Lydia Rotch Dean letter to Charity Rotch, Salem, Mass.,5th mo 19, 1816

              B-241-15 
   
	                         Salem  Mass 5th mo  19  1816
  I have the satisfaction my dr sister to inform thee of receiving thy
very acceptable Letter of 3 mo 24, and gladly embrace the present
moment to reply thereto, under full conviction of past deficiency
if suffering so long time to steal away, without making proof of my
continued unabated affection & tender interest in thine, & my dear
brother s welfare.  It has arisen fm no other cause than too great
a pr[illegible] to neglect that privelege wh is most within reach.
I am aware that I have also another of thine to acknowledge
recd a long,long while since, & that by reminding thee of it, I
shall again condemn myself- but feeling quite penitent, I rely
upon thy forgiveness, when I assure thee, it was very grateful to
be thus remember d; and truly agreeable was thy proposition
frequently to make these exchanges.  which I thought, I shoud
directly evince by fulfilling my part of the promise, that I
then secretly made- But as thou hadst no representative
here to witness, I too easily slid off the ground, of determina=
tion to do thee, & myself more justice.  And now I dare
not promise, better things; only hope to be more prompt
in fulfilling this pleasant duty.  For such it is, when one
has enter d upon it,  It is only when we look at it, at a
distance, that writing seems a task- let us no longer view it
in that form, but endeavor, often to cheer each other in the
road of life.  That yours is too much here with the cares
incidental to  new settlement, to leave the mind as much
at ease & liberty as Christians coud desire, I regret- For
however desirable, & useful it is for the activity of Man
partially to center upon outward accommodations, when
these become oppressive, does it not disqualify for a
proper estimation of many temporal blessings, and
prevent the frequent experience of still higher enjoy==
=ments?   But probably your greatest inconveniences are
surmounted & I hope you will ere long pleasantly reap