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, Dec^r 15, 1835. The Duke of Wellington presents his Comp^ts 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. Nothing will be more satisfactory to the Duke than to put an end to all Dissension upon bygone subjects. He has no feeling upon any of them excepting a desire to avoid to give occasion unknowingly and unwillingly for irritation.