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Description

Lady Sparrow apologizes to Chase for not writing sooner and assures him of her support for his project as well as her commitment to a subscription. Sparrow also assures Chase of the continued investment of his English friends.

Date

7-11-1824

Keywords

Liverpool, English donors, Bible Society, Huntingdon

Transcript

K.Ch.240711a

Brampton Path

July 11th

My Dear Bishop

I fear you will have expected to receive a letter from me & have been tempted by not knowing why you did not, to imagine I might have voluntarily omitted which I assure you is not the case. I knew you to be oppressed with witness, and called on by so many present claims, that as I had nothing to communicate which could not very well write, and often all converged to information being the expression of an interest in your case, & in your own welfare, of which I trust you are convinced. I thought it more considerate to delay till you were released from all hurry, and might receive satisfaction by the recollection of a friend, for which I consider myself, tho’ our intercourse was begun & ended in so short a time, yet there is a peculiarity in every particular between the circumstances of those who meet as children of the same Father, & those who do not. And I trust, that through mercy, the former is the case in question. Your letter received this morning has determined me, tho’ obliged to do so in haste, not to delay a few lines, which I shall for safety direct to Liverpool, as I understand you mean to embark from thence. You misdirected your letter, in consequence of which it has travelled much before it reached me. Brampton Path, Huntington is my direction. I hope you will write it when your more important avocations allow of it, and I assure you it will give me real satisfaction, if, whenever you think I can serve you, you will point out the way. I shall endeavour to follow it to the best of my power. Mine is a quiet retired path in life, my ties to this world have been [?]ly broken, the few that remain leave me independent as to my habits and pursuits. And tho’ my intercourse with society is very much contracted, & I wish it to be so more & more, yet God has given me some means of being useful without having recourse to others, & your cause I shall always feel to have a peculiar [claim]. I should imagine [details] on the plan of how you have been in this country, and especially Infant Schools, would be the most essential means in the improvement of your wisely extended Diocese. And which those more flexible minds are the prominent object, the presents are perhaps more likely to desire benefit from the indirect method of communication with their children, then in the more unusual way — I mean those parents who are lowest in the scale of society, & mental [?] — In such matters I might assist as to funds. By the way, you have before this been informed of the [mortification] I experienced on finding that my subscription had never been notified. I told you when here that I had desired a friend to put down my name, which had [?] then done, would have been long before I saw you. And when I expected the request I had no doubt of its being done, but I found it again forgotten. However it is now done with. I am glad you have been with the excellent people you mention, and they will [?] you I trust to find that English friendships and energies, when excited, are not changeable. Most warmly do I join in the good wishes & gladly shall I join my little help to that which your cause must require from many. And God’s blessing will, no doubt, give efficacy to all. Once more I beg an interest in your project & your believe that I remain ever your faithful & attached friend,

Olivia B. Sparrow

[Top of first page]: [?] the [?] encumbered by interruptions with which I have written. Our Bible Soc’s annual meeting at Huntingdon takes place tomorrow. I wish you could have been of it.

Letter to Philander Chase

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