Samuel R. Fisher letter to Thomas Rotch, Philadelphia 11 mo 5, 1822

              B-59-40
page 1

Dear Brother                            Philadelphia 11 mo 5, 1822
         Thine of 6th Ulto was about double the usual time, in oming to hand, by which I perceive that Sister Charity had not recovered her usual strength after the Chills & fever, yet hoping to gain strength, as the Season advances towards the Cold of Winter, her letter to my daughter S. gave us some particulars which will always be acceptable to me to know & also to my Children.
          According to thy request Rachel Fisher, procured the Articles directed, & sent them to J & D Elliots to be forwarded with thy other goods. I piad her for them $166.80 at thy debit on 1 Inst & inclosed is the Bill of them, which expect will reach thee, before the goods. 
           It ought to be though on with gratitude to the great Author of all our blessings, that our City, this autumn, besides, being furnished with an abundance of the produce of the land, good & cheap fruitgood from the trees enough for every individual, peaches ripe & sweet from about 30 to 50 cents pr bushell, that in the built parts of the City, more general health has prevailed than in any part of the Country.
    Besides which when we think of the tstates of New York, under the affliction of the imported Yellow fever, by which the Inhabitants were driven from thier business & occupations, the contrast is very great & it ought to teach us humility & true Wisdom rightly to enjoy these favors. The Country Residences, were by the Citizens left some before, not a few after Sickness had appeared in thier families. Our friend Rebecca Archer, who Resided, nearly out of the City & t the Entrance of the Ridge Road, had been at Columbia on Sesquachanna & came home was taken sick & desceased in less than a week, after she had been last out at meeting.
            My Son Thomas has sent thy watch, thro I & D Elliot & written thee I believe.
          I do sincerely I think unite with thee in mourning at the great prevalence of degeneracy, in the Land, arising out of the converting the Staff of Life, the County of heaven, into the noisame poison of Ardent Spirits, to the destruction of the succeding generation which no Endeavours, appear to have been adopted any where, that I know of, to restrain or put a stop to, by any of our Governments or public bodies. And among the transactions of Men, the System of the Bank Endorsements, seems also to have on its consequences a dealy poison, to overturn the honesty & integrity of the minds of the People & is indeed as pernicious to the rising generation particularly as our Religious Society, for these being so many defaulters, among us, has very much tarnished that principle