My Dear M^r B/
How happy shoud I be to have it in my power to
have it congratulate you on your safe arrival I hope it is so .
The night you left me I was very low, indeed my poor distress’d
heart instead of being thankfull for past favors was ready to
give up all & was even tempted to think the Lord woud no more
be gracious he has often appeared for us & preserv’d you in
dangers by the way &c & why not now, I was enabled to commit
you to his all wise disposal & then felt myself a little reliev’d
I hope my Dear you won’t forget to look up to God by
prayer; do be earnest with him, that, whatever he is pleas’d
to withhold from you of temporal things, y^t he will bless
you with the best of blessings renewing grace an interest
in the death of Christ, pardon of sin, by his blood & sanctifi=
=cation thro’ his Spirit, & then when we must be parted by
death , it will be eternal gain to the one & afford a comfort=
=able prospect to the other, of meeting at his right hand,
never more to felt feel the pain of parting to all eternity
these things are what I desire for myself & I think I cannot
shew a greater mark of my sincere affection than by
praying for the same to be felt & tasted by you, this I can
say from the little experience I have had is the only solid pleasure
‘tis not worthy the name of pleasure that forsakes us when we
[new page]
have most need of comfort viz on a sick bed & in a dying [damaged]
which is the case with every thing we pursue short of [damaged]
have mentioned you will perhaps think I am long upon [damaged]
subjects, I cannot help it, they are uppermost on my {?mind} [damaged]
time is on the wing, friends are dropping off, theres no [damaged]
for delay, & hours delay may be ruin here, the next [damaged]
not our own perhaps the summons may come for you [damaged]
I the next, then does not reason as well as religion [damaged]
us that it is our duty to think of, & prepare for it [damaged]
be found engag’d in this manner that we may not [damaged]
surpriz’d when the time comes & have nothing to do but [damaged]
Poor M^r Sidebottom was oblig’d to be made up in [damaged]
Coffin on sabbath day, he swell’d so prodigiously & was
very offensive beside disagreeable to look on, I have this
afternoon been seeing his funeral, twas a very gloomy [damaged]
indeed, a great many tears were shed on the occasion [damaged]
M^r Rushton cry’d very much & young Harrison, to whom [damaged]
was guardian coud scarcely contain himself, these were [damaged]
Hatbands beside mourners, O my B you woud have been [damaged]
see the Coffin of his wife bared & the corpse of y^e little Babe
up to receive the father to his last lodging, there to remain
till the voice of y^r Archangel shall arouse the sleeping
to rise & come to judgment, may we be prepared to hear [damaged
voice with pleasure & not be of the number of those who
shall call on the locks & mountains to hid them from
[new page]
incensed judge, vain attempt, may we fly to the only refuge
for guilty sinners, now, in this our day, & then we need not
fear - - - - -My Papa Mamma Sister beg their best respects, I
hope you will write me when I am to see {^you} if you confirm
any idea with comp^ts to M^r Fogg & sincere love to yourself
remain
My D^r M^r B
your affectionate Wife
R Bateman
Manchester
March 2^nd 1789
Will is very well & seems to miss
You more than ever .
[new page]
M^r Bateman
White Bear
Basinghall Street
London

My Dear M^r B/
How happy shoud I be to have it in my power to
have it congratulate you on your safe arrival I hope it is so .
The night you left me I was very low, indeed my poor distress’d
heart instead of being thankfull for past favors was ready to
give up all & was even tempted to think the Lord woud no more
be gracious he has often appeared for us & preserv’d you in
dangers by the way &c & why not now, I was enabled to commit
you to his all wise disposal & then felt myself a little reliev’d
I hope my Dear you won’t forget to look up to God by
prayer; do be earnest with him, that, whatever he is pleas’d
to withhold from you of temporal things, y^t he will bless
you with the best of blessings renewing grace an interest
in the death of Christ, pardon of sin, by his blood & sanctifi=
=cation thro’ his Spirit, & then when we must be parted by
death , it will be eternal gain to the one & afford a comfort=
=able prospect to the other, of meeting at his right hand,
never more to felt feel the pain of parting to all eternity
these things are what I desire for myself & I think I cannot
shew a greater mark of my sincere affection than by
praying for the same to be felt & tasted by you, this I can
say from the little experience I have had is the only solid pleasure
‘tis not worthy the name of pleasure that forsakes us when we
[new page]
have most need of comfort viz on a sick bed & in a dying [damaged]
which is the case with every thing we pursue short of [damaged]
have mentioned you will perhaps think I am long upon [damaged]
subjects, I cannot help it, they are uppermost on my {?mind} [damaged]
time is on the wing, friends are dropping off, theres no [damaged]
for delay, & hours delay may be ruin here, the next [damaged]
not our own perhaps the summons may come for you [damaged]
I the next, then does not reason as well as religion [damaged]
us that it is our duty to think of, & prepare for it [damaged]
be found engag’d in this manner that we may not [damaged]
surpriz’d when the time comes & have nothing to do but [damaged]
Poor M^r Sidebottom was oblig’d to be made up in [damaged]
Coffin on sabbath day, he swell’d so prodigiously & was
very offensive beside disagreeable to look on, I have this
afternoon been seeing his funeral, twas a very gloomy [damaged]
indeed, a great many tears were shed on the occasion [damaged]
M^r Rushton cry’d very much & young Harrison, to whom [damaged]
was guardian coud scarcely contain himself, these were [damaged]
Hatbands beside mourners, O my B you woud have been [damaged]
see the Coffin of his wife bared & the corpse of y^e little Babe
up to receive the father to his last lodging, there to remain
till the voice of y^r Archangel shall arouse the sleeping
to rise & come to judgment, may we be prepared to hear [damaged
voice with pleasure & not be of the number of those who
shall call on the locks & mountains to hid them from
[new page]
incensed judge, vain attempt, may we fly to the only refuge
for guilty sinners, now, in this our day, & then we need not
fear - - - - -My Papa Mamma Sister beg their best respects, I
hope you will write me when I am to see {^you} if you confirm
any idea with comp^ts to M^r Fogg & sincere love to yourself
remain
My D^r M^r B
your affectionate Wife
R Bateman
Manchester
March 2^nd 1789
Will is very well & seems to miss
You more than ever .
[new page]
M^r Bateman
White Bear
Basinghall Street
London