Letter: Sarah Ann Littler and Asa Moore to Ann Moore, June 5, 1821

Waterford 6th mo: 5th 1821

Thinking my dear Mother would like to have some account of home concerns & home friends - I avail myself of this favorable opportunity to scribble a short letter to inform her how we are coming on &c &c [et cetera, et cetera] - I have been very much engaged of course - which has kept me from being so lonesome as I should otherwise have been - after she left us we went to work - "with all our might and main" - and have got [?] the house cleaning in in the stone building, whitewashing etc except the dining room which we are going to leave until the papering is done, which bye the bye I am apprehensive will not be very soon - but patience is an excellent remedy in such cases and I will endeavour to exercise my small stock of this inestimable [?] in this as well as in more trying incidents of life - for trials will be mingled in my cup - and I begin to feel tired of the world and its fading joys which as a syrens song have led me "far from the paths of duty and of peace" I find there is nothing but an ancorage on the inmovable "Rock" that can enable us to withstand even the smallest temptation of the enemy - and I have a secret hope that at no distant period I may find myself estabished on this foundation

I feel uncommonly serious this evening - and sincerely hope it may not pass off without a salutary effect - I will just remind thee while I think of it to get for me Diloyn's Reflections. I forgot to set it down in thy memorandum Book - and some English quills as I have been at a loss to find something to make a pen of - and my dear Mother will please request cousin A A Miller to send me the "World before the Flood" which she borrowed from M Briggs - when she has read it - and I will deliver it save into Deborahs charge when she comes to Waterford which I expect will be in a few weeks from this time - we were sorry to find thee was so poorly after thee left home but hope now thy health is

improving - I have attended to gathering and preserving the fruit thee spoke of and will attend to the other directions in thy letter as early as is it in my power - Cynthia Janney has been with me since first day - and I have been visiting a little with her but cannot pay her as much attention as I should wish - please give my love to her sisters and like them we will take all the care of them we can and they need not look for her in the Alex^a till the warm season is over - my love affectionately to our three pair of cousins - tell Amy Ann I intended to have sent home "Letters from the Mountains" but forgot it when the carriage left here - now Mother thee knows how averse I am to my letters having seen - pray do not let a creature look at this - I would write more but it is getting late and I was up very early and done my baking before breakfast this morning - so I must say farewell - One thing more I have just thought of - I put up cousin C Morgan's Telescopes to send and they were left on the table thee may just inform her that she may not think I am going to keep them altogether - farewell mother, mayst thou return with the reward of peace is the fervent wish of thy affectionate daughter SAL -

Dear Ann When I went to bed last night I told S. Ann to leave a little room for me to write in her letter but on looking over it I dont think of much to add, the day thou left us I felt a good deal unwell & so much like I was last summer that it allarmed me a little but have been better since & believe I am about my usual state of health now, I have had to use much exercise in day time, rather more sometimes than I felt able to bear, at nights I feel lonsome

but now J Phillips has come home I hope to have some relief in both respects I would have thee make thyself quite easy about home & stay untill thy visit is entirely compleated & all done that thou has to do in & about Alex^a, there is one thing that I intended to mention before thee left us & forgot it, which I am most easy to mention now, if thou should have occasion to speake any in public, I could wish thee to avoid as much as consistant doctrinal points, or at least controvertial subjects, for this a day & time when people are looking out for charges against religeon & its advocates, & I have allways believed that thy gift was more admonitory than doctrinal, & if so thou wilt be likely to add more good by keeping to thy own gift, than in any other line I heard late last evening that Wm Janney was to sett out to Alex^a this morning, by whom I expected to send this & have been on the lookout for him, but have just heard that he has passed by, perhaps when I was washing out the Pump, Little James is quite well, I dont understand that there is much change in E Chilton's health since thee left home, or with any of our neighbors - I am affectionately Thy Asa Moore

John Morgan [?] For Ann Moore } Alexandria

S.A.S. & A. Moore 6th Mo. 5 1821