Rachel Todd letter to Charity Rotch, Hartford, March 20, 1822

              B-311-22  
	
	                        Hartford  March 20th   1822
	                Will you not be surprised my dear Charity
	on hearing from me, after a silence of near 12 months, in-
	=deed, I little thought, when I last parted with you, that
	such a length of time would pass away, ere I should write
	you, & sure I am that I have been the greatest sufferer-
	as I have not only to reproach myself for the want of
	resolution, to perform my Duty to a beloved friend, but
	have deprived myself of the satisfaction of receiving
	letters from that friend, which has been severely felt on
	my part- & was it not that I have hitherto experience d
	your feelings towards me, in passing over, & making the
	best of my failings, I know not whether I should dare at-
	=tempt to address you at this late period--  a brief account
	of the most severe trials, which have been inflicted on me
	since our last short, but otherwise pleasing interview,
	must be all the excuse I can render in extenuation of my
	faults, & this I hope will be sufficient to prevent my
	dear friend from seting me down as being absolutely,
	faithless, & ungrateful- this is the first letter I have
	written, since your departure from this city- had I 
	have written  to any one, surely it would have been to
	my dear Charity but to the disagreeable subject of my
	misfortunes, not many days perhaps 2 weeks from the
	time you left us, I came near loosing my life by a fall
	down the stairs which lead form the keeping room to the