Addressed to

Mercy Ellis

Deer Creek Hartford

note in margin in different hand – "There must have been a slip of the pen in the date here, as the marriage certificate is dated 2 mo. 10^th 1785"

The 4mo 18th 1784

My dear Mercy

I have written so lately and so often, that writing at this time seems useless I am however led to it from a pleasure I feel in talking to thee even in this way, I am sorry I am so detained yet perhaps it is right, the waters have been very high and the roads to the NW. very bad, but I expect they are now pretty good and I am anxious to be gone that I may seem the nearer returning Ah why did thee not write by Nancy Rigbie? Perhaps thou didst not know of her coming time enough, it was indeed very grateful to me to find she had so lately talked to thee, that thy dear little Treasure was well, let the example of my repeated writing excite my dear amiable companion to like attention, I shall undoubtedly make my stay as short as possible, yet the anxious hours of this May may be often sweetened by often reviewing letters from her, if those letters give an air of her well fare – I told Nancy Rigbie she must tell you how I talked about you and how much I lov’d you she said I must write but that some of you know how much I lov’d you – she told me thee had fixt a day for my return, she could not tell me the day Don’t get uneasy my dear as to a day; keep in the resignd reliance on the providence of the Father of men I ask some times my own heart when ruminating on these things is it possible my dear generous Fair can with earnest my return; whilst that return must be considered at the prologue to the affecting Scene of her Departure from the beautifull Banks of Deer Creek and from at least the second tenderest Connections in Life and have been answered by the sensations I have felt, it is possible; If this should even be flattering my self perhaps its a pleasing Delusion. I want a long Letter. How did thee feel after our departure from Deer Creek? How soon did thy Heart get lighter? Who came to see thee and what did they say, how comes on Brother Israel & his Eliza.

Farewell my Dearest, may every rising Day!

To thy dear Bosom Health and Peace convey

William Ellis

P.S. – give my affect. & love to our dear mother, tell her I call’d immediately on Caleb Lownes w/ her message and he said he should govern himself accordingly, give any love to thy connections and Brother Jonny & family in a particular moment tell him I mean to write him early from Muncy