B-108-3
Philad. 2 mo 27, 1819
Beloved Friends
Thos & Charity Rotch
We are indebted to you in the letter way - and so long a
time that no reason, satisfactory to ourselves, can be offered. It is
in the weakness of human nature only, that we can perceive the
occasion of delay and procrastination in things, often, interesting &
important - a disposition of this kind strengthens with our weak
ness, and as it is indulged or even tolerated, often becomes
impervious - This remark arises from a sense of own deficiency
in very many important things, and in the present instance from
the delay in our correspondence. we feel, however,that we continue
to love you, as we did very early on our acquaintance,and every
thing that belongs to you and your infant colony remains to be
interesting to us, a cessation of our intercourse would therefore
be too great a privation. - Your last favor was received early in
the autumn, some after our return from a journey to Richmond
in Virg. where we had been on a visit to our widow sister M
Maule. - The eastern part of that state is literally worn out by
hard tillage, large districts of which are reduced to almost Barren
wates by constant cultivation of tobacco & indian corn, until the
wretched slave and still more wretched master, scarcely find a
sufficiency for their support. What a contrast between the gloomy
prospects that overspread that country of Oppressors & oppressed and
the chearful Ohio, smiling under the culture of her industrious
yeomanry, who enjoy the fruits of their own labour. How often
did we make this kind of remark as we passed by their large
fields
