To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 29 October 1773
From Deborah Franklin8
ALS: American Philosophical Society
ocktober the 29. 1773
My Dear child
I have bin verey much distrest a boute you as I did not [have] aney letter nor one word from you nor did I hear one word from aney bodey that you wrote to so I muste submit and indever to submit to what I am to bair. I did write by Capt. Folkner to you but he is gon down and when I read it over I did not like it and so if this dont send it I shante like it as I donte send you aney news nor I donte go abrode.
I shall tell you what Consernes my selef our youngest Grand Son is the finest child as a live9 he has had the Small Pox and had it verey fine and got a brod a gen Capt. All will tell you a boute him and Benj Franklin Beache but as it is so dificall to writ I have desierd him to tell you I have sente a Squerel for your friend and wish her better luck.1 It is a verey fine one I have had verey bad luck with two thay one kild and another run a way all thow thay was bred up tame I have not a Caige as I donte know whare the man lives that makes them. My love to Salley Franklin [as] was my love to all our Cusins as thow menshond remember me to Mr. and Mrs. Weste due you ever hear aney thing of Amelly Evens as was.2
Thanke you for the Silke and hat it at the womans to make it up3 but have it put up as you donte [torn; illegible] I thonke it is verey prittey what was the prise I desier to give my love to everey bodey [that?] I shold love. Billey was in towen 5 or 6 day when the child was in the Small pox Mrs. Franklin [has?] not sene him yit I am to tell a verey pritey thing a bout Ben the players is Cum to town and thay air to ackte on munday he wanted to see a play he unkill Beache4 had given him a doler his mamah asked him wather he wold give it for a ticket or buy his Brother a necklas he sed his Brother a necklas he is a charmin child as ever was Borne my Grand children air the Beste in the world. Salley will write. I Cante write aney mor I am your afeckshone wife
D Franklin
8. Although she lived more than a year longer, this is the last surviving letter from her. She seems to have written others in the late autumn, but none in 1774; BF’s letter to her of Sept. 10, 1774—the last surviving one from him—complains of her nine-month silence.
9. William Bache, born on May 31.
1. In BF’s letter above, Feb. 14, he had described to her the tragedy of Mungo, Georgiana Shipley’s previous squirrel from Pennsylvania. Georgiana did indeed have better luck with the new one: he was still alive, at a ripe old age, almost six years later. Georgiana to BF, May 1, 1779; APS.
2. For Sally’s marriage see BF to Samuel Franklin above, July 7. DF had either not yet received, or had forgotten, the long description of Amelia Evans’ family in BF’s letter to her above, Sept. 1.
3. For the silk see BF to DF above, July 15, and Sally’s letter below, Oct. 30. Our guess is that “hat” was a slip for “had.”
4. Theophylact. Richard Bache had recently taken his son on a visit to New York: Sally to BF below, Oct. 30.