B-59-14
page 1
Philadelphia 11 mo 15 1813
Dear Brother
Altho I added to my wife's letter a few lines of 13 Inst it seems proper for me to make a particular reply to some parts of thy letter of 7 Ulto. By it I perceive that in addition to thy many Cares & Engagements in thy New Settlement & Improvements thou artt much occupied in the Affairs, that are attached to Society & called upon to give up thy time & all other things to attend thereto, so that when I contemplate thy situation & remember thy putting off, from the Eighth Month last, thy Journey this way, tlll Spring, I seem to concur with Sister Charity's observation, that I know not when thou will be able to find a better time, or one free from may engagements so that thy getting once Started on the way, seems to me like half the Journey accomplished. more especially it seems harder by reason of the War, in which our Country is involved, without any prospect of any time, in which we may look for the return of the blessings of peace & of tranquility within our borders. so that when last semmer, it was my intention to have taken a Journey, the general weight & gloom that pervades, seemed to be too much for me to push thro, & that probably my mind would be stronger in its right place than out of it. And thus after all the Right place is the object above all things in the present day, for all of us to be found in, to strengthen & support in our different allotments.
On inquiry I find nothing has yet come before the meetings, for sufferings in this City, relative to the taxes laid by the general givernment for carryng on the War. which to me appears probable (tho I know nothing from information about it)will be assessed & collected separate from other taxes, nor have I any Idea of what or whether any thing may be done, by the Meeting for Sufferings who meet next month on this Occasion. But when they do meet tis my intention to inform thee, whether any thing be done by them like pointing out a general line of Conduct for the Members of our Religious Society.
I observe tht by direction of the Governor, thy neighbourhood was exempted from fresh drafts into the War; which of course to those individuals thus exempted, is a great relief from trial.
In consequence of thy expressions of Sympathy with my Brother Miers & his family, in the remarkable & sudden decease of his son Miers at Petersburg in Russia, in 33 hours after his marriage,
