It is with grief unutterable I communicate to you the painful intelligence that ere you receive this our beloved & much respected friend Mrs. Payne will be no more. She is now while I write this dying away- her attack has been sudden unexpected & severe. On Wednesday evening she had made her little round to a few of our neighbors & returned home in unusually good health & spirits. Mrs. Jackson appeared to be recovering, & that with the prospect of soon joining you all seemed to encrease them. At the usual hour she went to Bed and about 3 oClock A M I was informed by a servant that she was extremely ill I hastened to her chamber & enquired what was the matter. She answered with a voice broken & much altered that a violent stroke of the dead Palsy had deprived her entirely of the use of her left side it extended to her head & neck. In a few minutes the Doctor arrived She repeated to him the extent of the attack & that it would be fatal. I supported her for a short time in my arms & found that her neck was stiffened by the attack & that she had no use of any part of her body. In the space of an hour she became speechless & fell into a state of Insensibility which has continued without intermission ever since. She appears to be without pain & has weakened gradually. The application of bleeding blisters rubbing ⟨&c⟩ have not produced the smallest effect.

The effect of this attack, upon Mrs. Jackson has been & still is very alarming. Heaven only knows what will be the result farewell Yours truly