My Dear M^rs Bateman,
I received your very kind letter with
great pleasure, & should have answer’d it sooner, but thought it
a pity to trouble you with too letters when one might do . I can
truly say I have no friends I long more to see than my dear
& much esteemed friends at Man^r whose unparalled kindness I
hope I shall never forget; & believe me when I say, I
should at any time think it an indulgence to see them, & would
not only go fifty miles out of my Road, but even two hundred
for such a gratification. My stay in Scotland has been a
Month longer than I intended it should; which has made my return
to London very late in the year, & the Roads are getting bad ;
notwithstanding, I don’t know how to get up without going round
& spending a day or two with you’ I am now at Newcastle &
[new page]
Intended being with you tomorrow Night, but I find it impractical
especially as I am waiting for good Company; I don’t think I
can get farther than Leeds, where I intend to stay the Sabbath,
& then set off Monday or Tuesday for Manchester if all is well
if not, I will send you a Line, that you may not expect
me. – in yours you ask, if I ever passed through what
you have in the divine Life; I answer much more than {?what}
your letter contains; I have gone through depths, that have
threatened to swallow me up, & would; but for Omnipotence that
was engaged on my behalf: -- But tho’ the way was rough,
thorny, & tempestuous, it certainly was right because it [damaged]
to God: Our Life here is but a continual Warfare at the [damaged]
best, without are fightings & within are fears; the Promise
is, that in this World we shall have tribulation; but it extends
much farther, & {^also} says “in Me ye shall have Peace”. Let us not
[new page]
my dear friend look for Peace any where but in him: I acknow=
ledge with you, that we have in ourselves the deepest cause for
humiliation & self Abasement before God; but while we are engag=
ed in this solemn & necessary duty; even then it is our Priviledge
to rejoice in him who is our Peace, & who of God is made unto
in Wisdom, in opposition ot our ignorance & folly;
[cut]
Forgive these few hurried & unconnected hints; I am on
the Road & it is not a good time for writing, & my Paper
is so bad that it is not fit to write on, if I could get better
I would not send this to you; I beg my Christian Respects
To M^r Bateman & all your Family; & believe me your very
Affectionate friend & humble Ser^t
Maria Allwood
Newcastle Dec^r the 5^th
[new page]
M^rs Tho^s Bateman
Piccadilly
Manchester

My Dear M^rs Bateman,
I received your very kind letter with
great pleasure, & should have answer’d it sooner, but thought it
a pity to trouble you with too letters when one might do . I can
truly say I have no friends I long more to see than my dear
& much esteemed friends at Man^r whose unparalled kindness I
hope I shall never forget; & believe me when I say, I
should at any time think it an indulgence to see them, & would
not only go fifty miles out of my Road, but even two hundred
for such a gratification. My stay in Scotland has been a
Month longer than I intended it should; which has made my return
to London very late in the year, & the Roads are getting bad ;
notwithstanding, I don’t know how to get up without going round
& spending a day or two with you’ I am now at Newcastle &
[new page]
Intended being with you tomorrow Night, but I find it impractical
especially as I am waiting for good Company; I don’t think I
can get farther than Leeds, where I intend to stay the Sabbath,
& then set off Monday or Tuesday for Manchester if all is well
if not, I will send you a Line, that you may not expect
me. – in yours you ask, if I ever passed through what
you have in the divine Life; I answer much more than {?what}
your letter contains; I have gone through depths, that have
threatened to swallow me up, & would; but for Omnipotence that
was engaged on my behalf: -- But tho’ the way was rough,
thorny, & tempestuous, it certainly was right because it [damaged]
to God: Our Life here is but a continual Warfare at the [damaged]
best, without are fightings & within are fears; the Promise
is, that in this World we shall have tribulation; but it extends
much farther, & {^also} says “in Me ye shall have Peace”. Let us not
[new page]
my dear friend look for Peace any where but in him: I acknow=
ledge with you, that we have in ourselves the deepest cause for
humiliation & self Abasement before God; but while we are engag=
ed in this solemn & necessary duty; even then it is our Priviledge
to rejoice in him who is our Peace, & who of God is made unto
in Wisdom, in opposition ot our ignorance & folly;
[cut]
Forgive these few hurried & unconnected hints; I am on
the Road & it is not a good time for writing, & my Paper
is so bad that it is not fit to write on, if I could get better
I would not send this to you; I beg my Christian Respects
To M^r Bateman & all your Family; & believe me your very
Affectionate friend & humble Ser^t
Maria Allwood
Newcastle Dec^r the 5^th
[new page]
M^rs Tho^s Bateman
Piccadilly
Manchester