To the same, [To Hannah Winthrop]
Plymouth August 4h 1777
I think it long, very long, since I heard from my much
loved Friend.- Am I, or is she to blame, that there has been so little
intercourse between us for several months past.-- Surely the noise of war
does
not drown the soft voice of friendship.- Yet, the importance of a dispute that
will
sharpen the swords of half the European World, and the dread of a
decis
-ion against us, may so empress the mind, as
to make it forgetful of those
little attentions, which sweeten the path of life, and add variety to
peace in the days of tranquillity.-
Though every social enjoyment is interrupted
and our ideas dwell much upon scenes of devastation, cruelty, and
blood, yet I will never forget to enquire with the
warmest affection,
after the welfare of my friends at Cambridge.-
Has Dr
Winthrop been abroad - is his health in
any measure restored - does he attend the Philosophical exhibi
-tions - or are the youth unhappily deprived of the advantage of
his instructions?-
As soon as the weather is a little cooler,
both self-love, and a regard to my friends, stimulate me to advise
a journey to Plymouth, as a mean towards the restoration of
health to a person you love, and to one highly esteeemed and
res
-pected by
Yr affect & faithful
Friend.