Eliza Rodman letter to Charity Rotch, New Bedford, 10th mo 20, 1822

              B-291-4 
	
                               New Bedford 10th Mo  20th  1822
	      As it coincides with my inclination to write to thee
	My dear Aunt, & judging from the time it must be about my
	turn to do it, I shall endeavor to give thee such informa
	tion of our several families as I think will be interesting to
	thee to know.  I much regretted to find by thy letter thou wast
	suffering under further disease of which we had a more particu
	lar account from Uncle Hazard, who spent two weeks pleasantly
	with us, a disease which must have disqualified thee for any
	enjoyment of his society, & which seems to prevail in [illegible]
	parts of the Country, particularly in the neighborhood of Wm Rodman.
        He has had much sickness in his family this autumn,little
        Sam. & Ann were ill several weeks with bilious fever(the
        latter in part induc d perhaps by a fall she had from a hay-
        loft where she went in pursuit of eggs)- part of the time
        Rebecca was confin d by intermittent, that brother Wm had
        much nursing & watching to do- they are now all well again
        tho little Sam was so reduc d as at times to give little hope
        of his recovery- Benjn,Susan & the two Children are now on
        a visit to them, we miss them much as little Elizth was a
        frequent visitor & a great darling with us.. This letter will
        perhaps give you the first information of Uncle Benjn em-
        barkation, which took place last 3d day with a fine wind in
        the ship Herald, capt Hector Coffin, of Newbury port,
	       		The 11 th
       he left here on sixth day^ for Boston with Aunt Mary, the
        next my father, Francis & Wm B join d them, cousin Eliza was