1806 June 17th, Weston, to Dear Mother

              Weston 6.th mo. 17th 1806.
Dear Mother.
I cannot express my feelings, when I first read thy letter.  To lose two such near, and beloved, relations, so near the same time, and also to see the danger, our dear cousins Henry, and Arthur, have escaped.  I feel, I scarcely know how.  I feel, very unhappy.  I hope you will not refuse, to let us come home soon.  We have but 11 days to stay before our time is up.  I promise I will not be running about the streets as thou has mentioned in thy letter.  I will stay with you, read to you, and promise I will do all I can to make you happy as I know thou and Father must undergo a great deal of anxiety on account of our dear uncle and cousins.  I wonder why you did not inform us of grandmoth-er's illness or perhaps she was taken very unexpecdedly. I am ashamed to say, I know very little about the eclipse.  All that I know is that is occasioned by the passing of the moon between the sun and the earth and that part of the sun that the moon passes over appears dark to us. Please to give my love to Dear Father and uncle and cousin John Thomas. 
 From thy affectionate and loving son 
Francis Cope.