I last Week receiv'd your Letter date 15th. of March in which you mention writing me three weeks successivly. I have receiv'd but one Letter before this since your Brother Adams brought me one I cannot think what is the reason I have not had them I have had that in which you mention the miss Palmers staying in your house. They offer you their most grateful acknowledgments for this favour, but more particularly for giving them the rent the year past

I have talk'd with mr Jo Cranch & Cousin Betsy about taking the Farm if you should not come your self. I know he has been use'd to a Farm in england & he work'd with his uncle at Germantown. I veryly believe he would do better for you than many others. he would be careful to save & consciencius to deliver you half the produce, I shall make no comparesions mrs Palmer mourn'd to me the Loss of mr A's young Trees by the creaturs eating the Bark last summer mr C says he thinks every one of them are dead— I told them It was a thing you had mention'd to me as just come into your mind that you had not consulted mr A upon it— They have been talking of taking a House & shop in Roxburry Street if they could do no better—but they seem please'd with this proposal &, if it should be agreable to mr A & you they wish to know the conditions as soon as possible they wish doctor Tufts might have power to Lease because they wish for his advice & approbation as it will be impossible for mr A to give it so readily & so often as they may have occation to ask it— mr C says there is a great deal of work which ought to be now doing. Farming Tools they have but very few of so that if they take it they must use yours but I believe they will be carefully of them. She will hire a good dairy maid & will exert her self to the utmost— but my dear Sister all this dissapoints my fond hopes of having you spend your Summer with us. Why have you made this alteration in your Plan— I cannot give up the Idea of a visit, if but a 38short one, & besides you have so many new relations to see that I should think your curiosity would be a little ingag'd. Do you not want to know how I behave as a Grandmother. I desir'd Lucy to inform you of Betsys & Sister Shaws Safety as soon as possible after the event, for I was hurried away immediately. Sister got to Bed but about a week before mrs Norton both of them were quick & not bad Sister wrote a long Letter to mrs N in a week & another to me in a fortnight She was well but very weak mrs N is now much better than I ever expected to see her in such a situation but she has suffer'd much from many cramps She has a Sharpness in her Blood Which has shewn it self in various shapes. She has a very bad sore mouth & Tongue & has been threaten'd with broken Breasts but they are all better

The children are fine Healthy creatures Sister says hers is so & I think I never saw one more so than my little Richard Cranch for that is his name Sister has call'd hers for you—

I do not wonder you was anxious about your son & I am sorry my Letter did not reach you sooner. He return'd before I was willing he should but his cough had left him & he promis'd me he would be very careful. he has sent me word several times that he was very well

I am griev'd for mr Otis. Nabby was a fine girl. I have made the same observation as you have done about the greater proportion of young Ladies who die of consumtions in Boston & Salem than in any other Towns Salem is as remarkable but cannot account for it

mrs Cotton Tufts is like to increase her Family again but not so the Docr. as yet I believe

you & I are like to have a lasting dispute about obligations for you will always over rate & over pay every little Service I can do you or your dear children but I can say with you that I hope you [will beli]eve the will is good of your affectionate Sister

I congratulate you and my dear Neice upon the late happy event in your Family. can you really believe that you are a Grandmamma? does not the little fellow feel as if he was really your own. if he does not now, by that time you have lived a year with him, or near you, I question if you will be able to feel a difference. have you been so much occupied by these New cares as not to be able to write me a line upon the Subject. it was from a Letter of cousin [Wi]lliams to Charles that I learnt the agreeable news, at which [I] most sincerely rejoice.1 I doubt not as my amiable Neice has fullfild all the Relative duties in which she has been calld to act with honour to herself and satisfaction to her Friends, she will not fail to discharge the New one which has fallen to her share with equal ability. I wish my dear sister I could go with you to visit her, as we used to do, and that I could personally tell her how much her safety and happiness is dear to me. I should receive more real satisfaction in one hour, than in months of the uninteresting visits which my situation obliges me both to receive and pay. my old Friend Mrs Rogers has past the winter in N York and we have lived in our former intimacy. I shall regreet her leaving it. Mrs Smith and her Family the chief of them have been for three weeks at Jamica upon a visit. the House really felt so lonely after [ma]ster william went, that I sent for him back yesterday. John and he are both very fine children, but as yet my attachment to william is much the strongest. his temper is sweet and his disposition docile.

This place begins to reassume all its Beauty. I wish you could come and see it. For situation and prospect I know no equal. we have been gardning for more than a week. I always forgot to inquire of my Neices if the flower seeds succeeded last year.2 I fear my prospect of visiting Braintree will be cut of, by the short recess of congress. the buisness before them is so important, and takes so much time to discus it, that they talk now of only adjourning through the 40Hot Months,3 and the breaking up a Family for a few months, the expence attending the journey with those domesticks which we must bring on, will out run the Sum allotted by our generous Country, so that I see no prospect of visiting my Friends. I must therefore content my self with hearing from them as often as I can.

I wrote you a fortnight since that Genll Knox had given his word to mr A that he would do something for mr J Cranch. I presume he will not forget him. I shall dine there on twesday next, and as the Genll is always very civil polite and social with me, I will drop a word to him if opportunity offers. mr Jefferson is here, and adds much to the social circle4

I wish to have some seed Beans of scarlet and of the white kind, the pod of which is so tender. I forget the Name, but believe you will know. they grow in, joints and are very fruitfull. adieu. tis time to go to meeting, o that it was to hear good dr Price, or mr clark or Thacher, or any body whose sentiments were more conformable to mine.5 ever yours