Reference
Z699/51
Title
Eliza Beck to Priscilla May June 1826
My dear Priscilla
With very little to say & a trembling hand I set down to write a few lines in return to thy last kind letter which I received when from home and by that means was prevented from answering it directly.
I am now in a strange sort of perturbation which if it do not prevent my writing will at least make it far more difficult to compose properly.
Now I guess thou art saying to thyself What can all this perturbation, this trembling be about ? I will soon satisfy thy curiosity. This evening I am expecting to see Sister D, Susanna Lucas, and above all our dearest dearest Edward whom who I have not yet met and from I have been separated a long long twelve month. Canst thou wonder at my feeling very strange? but I own to a mixture of feelings, an inexpressible sensation accompanies the pleasure for we are to have but six days of his company and then we must part with him for Botany Bay his ship will I believe sail in 6 weeks and he is wanted to be with her constantly it is quite as long a voyage as to India and for another year we must part. but I must not look on the dark side at present though the disappointment is great. It is like every thing there is no enduring happiness.
"Sorrows succeed & frown on pleasures past" and it is right they should.
George Withy is now here he had a fruitful meeting yesterday evening principally for those not of our society and was engaged in a very remarkable manner to show the absurdity of the form used at the christening of children and of the doctrine which teaches that the elect alone are saved, and many other subjects quite too numerous to repeat on paper.
Considering how thy time is taken up, I could not expect thee to get on with thy Latin before breakfast but I must beg thou wilt not quite give it up thou wilt so regret it if thou dost.
I suppose you will have our George with you in a month or 2 - I hope he will be a good boy and give you little trouble. We shall feel very glad to have him so near us and in such good care.
I return'd home this day 2 weeks so that I have had a very solitary time which I should have really enjoy'd could had the weather been warmer but the wet so prevented me enjoying myself out of doors there at length became a great sameness in my manner of living, and I was glad to give it up.
Cousin Joseph with his sons Joseph & Charles are expected home this {?} so that we shall soon have our members complete.
But adieu I must write no more and believe me
Thine very affectionately Eliza Beck.
Priscilla May Favd by A.May
Ampthill
Date free text
June 1826
Production date
From: 1826 To: 1826
Exent
No. of pieces: 1
Format
paper
Level of description
item