I will not plead in excuse that I have not by any of the late vessels received a Line from my Sister, and on that account omit writing to her. I know she would have written to me if she had known early enough of the opportunity I hope she has before this time received all the Letters I have written to her, & the little matters I have sent her— Mrs Cranch wrote me that the Thoat distemper had broken out, with great voilence in Haverhill it is a terrible disease & frequently Baffles the Skill of the Physician. it is so infectious as to expose every person who attends the sick to it, and therefore taking large doses of the Bark in powder is considerd as a good antidote & preservative, but smoking airing washing & cleansing ever article as after the Small Pox in the natural way, is considerd here as absolutely necessary. it has been known to break out in families after the disease had quitted it, only from some infectious garment. I should have advised my sister to have Sent her children immediately out of Town. as she would from the Small Pox in the natural way burning pitch & Tar, Hot viniger, are all good purifiers of the air; I pray Heaven preserve you & yours— I want, yet feel affraid to hear, from you. I hope the warm weather will be the means of abating and removeing the disease. I am something relieved by a Letter from Dr Tufts of the 15 of june2 if any of my Friends had been sick, he would have mentiond it.

I am going tomorrow to set out in a journey of between 2 & 3 hundred miles in hopes that it will essentially serve my Health. I 127have been very frequently ill through the Spring & Summer, and am advised to this journey as a restoritive. we shall be absent about a month. we mean to visit Devonshire & to see the place of our dear Brother Cranchs nativity. it is said to be one of the finest counties in England Mrs Smith & the little Boy accompanies us, Col Smith we do not expect back till Sepbr. I have by Captain Barnard Sent you a Tea urn, it is packd in a Box with one for Sister Cranch. you will find an Iron calld a heater. This when the water is boild, you heat red hot & put in the tin middle peice which keeps the water hot during the whole process of tea making. I have also sent you a little contrivence for lighting a candle when your fire is out, the directions for useing are round the case— The Box is addrest to uncle smiths care. I think you will find the urn of great service in Hot weather.

I have only to add my regards to Brother Shaw & a Book which was forgotten by the last opportunity Mr Adams joins me in affectionate Regards to you and yours Mr Sparhawk was so good as to call & offer to take a Letter I am Sensible of his civility, but as I Shall be absent when he Sails. I think it best to commit all my Letters to captain Barnard. I am my dear Sister with Sincere wishes for / your Health & happiness / your ever affectionate / Sister

to what Cause my Dear Eliza am I to attribute that Air of Mistery which reigns throughout your last Letter to me,—1 you ever Possessed my friendship Esteem and affection, nor do I know that you have ever intentionally forfeited either, why then my Dear Girl do you imagine them estranged from you,— there is one Epoch of our Lives which I Consider as the Ordeal of friendship, if we are so fortunate as to Pass this Period and retain the friends of our Youth I think we may flatter ourselves that the attachment will withstand 128the future vicissitudes of time, Happily my friend has your Cousin passed and She hopes in Possession of your affections, and those of her other Partial friends, and She can form no wish that can more promote your happiness than that She may soon have the pleasure of returning your Congratulations so Kindly expressed in yours of November the 18th which Letter should have been long ere this acknowledged had not indisposition the Last Winter prevented me from returning those attentions to my friends which their Letters really demanded from me—

Should you not be amused my Dear Eliza to see your Cousin performing her part in the Character She has lately become an Actress in I wish it was in my Power to Present my Son to you—for he is a cleaver Boy—and I think resembles my Brother Charles—but a quiet Soul just like his Mamma—he is not however wanting in sprightliness—

It would greatly Contribute to my happiness were it in my Power to partake of some of those Cares and attentions which you are so kind during our absence to undertake for my Dear Brothers their judicious and manly Conduct would I am sure be a full recompence for any little trouble they might occasion, the Worthy and amiable Characters which they Sustain is a scource of great Sattisfaction to us—

I dare say the parting of the Happy friends which will I suppose take place within a few days from this time will be with mutual regret— if the day for Commencement was yesterday and we may form any idea of your season by this you were very fortunate—for it was very Cool and pleasant here—we thought of it much—and wished to be transported to the scene—

tomorrow we set out upon an excurssion into the West of England— we propose setting our faces towards Plymouth—to traverse the County of Devonshire and to take up our quarters for some time at Exeter, Plymouth, and wherever elce we may find it inviting the season is fine—and the weather not so Cold as Usual—which reminds me more of my own Country than any season I have ever passed here—& this is no small inducement to render it agreeable—

Whilst on our Tour or after our return I will indeavour to give you some idea of it— I should anticipate more Plasure if my friend was to accompany us—but he is absent upon Public Business in Portugal—and cannot return these six weeks— there are always upon Such excursions little if not great difficulties to encounter and he 129Possesses the Happy faculty of removeing them and rendering every thing easy to those who accompany him—

Barnard is expected to Sail before our return which makes me sollicitous to write to as many of my friends before we set out as I can and will I hope be a sufficient appology to my Cousin for the Haste of this—

be so good as to Present my Duty and respects to my Grand Mamma—and add those of her Great Grandson my Compliments and regards as they are due—to Nancy Quincy I ought to write and did intend it but have not time left by this opportunity—remember me to her and beleive me / yours sincerely