From Jane Collas (unpublished)
Boston, Nov. 11. 1787.
My Dear and Honord Uncle

I can hold out no longer. Madam Grean has been permitted to write you without one objection from my Monoplizeing Mamma, and if Love can Apologize for troubleing you with one Famale letter, why not for another? no one breathing can plead a greater Share then myself, and I have more then wonce, Shed tears on being denied the pleasure of telling you that I love and reverance you even to Adoration, and Should I ever have the happiness of Seeing you tho I would not bite a bit off you as Mrs. Gr—n Seems to long for, I would shove in among the croud, and if possable, touch the hem of your Garment; and trust to your benevolence for forgiveness, and notice of the intruder the least Share of which would make me happier then all the honers of the United World without it.—I hope to Slide this unperceived into the Hand of the polite, the obliging Mr. Wouters and do not you blame me my dear Uncle for disobedience to a parent, as we are only to obey them in the Lord. which I take to be Conscientiously, and my Consciance has long accused me for that which appeard to me disrespectfull not to testify my joy on your return to us by a letter of Congratulation. Heaven is my witness how greatfull I am for So great, So unexpected, a Mercy.

Another thing which has laid very heavey on my Heart, and for which I ought long ago to Apologized was lending my helping hand to that bold intruder Mr. Thayer, who I understand was much trouble and Expence to you, he teazed me for months, for a letter of recommendation to you which I all along refused, and beg’d to be excused from writing at all, telling him I had never presumed to trouble you with my Scrawls, but he would not let me rest till he forced from me a few lines of intreduction, I gave it him unseald. In about a weak he returned with it and beged I would make Some allteration, asked for pen and paper to write the Ideas he would wish me to convay. I could not help laughing in his Face tho: I complied with his request. Mamma was then with me on a Visit at Cambridge and after I had perused what he had wrote for me to Coppy, I told him I Should not certainly write a line more then I had wrote, but as I had no reason to doubt the truth of what he had writen I would oblig him by Signing my Name and beg the favor of Mamma to do the Same which would put an end I hoped to all further trouble, Mamma laughed very heartily at the drolery and the poor fellow with all his Assurance look,d greatly mortified, I pity,d and Spared him to plead his cause with Mamma which he did So Effectively as to get a letter of recommendation from her, tho She never Saw him before, but I never wrote any other then the first I gave him, which could not be call,d a recommendation, and if you received Such a one from me he must have wrote it himself. I now beg pardon for that, and my presant intruding So long on your patience which after thus easing my Heart of its burthen I never will again attempt without Some incouragement from you.

My tender regards waits on Mrs. and Mr. Beach I Should be happy in her rememberance of one who often think of her, and hers, with the tenderst affection.

Now my dear Uncle may we flatter ourselves with the hope of Seeing you in the Spring. I rejoyce all our friends with my Strong faith that you will come, and the foundation I have for it, that God may preserve your health and enable you to make the Hearts of hundreds glad by Such a visit is the fervent prayer of her who begs leave to Subscribe herself with the greatst respect your dutifull and ever Affectionate Neice

Jane Collas

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