Anna Hazard Letters to Charity Rotch Regarding Death of Her Husband and Her Health

              [corresponds to page 1 of Anna Hazard Letter to Charity Rotch, September 30, 1823] 

                               New York 9 mo 30   1823

My dear Sister
                                                  
		Altho I am sensible it is not in my
              
power to alleviate thy grief upon this truly distressing event
              
the separation from thy beloved Husband at an unexpected mo
              
ment is a reallity hard to reconcile.  The affliction account was
              
received last evening in a letter from New Bedford which claims
              
our sympathy and near feeling for thee beyond what words can
              
express.  But believing my beloved Sister,thou will be cared for
              
by the great care taker,who has promised to be a husband
              
to the widow and a Father to the fatherless,who promises
              
are yea and Amen forever:   yet I am fully sensible from
              
painful experience that these Awful dispensations are trying
              
in the extreme and cause.  the natural part to shrink into
              
its original nothingness,yet may we not acknowledge
              
in past seasons the support and sufficiency of the divine
              
arm to bear us up under many close trials therefore lift
              
up thy head in hope notwithstanding thy all on earth
              
is taken from thee.   ah my dear how unavailing are
              
our  efforts to console or in any way to fill the void which
              
the undeniable mssenger is making in many families in
              
this part of the country.  our neighbour Francis Thompson
              
has buried another Daughter since I wrote thee and they are
              
truly an afflicted family.  when thou feels ability to com