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We catch only occasional glimpses of Sally Wister's ]ater life. In the spring of 1781 she comes before us in the diary of her friend, Anna Rawle,[15] of Philadelphia, who writes:
"April 18th, 1781, 4th-day. -- Sally Wister and Betsy Wister drank tea with us."
May 16th, 1781, 4th-day. -- Sally Wister came this evening to speak to Caty Neal. She sat an hour here -- she was talking of the ball on board the french frigate -- of the ladies they say Nancy Bingham[16] made the most elegant figure, drest in a suit of black velvet -- However, as there must be censurers it was thought a great impropriety for her to go into so much company when her mother has been dead but three months -- and for Mrs. P. -- too, as she has within this four weeks had letters to inform her of Charles Willings death in Barbadoes -- "
Another entry from the same diary shows that although Sally was a patriot in her sympathies yet she was enough interested in relieving distress to assist in clothing the British prisoners:
"4th-day, Jan. 23, 1782. -- B. S.[17] here after dinner -- A person who had charitably supplied the British prisoners with linnen sent some of it here and to Aunt Fishers to make into sheets; it was the toughest linnen I ever worked at -- it made all our fingers bleed. -- But I Ought not to conceal other people's charities it was Sally Wistar who gave it -- "
In 1789, after the death of his father, Daniel Wister made the Germantown house his permanent residence, and here Sally lived the remainder of her life. As she grew to womanhood she became sedate and dignified, but letters in the form of verse written to her brothers show that she still retained much of her former brightness and humor.
She was fond of writing poetry, and some of her productions, written over the nom-de-plume of "Laura" appeared in the Philadelphia Portfolio.
In her later life she went very little into society and her mind was much occupied with religious matters. She was much devoted to her mother, and the death of the latter was such a severe blow to her that she survived only two months, dying April 21, 1804.[18]
The celebrated Dr. Rush, the family physician, thus wrote of her death in the Philadelphia Gazette, of April 25, 1804:
"Died on Wednesday last, Miss Sarah Wister. The distress occasioned by the death of this highly accomplished and valuable lady is greatly heightened by recently succeeding that of her excellent mother.
"Few families have ever furnished two such shining examples of prudence, virtue, piety, and eminent acquirements; and as few persons have ever produced by their deaths more heartfelt grief to a numerous circle of relations and friends."
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