Mary Callender to Charity Rotch, Newport, 10th of 5th mo 1776

              B-239-1
  
  My Dear Charity     Newport ye 10th of 5th 1776
                 I recieved thy agreeable letter and am
  pleas'd to find that I am some times in the rememberence of my
  friends whose love I esteem one of the greatest blessings of
  my Life,and altho' adverse occurrences many times interrupts
  social converse yet it cannot quench that love which Religi
  =on kindles in Vertuous and innocent minds, nor hinder from
  injoying a spiritual communion when absent in body, may
  thou my dear long injoy these Blessings.
  thy Friends here would be pleas'd to see thee amongst them,
  but my Dear thou must not expect to hear the sweet melody
  of innocent Birds such as thou listens too when thou art walk
  =ing with thy Dear Sisters in the green fields and shady woods
  of Smithfield, for instead of their chearful harmonious Mus
  =ek thy ears tis like will be saluted (as ours frequently are)
  with the harsh disagreeable sounds of drums and fifes,
 which is so far from afording pleasure that they some
  times spred a melacholy dampt or gloom over our minds.
        Please to tell thy mama that we have latly heard of the
  death of our Dear frd Joseph Oxly, and Elizabeth Robinsons husb
  =and, they both died suddenly, Friend Jacob's love is to thee thy mama
  Brother and sisters in which I joine most affectionately, also to E
  Allen, this[illegible] offers at present from thy assur'd frd
  my foot is very [illegible]    Mary Callender