language of ye Apostle to the Galatians – “Where is the blessedness you once spake of?”  I have indeed great reason to pray with David – “Restore to me the joys of thy salvation.”

   I felt insensibly pain’d at the dejection express’d in your letter on Wednesday & I think I can say tenderly compassionated & sympathized in the distresses whh caused it. I trust your fears have been by this time sweetly reproved, your feable hopes encouraged & your most enlarged desires abundantly exceeded – 8 oclock – am just return’d from Meeting have been having a very animated discourse fm ye last verse of < > – an accommodation wholly as you may suppose ye principal design to prove ye faithfulness in safely conductg his People thro’ every Tempest to the Haven of eternal rest, ’tis there I trust thro rich grace we shall at length arrive to unite with the Thousands of ye redeemed in ascriptions of praise to Him who hath loved us & washed us from our Sins in his own blood – there will be no cold Hearts no wondering Affections, no imperfect Services but

There we shall see his face

And never never sin

There fm ye Rivers of his Grace

Drink endless pleasures in.

   Our dr Mama begs kind leave  She intends answerg your letter – My dr Esther who is just gone to Bed very poorly wd be affectionately remember’d

   Mr & Mrs H Senr & Junr also desire love  Remember me with all that respectful affection to my dr Papa whh you know I feel – tell him to tell Mrs Marsh the Persian < >

               Adieu  Yours tenderly  A Andrews

Love &c to Grandpapa –

I and Mama are both pretty well

I had forgotten for a moment when I wrote the above that my dr Papa wd be on his way hither – don’t forget to tell Mrs Marsh about < >

Text: Timothy Whelan, gen. ed.,  Nonconformist Women Writers, 1720-1840 (London: Pickering & Chatto, 2011), vol. 6, pp. 138-39 (annotated version); Reeves Collection, Box 14.2.(c.), Bodleian Library, Oxford.  Address: Miss Andrews. No postmark.