The continuall experience that I enioy of your tender love and care to a child, though I confesse an vnderseruinge one (yet) your love emboldens mee to present my humble duty and respect I owe and shall render with my might and power to your selfe soe longe as it pleaseth the Lord to continue my life. I haue found soe much your love and see that neither time nor distance of place doth diminish or blast the same, which I confesse and desire to acknowledge as a great mercy and the cheife comfort for a temporall, that I have to solace my selfe withall; Father I trust in him who hath the harts and the disposinge of them in his hand, that I haue not provoked you to harbor soe ill an opinion of mee as my mothers lettres do signifie and give me to vnderstand, the ill opinion and hard perswasion which shee beares of mee, that is to say, that I should abuse your goodnes, and bee prodigall of your purse neglectfull of my brothers bands and of my slatterishnes and lasines. for my brothers bands I will not excuse my selfe, but I thinke not worthy soe sharpe a reproofe, for the rest I must needs excuse, and cleare my selfe If I may bee beleived. I doe not know my selfe guilty of any of them. for myne owne part I doe not desire to bee myne owne iudge, but am willinge to be iudged by them, with whom I live and sees my course, whether I bee addicted to such thinges or noe for my habitt, it is meane, for the most as many seruants, and if I had not had money which I had for some thinges here I might have wanted many necessaries which I 215could not have bin without, except I should have made you a scoare here, which I was not willinge to doe: I writt to my mother for lace not out of any prodigall or proud mind but onely for some crossecloathes, which is the most allowable and commendable dressinge here. Shee would have mee weare dressings which I did soe longe as they would suffer mee, whilest the elders with others intreated mee to leaue them of; for they gave great offence and seeinge it hath pleased the Lord to bringe mee hither amongst his people, I would not willingly doe any thinge amongst them that should be displeasinge vnto them, but for myne owne part since my sendinge for thinges gives such offence I will be more sparinge in that kind hereafter but leave it to the Lord to deale with mee accordinge to his mercy earnestly desireinge him to give mee an hart to bee content with my porcion, knowinge that nothinge can beefall mee but that, that hee hath appointed I may take that verse in the 106th Psalme 17th verse, fooles because of their transgressions and their iniquities are afflicted soe I thinke that iust it is, whatsoeuer affliction shall come vnto mee. Deare Father I am farr distant from you, and know not how longe it will please the Lord to continue it soe, but howsoever I desire to rest satisfied with his will and doe earnestly desire to submitt my selfe in all duty and obedience as belongeth vnto a child to your selfe and my mother, as if I were with you. Father I perceive by your lettres that you would very willingly to have mee change my condition which I must confesse I might soe may with divers if the Lord pleased to move my hart to accept any of them, but I desire to wayte vpon him that can change my hart at his will. thus with my humble duty to your selfe and my mother craving pardon of you both and of her If I have given her any offence, and soe desiringe your prayers to him, who is able to give wisedome and direccion to me in all thinges I rest: Your obedient Daughter till death