This Letter will not bear you so melancholy tidings, as from the close of my last, I apprehended. our Parent still lives; the ulcer which in my last, I informd you had broken upon her Lungs, and brought on the Symptoms of a speedy dissolution; she had Strength sufficient to Grapple with; all day on Sunday, we expected every moment would be her last, but she fell in to a quieter Sleep; and was revived with it; and has to the astonishment of her Friends Survived an other week. her cough has again become very troublesome, but she is not so distresst as she was: and may continue for some time to come she is loth we should think her better: tomorrow will be her Birth day; when she will commence her 86th year. since she was taken sick, she has seen & heard of 5 person in her Neighbourhood carried to their Graves; it has been very sickly here. mrs Bass who lived in our House was buried this week; she died of a mortification occasiond by a Rupture, which she had for several years, and not properly attended too. mr Seth Baxters wife, & Mrs Pray of a Lung fever, & two children—1

The weather has been so warm for three days, this week, that I could not but be anxious for my Philadelphia Friends: I fear the late intelligence will oblige Congress to sitt long. What can be done with that mad & I may say unjust Nation? if they force us into a war with them George will deserve a second time, to lose his Head; so sure as he provokes America into a war, so sure he will lose his crown. Heaven avert from us so distressing a calamity but there is a General Gloom and distress amongst the mercantile people.

our People commencd war—against the canker worm, the 2 day of March. we were the earliest in Town, and we have already slain our thousands. other people are but just begining, mr Black yesterday. I have sent to Town for an other Barrel of Tar—yet they use it more prudently than the last year. the Season is not so forward by a fortnight as the last year. the Roads have been so bad the frost just comeing out of the Ground, that Shaw is not yet come. I expect him in a few days—and have agreed to take Joy, and family. I shall want 5 cows. I can not hear of any under 20 dollors a peice I sent last week by a person going into the country after stock for cows & young cattle. he returnd without getting any with word that they were dearer there than round here. I shall want Pails Tubs pans hoops & the whole Apparatus for a dairy a Cheese press excepted which I bought. I will send out the begining of April for my cows; Belcher Says we can keep them here, being well provided with salt & fresh Hay. we shall be obliged to purchase an other ox, for the other place, by Faxons movements, for he has bought on a match for that he had last fall; & a young Horse by which means he makes a Team up for his Son to work with.2 he is a sad, and I fear a dishonest Man. I shall be glad when we are rid of him; I have purchased 8 Barrels of cider: and I have engaged a Barrel of Rum, & a Barrel of molasses, a hundred of sugar as every article is rapidly rising in concequence of the detention of our vessels and the Ruin of our trade; some other articles I have omitted least I should plunge too deep; I have engaged an other load of Hay. tis a sad expensive thing to have to feed sheep 4 months with corn and English Hay. I make my Boys with one Man Tar for the most part; as soon as the frost is out, we shall finish breaking up the peice of ground for corn. I should like to know whether you design to Break up any New Ground at the other place, or plant over again part of what Faxon broke up last year. I long to have the places arrang’d Gardening will soon come on— I wish Brisler could send me some willow Trees— tell him I saw mrs Brisler & his Boy this week. both are well, and the Boy half grown a very fine child. I have been once only at my sisters for near Nine weeks. adieu my dearest Friend. Heaven preserve you in Health and return you in safety to your affectionate