Letter from Elizabeth Dove, Leeds to Prudence Nightingale (nee Hackworth), Shildon

My very very dear Prudence

At the commencement I will tell you that I cannot write a long letter butt I must tell you what perhaps you have not heard before that we have lost another of our number by the hand of the ......[?]archer Death & that is Ellen the youngest the loveliest & the most promising. She was only just 4 years old. She was taken ill of inflamation in the bowels about 6 weeks since they got the inflamation subdued in that part but got into the head but from here also they suceeded in removing it we then thought surely thebitterness of Death is past but Gods ordered otherwise he had better things in store for our darling, the disorder again took an infavourable turn & the inflammation got upon the chest, here they got the inflamation entirely subdued, but we found that the mucus membrane & the glands of the bowels were affected here we did not give up hoping but when the water got into her body and chest our fondest hopes were withered at a touch. I suppose she at last died of rapid consumption as she was wasted to a mere shadow. She of course suffered exceedingly & though so young not one murmer[?] escaped from her lips the whole of the time.

We have now lost 7 out of the 12 our number is now reduced to 5 which 4 years since was 9 we have lost 3 in a year and 9 months but we are assured our loss is their infinite gain or else we should sorrow as those ......[?] hope. But though we know that

“ They have spread forth their gossimer wings
O’er the azure[?] of boundless repose
And drank of the nectar that sprung
Where the river of Paradise flows,”
Yet still[?] nature feels & deeply feels

We were saying to each other that we must be very careful of ourselves for Mother and Fathers sake as 5 have already gone ..[?] consumption. I have filled my letter with the subject nearest to my heart but I trust to your sympathizeing kindness to overlook this trespass. Miss Miller is here staying with Mrs Blackeet[?]. Mrs B Holmes was well when we saw her yesterday.
Do Do write soon

from[?] and my dear Prudence
yours as ever
E Dove.