Copies of correspondence, Esther Maud Tuke and Mary Rodman, 31st 3 mo 1759 through 13th 7 mo 1792.

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   My Dear Friend                     Bingley 31st of the 3d mo 1759
           Thy very kind favour I rec'd, the sorrowful messenger of heavy &
  yet Joyful tidings, for tho' our sorrow in parting with so dear & promising             
  a Brother, be inexpressible, yet we cannot Sorrow like those without hope for tho'
  it is a heavy stroke upon us, yet we have many things to be truly thankful for. In that
  his Lot was cast amongst such dear & tender friends, whose care, and great regard to him 
  & us has been beyond expression. Oh! my dear friend I can never enough acknowledge thy
  kindness, in fulfilling so tenderly & fully my dear brother's request, be assured I  
  shall treasure it up, as a dear memorial never to be forgotten, for the parting with
  him is one of the nearest tryals, I ever met with, as my mind was uncommonly
  set upon seeing him once more. So much that I thought that I could willingly have
  given up my own Life, might I but first have seen him, to have told him my Sor=
  rows & afflictions that I had gone thro' since our Sorrowfull parting, which
  was a last farewell indeed. I now find (tho' I often flattered myself, that we
  might meet again,(& false hopes would often banish fear) that it is
  forever over, & I admire (as I have often cause to do) the Mercies of a Mer-
  -siful Being; who so wonderfully mixes his mercies & his Judgments,
  tho' the stroke at times, seems so heavy, that we are almost overwhelmed
  & think we can never get over it ~ yet when we come to the cool of the day
  where we can consider it as we ought, there is still something to admire
  in his goodness & be thankfull for.  I have found it so in my exercis=
  =ing moments, on this solemn occasion, & often think why should we
  mourn, my Dearest Dear Wille, is released from all his sorrows, which
  have been many, his race has been but short, & he is taken from the dan=
  =ger of falling, & tho' we was not witth him, to perform the last kind office
  to so dear a brother yet his Lot was cast with those that did it to the full.