William Rotch, Sr. to Thomas Rotch, New Bedford 3 mo 26th 1805

               
  B-163-41
                       New Bedford 3 mo 26 1805
  my dear Son
         I have several letters form thee which I ought to
  acknowledge but have mislaid some, those before me are thine from
  NYork of 2nd 11th - & that wrote or begun at N Haven the 14th & finished at home.
  thy brotherly attention to thy dear Sister Mary bears the mark of that over
  affection which I hope will subsist through time in every branch of our
  family, that it ever may bear the inscription of the Psalmist -
  "how good & how pleasant it is for Brothers ( & Sisters) to dwell together in
'  unite etc." - (perhaps not expressed verbatim) - our last letter fm Mary was of
  the 6th Inst. they were then in Phila & I believe well, dear Ann had just
  closed a visit to the Ministers & Elders in their families in the W. Meetg
  (I dont hear she proceeds in the other Meetgs in that line, I believe not,) we find
  Mary accompanied her, I expect fm Ann's pressing request, & her(Marys) great
  love her, made way, tho I have no doubt under great mortification for her
  to yield to accompany her, (as I believe some of these movements, & her being so
  long in the City under her present situation, perhaps by some look'd upon as an
  intruder; tho I have not perceived that to be the case, may have administered
  some baptisms, whc I wish may have a refining influence)by one of thine
  we were much pleased to find a Monthly Meetg was granted you under the
  care of a Committee for one year; I am not sorry it seems a very weighty thing
  to thee & dr Charity, in that care I believe there is safety, & I hope & believe
  you will be favour'd so to conduct as not only to give no reasons for its
  discontinuance at that period, but to be an example to the M Meetg you
  lately made a past; I have no doubt you will for a time be considerably
  tossed on acct. of the rawness of some of the Yr members, but altho they(I mean some)
  may be like young bullocks unaccustomed to the Yoke, yet I hope they will