Last Sunday Evening Mr. Ricketts1 let me know that he should breakfast with you the next morning. I therefore sat down & wrote you a letter immediately—as it contain’d an invitation for Papa to dine with us ^on^ Tuesday & Thursday, & we received no answer I feel anxious least either him or You should be unwell.2

How just is yr observation that in the midst of life we are in death—On Monday, the evening preceeding the day on which we expected a large Company to dine, just as we were going to tea, Genl. Clarkson3 call’d in to know if we could lend him a sword, for says ^he^ the rioters are proceeding to the Jail & are determined to open the doors & liberate the prisoners as well as to tear in pieces the Doctors who are confin’d there, & if they effect their plan confusion, murder &c. may be the result.—4 Mr. Jay ran up stairs and handing Clarkson one sword, to my great concern armed himself with another, & went towards the Jail which the Citizens determin’d to defend—Just as he was going up the steps of the jail, a stone thrown by one of the Mob (for it was too dark to discern which) took him in the forehead and stunned him so that he fell—Clarkson & Rutherford5 who were near, carried him into the Poor-house & fetched Charlton6 & thence brought them both home together in the Carriage. The stone must have been large as it had made two large holes in his forehead—Judge Mama of my feelings when I saw him hurried from the Carriage to the Chamber by the Dr. & other gentlemen—The Dr. immediately examined his wounds, & to my unspeakable relief pronounced that there was no fracture; after dressing the wound he bled him & gave him some drops that he said wd. compose him; it did not however make him sleep, but still his head felt better the next day tho’ his eyes were much swell’d & discolor’d, & indeed remains so yet—he is quite out of danger, but suffers vast pain from his Neck & shoulders which we think must proceed from a Cold he may have taken that rainy evening that he receiv’d his blow

Just after the gentlemen left me ^to go on their expedition^ that fatal eveng, a young women of the name of Ludlum came to inquire if I wanted to hire a person—my spirits were agitated about what might be the issue of the riot & I hardly knew what to tell her—she told me she had liv’d a twelve-month with Mrs. Chandler7 & desir’d me to write a few lines to her for her Character; I did so, & she said she would give my letter to a boatman: not having recd. an answer I think it has probably miscarried & should be glad if it is convenient that you could inquire whether she is honest & industrious—I cannot quit the Chamber except to wait upon Mr. Jay & therefore beg that my dr. Mama will excuse my not having purchased the things for her—Judy8 is much better & thanks you kindly for your disposition to relieve her, but having now Mrs. Aims to assist her finds it unnecessary for to trouble you with the Children—it distresses me exceedingly to find you are troubled with that ^sad^ Cholical Complaint & I long excessively for Susan’s return. Yr. parting with Mrs. Aims I continue to regret. Remember us all to Papa & believe me my [torn] Mama to be sincerely yr. dutiful Daughter

Thursday 17th. April

Do., afternoon—Mrs. Taylor has just now handed me another letter from my dr. Mama—9 This week has indeed been a busy one! but in a very different manner from that which we expected—Altho’ every thing was prepared for a great deal of Company yet none have I been able to receive—On Tuesday my dr. Mr. Jay’s situation was extremely critical, as it was difficult to decide whether his brain was injur’d or not; many symptoms seemed to favor the apprehension; At present thank God! my fears are vanished but he is very low.