Benjamin Rodman letter to Thomas Rotch, New Bedford 10 mo 1 1815

               
  B-152-2  
                               New Bedford 10 mo 1. 1815
                    I am sure my dear Uncle and Aunt
  you will pardon me for thus long delaying to inform
  you of my safe arrival at this place - (for I flatter
  myself you are not entirely uninterested in my welfare)
  when I inform you that since I reached here
  my time has been mostly employed - first in contrib-
  uting to the enjoyment of the companion of my jour-
  ney from Philadelphia to this place- and afterwards
  in exciting my feeble powers to alleviate the pains atten-
  dant on his bed of sickness - and death - And this was
  no other;  than his brother, amiable and interesting - of my lovely
                                          long
  sister Rebecca - Thus after completing a^ journey, in
  which my pleasure was much abridged from the circumstance
  of seldom hearing from my beloved relatives, and at a time
  too when a violent disorder was raging in our village-
  which could not fail to excite the greatest anxiety - After
  all this - and when my enjoyment seem'd complete at find-
  ing them in the full profession of almost every earthly blessing
  the heart must indeed be unfeeling - which
  did not throb, with emotions of gratitude to the benevolent
  Author of such goodness - But when my happiness seem'd
  almost completed - my young friend, whose enjoyment had
  been my highest pleasure - after a short but violent