Samuel Rodman letter to Charity Rotch, Nantucket, 11 mo 6, 1797

              B-294-4 
Dear Sister		Nantucket  11 mo 6  1797
	Dear Fathers letters since his return have
mentioned that the Strength of our beloved Mother seems
wasting faster than it has heretofore done in the course
of her long infirmary.  The debilitated State she has
long experienced must have taught us all that the period
of her final dissolution could not be very remote for wch
I ardently hope & have no room to doubt she will be pre=
pared -  Should this happily be the case, there is nothing
to cause regret, that She is near the period of leaving a
world which the misery of, outweighs the satisfaction to
be found inst.  And although I cannot yield her any assistance
yet it would to me be desirable, & perhaps a Satisfaction
to her to see me. & be with her, I wish thee to inform
me, by the next packet, how She does & thy judgment
whether the nature of her present Symptoms, indicate that
she cannot long bear the weight of her afflictions & trials.
	As in that case I will endeavor to go off a few days
although its very inconvenient for me to leave house, being desti
tute of any assistant in business & the time not very remote
when I expect to be absent several weeks   please to give