▁was ▁a ▁grace ful ▁and ▁graph ic ▁letter ▁writer . ▁Her ▁letters ▁to ▁her ▁relatives ▁and ▁int imate ▁friends ▁showed ▁her ▁rel ish ▁for ▁society , ▁and ▁were ▁full ▁of ▁wit ▁and ▁l ively ▁an ec d otes ▁of ▁distinguished ▁literary ▁persons . ▁She ▁maintained ▁for ▁almost ▁ 1 6 ▁years ▁( 1 8 2 6 – 1 8 4 2 ) ▁a ▁gra ver ▁correspond ence ▁with ▁the ▁Rev . ▁Dr ▁William ▁Ell ery ▁Ch anning , ▁an ▁American ▁Un itar ian ▁the olog ian ▁in ▁Boston , ▁on ▁religion , ▁philosophy , ▁politics , ▁and ▁literature . ▁ ▁A ik in ' s ▁letters ▁were ▁known ▁for ▁critic izing ▁leaders ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic , ▁and ▁for ▁critic isms ▁of ▁various ▁authors , ▁male ▁and ▁female . ▁Her ▁letters ▁also ▁showed ▁an ▁appreci ation ▁for ▁classic ▁and ▁contemporary ▁literature . ▁ ▁A ik in ▁also ▁translated ▁French ▁texts : ▁Louis ▁Franco is ▁J auff ret ' s ▁The ▁Tra vel s ▁of ▁Rol ando ▁( public ation ▁around ▁ 1 8 0 4 ), ▁and ▁Jean ▁G asp ard ▁H ess ' s ▁The ▁Life ▁of ▁Ulrich ▁Zw ing li ▁( 1 8 1 2 ), ▁on ▁a ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Re formation ▁in ▁Switzerland . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁A ik in ▁never ▁married ▁or ▁had ▁children . ▁She ▁lived ▁her ▁whole ▁life ▁with ▁family , ▁not ably ▁her ▁parents ▁and ▁her ▁nie ce , ▁although ▁she ▁did ▁briefly ▁live ▁with ▁her ▁nep hew ▁in ▁London . ▁ ▁Polit