1From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [1760–1762] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Here is a Coach from your House, and no Line to me from you. I will never forgive you, if you do not immediately write me a long Letter in the room of that you stole from me yesterday. You know the Penalty of the old Law was four fold. See that you punish yourself fully, and thereby disarm the Resentment of Your injured Friend “If a man shall steal an ox,...
2From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 10 May 1762 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received this Morning my dear Polley’s kind Present of two Tickets for the Latin Play at Hackney, enclos’d in her agreable little Letter of the 8th. for both which she will please to accept my Thanks. I am oblig’d also to Mrs. Tickell and to her for the kind Invitation of Dining on the Day of the Play. But I think we are engag’d for that Day to Dine at...
3From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 17 May 1760 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Feehan Memorial Library, St. Mary of the Lake Seminary; transcript (part MS , part printed): Library of Congress. I send my dear good Girl the Books I mention’d to her last Night. I beg her to accept them as a small Mark of my Esteem and Friendship. They are written in the familiar easy Manner for which the French are so remarkable, and afford a good deal of philosophic and practical...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 24 May 1762 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society According to Promise I write on Monday to let my good Girl know how her Mama does; but so late in the Day that I fear I might as well have let it alone till Tuesday. She is not yet quite well, but so well as to be abroad ever since Morning. I went early into the City, Din’d there, and return’d hoping for the Pleasure of a Dish of Tea with her; when I learnt...
5From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 16 May 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (two letters): American Philosophical Society I am unluckily so much engag’d that I cannot have the Pleasure of being at Bromley on Sunday or Monday. present my best Respects to the good Doctor and Mrs. Hawkesworth, and to the Miss Blounts, and to Mrs. Rogers. I should rejoice in the Opportunity of making your Journey to Town more agreable than in the Stage, if I could possibly embrace it....
6From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [October? 1768] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I return my dear Polly her Letters with Thanks for the Sight of them. Dr. Hawkesworth’s Account of Mr. Stanley’s Loss of Hair, is full and Satisfactory. Young Mr. Henckell has left our well-spelt Letters with me for you: but those I take the Liberty to keep. We are all well and all love you. Adieu. Yours affectionately For John Hawkesworth, LL.D., essayist,...
7From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 26 March 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society We want to hear how our dear Polly does after the Loss of her Two great Teeth together; whether the Jaw is easy and not swell’d &c. Sir Cha. Blount call’d in Cravenstreet last Night, and we learnt with Pleasure that your Friend Dolly and all that Family were well. Dr. Hawkesworth is to spend this Evening there, and I am mortified that I cannot be with them....
8From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 27 June 1763 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received here your kind little Letter of April 14. with your good Mama’s Favour of the same Date. I write this Line chiefly to acknowledge it, having wrote to you lately, and little now to add. I congratulate you on your Dolly’s Recovery, which you mention as nearly compleated, assuring you that I do, as you suppose, participate your Pleasure. Tell her...
9From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [1760–1762] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Among the surviving letters between Franklin and Mary Stevenson are two from him and two from her bearing incomplete dates or none at all, which cannot be even approximately placed by other evidence, although they seem to belong to the general period from May 1, 1760, when Franklin and Polly agreed to correspond on subjects of moral and natural philosophy,...
10From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [12–16 December 1764] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have once more the Pleasure of writing a Line to my dear Polly from Cravenstreet, where I arrived on Monday Evening in about 30 Days from Philadelphia. Your good Mama was not at home, and the Maid could not tell where to find her, so I sat me down and waited her Return, when she was a good deal surpriz’d to find me in her Parlour. She has this Afternoon...