My Lord Duke,—I once more take up pen, but in all probability for the last time, if I rightly understand you to mean you are capable of receiving my letters in silence, to which I decline subjecting myself. I consider a reply and a very different one to those lately received due to me in the sight of That God Who created such an interest in your eternal happiness and I am very much mistaken if he does not make you feel the power of this impression by exercising His Almighty power in some unforeseen manner.
The information that you have destroyed my letters is any thing but gratifying; one and all being more or less marked with Divine Truth, calculated if properly and seriously considered, to benefit your immortal Soul. Nor should I imagine myself justified in spending my time in future by penning such to have them committed to the flames. Therefore I shall decline troubling you with a repetition of this kind, until you consider them sufficiently valuable to retain instead of destroy. In the mean time I shall occupy myself with any other work my Heavenly Father may condescendingly point out; it being of very little consequence to me how I am employed so that it is under His direction and in His Service....
I remain, My Lord Duke, so long as God permits.
Your faithful Christian Friend.
A. J.
"The Duke's next letter is dated Dec. the third followed by one of the 8th which implies I wrote to the Duke on the death of the Countess of S., as he writes 'It is true that a near relation of the Duke's has died a terrible death.'
"By the Duke's letter of the 11th of December I presume I continued displeased at his having burnt my letters,—a truth elicited through wishing one of them returned, which consequently it was not in his power to do—considering as I told him that it was a sin in the sight of God to destroy Epistles intended for his everlasting good."
The Duke's reply to this is given in full:—
Strathfieldsaye, Decr 15, 1835.
The Duke of Wellington presents his Compts to Miss J. He has only this day received her Letter commenced on Saturday and finished on Monday. He is much concerned to learn that Miss J. has been indisposed; and he hopes that she will have been relieved by attending to the Advice of the Medical Gentleman for whom she had sent.