Hestoodalittlewhilehesitating,asifdoubtfulwhetherto
takeitorno;butIpresseditonhim,andmadehimacceptit,
anditwasnotmuchlessworththanhisleatherpouchfullof
Spanishgold;no,thoughitweretobereckonedasifatLondon,
whereasitwasworthtwiceasmuchthere,whereIgaveithim。
Atlengthhetookit,kissedit,toldmethewatchshouldbea
debtuponhimthathewouldbepayingaslongasIlived。
Afewdaysafterhebroughtthewritingsofgift,andthe
scrivenerwiththem,andIsignedthemveryfreely,and
deliveredthemtohimwithahundredkisses;forsurenothing
everpassedbetweenamotherandatender,dutifulchildwith
moreaffection。
Thenextdayhebringsmeanobligation
underhishandandseal,wherebyheengagedhimselfto
manageandimprovetheplantationformyaccount,andwith
hisutmostskill,andtoremittheproducetomyorderwherever
Ishouldbe;andwithal,tobeobligedhimselftomakeupthe
produce#100ayeartome。
Whenhehaddoneso,hetoldme
thatasIcametodemanditbeforethecropwasoff,Ihada
righttoproduceofthecurrentyear,andsohepaidme#100
inSpanishpiecesofeight,anddesiredmetogivehimareceipt
foritasinfullforthatyear,endingatChristmasfollowing;
thisbeingaboutthelatterendofAugust。
Istayedhereaboutfiveweeks,andindeedhadmuchadoto
getawaythen。
Nay,hewouldhavecomeoverthebaywith
me,butIwouldbynomeansallowhimtoit。
However,he
wouldsendmeoverinasloopofhisown,whichwasbuilt
likeayacht,andservedhimaswellforpleasureasbusiness。
ThisIacceptedof,andso,aftertheutmostexpressionsboth
ofdutyandaffection,heletmecomeaway,andIarrivedsafe
intwodaysatmyfriend’stheQuaker’s。
Ibroughtoverwithmefortheuseofourplantation,three
horses,withharnessandsaddles,somehogs,twocows,and
athousandotherthings,thegiftofthekindestandtenderest
childthateverwomanhad。
Irelatedtomyhusbandallthe
particularsofthisvoyage,exceptthatIcalledmysonmy
cousin;andfirstItoldhimthatIhadlostmywatch,which
heseemedtotakeasamisfortune;butthenItoldhimhow
kindmycousinhadbeen,thatmymotherhadleftmesucha
plantation,andthathehadpreserveditforme,inhopessome
timeorotherheshouldhearfromme;thenItoldhimthatI
hadleftittohismanagement,thathewouldrendermea
faithfulaccountofitsproduce;andthenIpulledhimouttheinsilver,asthefirstyear’sproduce;andthenpulling
outthedeerskinpursewiththepistoles,’Andhere,mydear,’
saysI,’isthegoldwatch。’
Myhusband——soisHeaven’s
goodnesssuretoworkthesameeffectsinallsensibleminds
wheremerciestouchtheheart——liftedupbothhands,andwith
anecstacyofjoy,’WhatisGoda-doing,’sayshe,’forsuchan
ungratefuldogasIam!’
ThenIlethimknowwhatIhad
broughtoverinthesloop,besidesallthis;Imeanthehorses,
hogs,andcows,andotherstoresforourplantation;allwhich
addedtohissurprise,andfilledhisheartwiththankfulness;
andfromthistimeforwardIbelievehewasassincereapenitent,
andasthoroughlyareformedman,aseverGod’sgoodness
broughtbackfromaprofligate,ahighwayman,andarobber。
Icouldfillalargerhistorythanthiswiththeevidenceofthis
truth,andbutthatIdoubtthatpartofthestorywillnotbe
equallydivertingasthewickedpart,Ihavehadthoughtsof
makingavolumeofitbyitself。
Asformyself,asthisistobemyownstory,notmyhusband’s,
Ireturntothatpartwhichrelatedtomyself。
Wewentonwith
ourplantation,andmanageditwiththehelpanddiversionof
suchfriendsaswegottherebyourobligingbehaviour,and
especiallythehonestQuaker,whoprovedafaithful,generous,
andsteadyfriendtous;andwehadverygoodsuccess,for
havingaflourishingstocktobeginwith,asIhavesaid,and
thisbeingnowincreasedbytheadditionof#150sterlingin
money,weenlargedournumberofservants,builtusavery
goodhouse,andcuredeveryyearagreatdealofland。
The
secondyearIwrotetomyoldgoverness,givingherpartwith
usofthejoyofoursuccess,andorderherhowtolayoutthe
moneyIhadleftwithher,whichwas#250asabove,andto
sendittousingoods,whichsheperformedwithherusual
kindnessandfidelity,andthisarrivedsafetous。
Herewehadasupplyofallsortsofclothes,aswellformy
husbandasformyself;andItookespecialcaretobuyfor
himallthosethingsthatIknewhedelightedtohave;astwo
goodlongwigs,twosilver-hiltedswords,threeorfourfine
fowling-pieces,afindsaddlewithholstersandpistolsvery
handsome,withascarletcloak;and,inaword,everythingI
couldthinkoftoobligehim,andtomakehimappear,ashe
reallywas,averyfinegentleman。
Iorderedagoodquantity
ofsuchhouseholdstuffasweyetwanted,withlinenofall
sortsforusboth。
Asformyself,Iwantedverylittleofclothes
orlinen,beingverywellfurnishedbefore。
Therestofmy
cargoconsistediniron-workofallsorts,harnessforhorses,
tools,clothesforservants,andwoollencloth,stuffs,serges,
stockings,shoes,hats,andthelike,suchasservantswear;
andwholepiecesalsotomakeupforservants,allbydirection
oftheQuaker;andallthiscargoarrivedsafe,andingood
condition,withthreewoman-servants,lustywenches,which
myoldgovernesshadpickedforme,suitableenoughtothe
place,andtotheworkwehadforthemtodo;oneofwhich
happenedtocomedouble,havingbeengotwithchildbyone
oftheseamenintheship,assheownedafterwards,before
theshipgotsofarasGravesend;soshebroughtusastout
boy,aboutsevenmonthsafterherlanding。
Myhusband,youmaysuppose,wasalittlesurprisedatthe
arrivingofallthiscargofromEngland;andtalkingwithme
afterhesawtheaccountofthisparticular,’Mydear,’sayshe,
’whatisthemeaningofallthis?
Ifearyouwillrunustoo
deepindebt:
whenshallwebeabletomakereturnforitall?’
Ismiled,andtoldhimthatiswasallpaidfor;andthenItold
him,thatwhatourcircumstancesmightexposeusto,Ihad
nottakenmywholestockwithme,thatIhadreservedso
muchinmyfriend’shands,whichnowwewerecomeover
safe,andwassettledinawaytolive,Ihadsentfor,ashe
mightsee。
Hewasamazed,andstoodawhiletellinguponhisfingers,
butsaidnothing。
Atlasthebeganthus:
’Hold,let’ssee,’says
he,tellinguponhisfingersstill,andfirstonhisthumb;’there’s
inmoneyatfirst,thentwogoldwatches,diamondrings,
andplate,’sayshe,upontheforefinger。
Thenuponthenext
finger,’Here’saplantationonYorkRiver,#100ayear,then
inmoney,thenaslooploadofhorses,cows,hogs,and
stores’;andsoontothethumbagain。
’Andnow,’sayshe,’a
cargocost#250inEngland,andworthheretwicethemoney。’
’Well,’saysI,’whatdoyoumakeofallthat?’
’Makeofit?’
sayshe;’why,whosaysIwasdeceivedwhenImarriedawife
inLancashire?
IthinkIhavemarriedafortune,andavery
goodfortunetoo,’sayshe。
Inaword,wewerenowinveryconsiderablecircumstances,
andeveryyearincreasing;forournewplantationgrewupon
ourhandsinsensibly,andineightyearswhichwelivedupon
it,webroughtittosuchpitch,thattheproducewasatleast
sterlingayear;Imean,worthsomuchinEngland。
AfterIhadbeenayearathomeagain,Iwentoverthebayto
seemyson,andtoreceiveanotheryear’sincomeofmy
plantation;andIwassurprisedtohear,justatmylandingthere,
thatmyoldhusbandwasdead,andhadnotbeenburiedabove
afortnight。
This,Iconfess,wasnotdisagreeablenews,
becausenowIcouldappearasIwas,inamarriedcondition;
soItoldmysonbeforeIcamefromhim,thatIbelievedI
shouldmarryagentlemanwhohadaplantationnearmine;
andthoughIwaslegallyfreetomarry,astoanyobligation
thatwasonmebefore,yetthatIwasshyofit,lesttheblot
shouldsometimeorotherberevived,anditmightmakea
husbanduneasy。
Myson,thesamekind,dutiful,andobliging
creatureasever,treatedmenowathisownhouse,paidme
myhundredpounds,andsentmehomeagainloadedwithpresents。
Sometimeafterthis,IletmysonknowIwasmarried,and
invitedhimovertoseeus,andmyhusbandwroteavery
obliginglettertohimalso,invitinghimtocomeandseehim;
andhecameaccordinglysomemonthsafter,andhappenedto
betherejustwhenmycargofromEnglandcamein,whichI
lethimbelievebelongedalltomyhusband’sestate,nottome。
Itmustbeobservedthatwhentheoldwretchmybrother
husbandwasdead,Ithenfreelygavemyhusbandanaccount
ofallthataffair,andofthiscousin,asIhadcalledhimbefore,
beingmyownsonbythatmistakenunhappymatch。
Hewas
perfectlyeasyintheaccount,andtoldmeheshouldhave
beenaseasyiftheoldman,aswecalledhim,hadbeenalive。
’For,’saidhe,’itwasnofaultofyours,norofhis;itwasa
mistakeimpossibletobeprevented。’
Heonlyreproachedhim
withdesiringmetoconcealit,andtolivewithhimasawife,
afterIknewthathewasmybrother;that,hesaid,wasavile
Thusallthesedifficultiesweremadeeasy,andwelived
togetherwiththegreatestkindnessandcomfortimaginable。
Wearegrownold;IamcomebacktoEngland,beingalmost
seventyyearsofage,husbandsixty-eight,havingperformed
muchmorethanthelimitedtermsofmytransportation;and
now,notwithstandingallthefatiguesandallthemiserieswe
havebothgonethrough,wehavebothgonethrough,weare
bothofusingoodheartandhealth。
Myhusbandremained
theresometimeaftermetosettleouraffairs,andatfirstIhad
intendedtogobacktohim,butathisdesireIalteredthat
resolution,andheiscomeovertoEnglandalso,wherewe
resolvetospendtheremainderofouryearsinsincerepenitence
forthewickedliveswehavelived。
ThebellatSt。Sepulchre’s,whichtollsuponexecutionday。
End