Lydia Rotch Dean letter to Charity Rotch, New Bedford, 2nd 14th 1808

              B-241-6 
				N Bedford  2nd  14th  1808
     No packet has arriv d my dear since I wrote till to day by wh we
have a letter from Anna Michell & I will give thee an extract of all
that will be interesting.2 mo 10 th  Alas my dr Mary the conflict is over; our
worthy & endeared Aunt has paid the last debt of nature; and no doubt
her spirit has safely enter d the abodes of bliss, for which the primary
business of her life, has been to witness a through preparation   and
as cousin L has express d a wish to hear some particulars of her last days,
I shall use my feeble endeavor to gratify it.  I think my last was the
25th after her first distress d turn; after wh she was not so free from
pain as before; but no very severe turn until 5th day 28th when she
was much afflicted with a pain in her stomach & quite across her. I
gave her a few drops of peppermint, & sent for the doctor thinking he coud
possibly afford some momentary relief, as he had done before; but
before he came she seem d much relieved- he however advis d giving a
few drops of Godfrey s Cordial if her distress shoud return; wh it did,
when she call d for it, & took at twice about 8 drops.  She had a poor
night, the morng of 29th she took a little warm water & but little,
was in much pain & often heard in broken sentences to say  Take
me, take me, to thyself dearest Lord    and often supplicating for
patience & divine support thro  the measure of suffering dispens d
to her; and about noon refus d to take anything, not so much as to
                                                                                                            
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have her lips wet, or vinegar burnt in the room, or anything^ she
had before, been refresh d by the use of.  Was very restless all night-
but on the morng of the 30th she consented to take abt two teaspoons
full of warm water.  (For 22 hours she was constantly to be turn d
& her pillows to be shook, & to be laid up)- about eleven o clock she
wanted to be bolster d quite upright, which we did, but she soon
chang d, her eyes were up & she appear d to be going; we immediately
laid her down, and in about twenty minutes she spoke again,
seem d to want to do something with her cap under her chin,
which was unpinn d, yet she insisted it was tight, I told her, I had
taken out the pin, & she gave it up; but there appear d some obstruc-
                                                                tion.