Abigail Adams to Mary Smith Cranch, October 18, 1800

[ ca. 18 October 1800] 1

my dear sister

It is a great Grief to me my dear sister that I can do so
little for you in your trouble when I owe So Much to you. beside being much
of an invalide myself Jackson is very sick keeps his Bed—and a thousand cares devolve upon me in
concequence of the sudden determination very reluctantly enterd into , Start deletion, from a sense , End, at this late period,
without any previous arrangment— but all this is small in comparison to
leaving Mrs Norten and you Sick— Becky will watch with You to night— I send
some Wine for mrs Norten, and pray you to send me your demijohn

Mrs smith and Betsy Howard are gone to Town to day

I have to prepare ten of us to go away—a new coach man to
seek— I did not design You should have had any intelligence about it, but
mrs Smith says she told You a saturday. pray let me aid You with any thing I
have that you want— 2