Sarah Rotch Arnold letter to Charity Rotch, Boston, 1st mo 27, 1824

              B-233-13  
	
	                      Boston  1st  mo 24  1824
	           I wrote thee sometime since my dear Aunt
	and tho  I have note heard of thy having received it, I 
	know thy lonely situation will welcome every messen-
	ger of affection and that is the only recommendation
	my poor scrawl can have, isolated as I am at pres-
	ant from all our dear connections- but they go fraught
	with true affection  I assure thee- my mind visits thee
	very often, and great as the distance has appeared here
	tofore, it has never seemed so much to be deplored as
	since the heavy stroke, which has severed from thee
	almost all that rendered life desirable, & from us a
	very dearly beloved & excellent Uncle-   oh! How I have
	wished that the distance would permit us to mingle
	our tears with thine, to sit in silence, with thee, or
	dwell upon the virtues of Him who is no more!-
	but happily for us, He who governs all things, has
	most wonderfully constituted us to bear, to our own
	astonishment & administration, every affliction which
	his mercy permits-  I have traced this in little things,
	and tho  great suffering has never been [illegible] to
	endure, yet I have full confidence, that the same
	Power could control the raging storm,- of thy fu-
	ture plans I have head nothing, & suppose thou
	canst not yet feel like forming any- if thy health would
	admit of thy living comfortably in thy native air,
	the society of thy relatives & friends will not doubt in-
	duce thee to make the exertion, to return to us- & how
        gladly shall we all strive to contribute to thy consolation