Letter

Scope and Content

From Anne Tripp in Leeds to Mary Fletcher in Madeley. Tripp is very grateful for the kind letter from Fletcher with the enclosed £5 for Mrs Taylor, which Tripp delivered the next day. Taylor has asked that her thanks be passed on - a truss has fallen on her arm, so she is unable to write her own letter of thanks for the present.

Tripp also passed Fletcher's letter to [Eleanor] Dickenson - both Tripp and Dickenson were pleased to see Fletcher's handwriting. Dickenson has been very ill with a bowel complaint, which confined her to her house for 3 weeks. She has now recovered 'and going about doing good.' It gave them much pleasure to read that Fletcher's breast is no worse, but better than last year. This is surely an answer to prayer. Hopefully, Fletcher's breathing will be better once the weather becomes warmer.

She was pleased to read that the work of God increases and that [Mary] Tooth is proving so useful. 'What a blessing, the Lord is raising up young ones to fill the places of those who are gone or going. I trust the work increases with us. Our preachers are zealous and preach the Holiness; some are thirsting for it; and a few have entered into that blessed rest.'

The first wednesday in every month, they have a meeting to pray for the success of [foreign] missions. At those times, new accounts of the work overseas are read out - those from Ceylon were truly interesting. It was gratifying to read that the missionaries were received with such kindness by the governor Lord Molesworth and other senior officials, who considered them an asset to the colony, and gave them a salary to teach the English language, while they themselves were learning sinhalese.

Fletcher kindly enquired after Tripp's eyesight. Her sight is very much weaker, so that a little use causes pain. She cannot see very well with glasses - she lately bought a new pair for 12 shillings, but they have not improved matters a great deal. Fortunately, the days are getting lighter, so she is hoping that she will be able to see better. As for her general health, her cough has not been as violent as last winter and she has not been entirely confined to her bedroom, but she does feel declining strength and becomes very tired with only a little exertion. On the whole, she is not too bad at present, and as well as she can expect in her 71st year. Her spiritual strength increases. Spiritual matters are discussed.

A few weeks ago, she received a letter from Mrs [Elizabeth] Mortimer informing her of the death of Mrs Keysall - she suffered much in her body and mind.

Tripp has been much concerned by news of the riots in London occasioned by the corn bill [with the advent of peace in 1814, corn prices dropped, and the government passed the 1815 Corn Law, restricting the importation of cheap corn and keeping prices artificially high. This led to serious rioting in London]. Hopefully, the Lord will see fit to prevent the legislation from passing through parliament.

She sends her regards to both [Mary and Rosamund] Tooth and Mrs Harper. Tripp has taken 3 days to write this letter because the weather has been so dark.