Rosine Amé-Draz to Frederick Douglass, April 3, 1863

15. Grove Terrace. Leeds. April 3rd / 63 -

My dear Friend /

Fourteen years this day, my sister & I were on the "broad Atlantic" on our way to America, & sixteen years tomorrow you first left our shores! How time flies! & yet both those events, after all, do seem "long ago"—I am sending £5. to the Rochester Society, so shall enclose this note to you, more hastily written than I could wish, yet it will assure you that you are not forgotten & also will tell you why I have neither written to you, nor for the paper lately. I have been ill; & confined both to my room & to bed—with "acute rheumatism of the muscles" & threatened with rheumatic

fever—mercifully, the latter painful dispensation has been, thus far, warded off, but a succession of hot baths, has left me worn & weak: and still the rheumatic pains, (greatly affecting my right hand) continue & render me low & good for nothing. I am hoping to go away for change of air to my dear friends, the Burberies, next week for a fortnight; into warmer quarters.

We did not, my dear Frederick, get your March paper until last Saturday—(20^th) I had become very uneasy, fearing something unusual was the matter—& when it came lo', the call "to Arms," met me—By every thing dear to you, my friend, do not take any commission that leads you, personally, into the fighting ranks. Write as you please, but never go south—or killed you most assuredly will be. You are, in many respects, a marked man. Your letter of 24^th Feby breathes such a notion as possible when the legislature of N. Y. grants "equal rights"—After all, the pen is ever greater than the sword—the head is greater than the hand. Your work is with your pen & tongue—& with both you are ever doing great service to the cause of right. I rec^d a "Tribune" with your great speech at the Cooper Ins: May God who has, thus far, wonderfully preserved you amidst dangers of many kind, still guard & guide you—Look to Him for guidance always

I have hopes of a few donations for you, coming in during April so I shall keep your Aberdeen donation &c to send with the Liverpool one, by & bye—it being but small. £2 of it are for Rosetta. The proceeds of the Bazaar effort, (so to speak,) will be but small, I fear, & will be devoted, chiefly, to the contraband at Alex., I expect. What kind of teacher is Miss Wilbur? is the frequent question put to me.

Doctor C. is laid up with cold—quite ill—he sends his love, & the children add theirs. I told you of Lizzie's accident? She is still an invalid.

God bless you—very kind love to all on the hill & enquiring for ever your faithful f^d J. G. Crofts.

Mr. G. Smith sent me y^r letter about Fogg. I was surprised, I must say that you shd have "usury." I thought he gave a bonus, annually—