My Dear M^r B/
I can scarcely suppose when you ask {^me} to
write upon the receipt of yours, that you coud think I meant
to comply with the first require of [deleted] writing on monday
which I suppose you rece’d this morning about the time
I got the agreeable intelligence of your safe arrival
which as you observe is matter of thankfulness, & I hope
we shall both [deleted] remember it accordingly. I am sorry
to find you are obliged to be detain’d so long ‘twas very
strange it coud not be foreseen, to present the (seeming)
necessity of travelling on the sabbath day, it griev’d
me much, & I can assure you, your letter reliev’d my
mind for I {^could} hardly persuade myself that your journey
woud be prosperous on the account of it, whilst you are
away let me intreat you to take care of yourself
for this, & another world but I am apprehensive that you
will think I enlarg’d too much upon the latter subject
in my last, believe me my D^r B ‘tis from the respect
I have for your best interest that prompted me to it
for what will it profit us to gain the good things of
this life only “Riches avail nothing in the day of Gods
wrath”. The dear Lad & myself are thro’ mercy very
well, he is so busy chattering by me I have something
[new page]
to do to write for him I ask’d him if he woud send his
love to his Papa & he said is if you think him not
yet capable of the sentiment, I hope we shall soon
perceive it to our mutual satisfaction.
Our friends here unite with me in {?presenting}
Kindest respects to yourself, Aunts, Cousins &c – {?tender}
My comp^ts to M^r Fogg & believe me
My Dear
Your affectionate till Death
Rebekah Bateman
Man^r March 4 1789
I shall expect an answer to this soon & tell
me when I shall see you if all be well
[new page]
M^r Bateman
Basinghall Street
London

My Dear M^r B/
I can scarcely suppose when you ask {^me} to
write upon the receipt of yours, that you coud think I meant
to comply with the first require of [deleted] writing on monday
which I suppose you rece’d this morning about the time
I got the agreeable intelligence of your safe arrival
which as you observe is matter of thankfulness, & I hope
we shall both [deleted] remember it accordingly. I am sorry
to find you are obliged to be detain’d so long ‘twas very
strange it coud not be foreseen, to present the (seeming)
necessity of travelling on the sabbath day, it griev’d
me much, & I can assure you, your letter reliev’d my
mind for I {^could} hardly persuade myself that your journey
woud be prosperous on the account of it, whilst you are
away let me intreat you to take care of yourself
for this, & another world but I am apprehensive that you
will think I enlarg’d too much upon the latter subject
in my last, believe me my D^r B ‘tis from the respect
I have for your best interest that prompted me to it
for what will it profit us to gain the good things of
this life only “Riches avail nothing in the day of Gods
wrath”. The dear Lad & myself are thro’ mercy very
well, he is so busy chattering by me I have something
[new page]
to do to write for him I ask’d him if he woud send his
love to his Papa & he said is if you think him not
yet capable of the sentiment, I hope we shall soon
perceive it to our mutual satisfaction.
Our friends here unite with me in {?presenting}
Kindest respects to yourself, Aunts, Cousins &c – {?tender}
My comp^ts to M^r Fogg & believe me
My Dear
Your affectionate till Death
Rebekah Bateman
Man^r March 4 1789
I shall expect an answer to this soon & tell
me when I shall see you if all be well
[new page]
M^r Bateman
Basinghall Street
London