part8-第14章

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proposed　to　us；　found　us　out　a　convenient　storehouse　for　our　

goods；　and　lodging　for　ourselves　and　our　servants；　and　about　

two　months　or　thereabouts　afterwards；　by　his　direction；　we　

took　up　a　large　piece　of　land　from　the　governor　of　that　country；　

in　order　to　form　our　plantation；　and　so　we　laid　the　thoughts　

of　going　to　Caroline　wholly　aside；　having　been　very　well　

received　here；　and　accommodated　with　a　convenient　lodging　

till　we　could　prepare　things；　and　have　land　enough　cleared；　

and　timber　and　materials　provided　for　building　us　a　house；　all　

which　we　managed　by　the　direction　of　the　Quaker；　so　that　in　

one　year's　time　we　had　nearly　fifty　acres　of　land　cleared；　part　

of　it　enclosed；　and　some　of　it　planted　with　tabacco；　though　

not　much；　besides；　we　had　garden　ground　and　corn　sufficient　

to　help　supply　our　servants　with　roots　and　herbs　and　bread。



And　now　I　persuaded　my　husband　to　let　me　go　over　the　bay　

again；　and　inquire　after　my　friends。　　He　was　the　willinger　to　

consent　to　it　now；　because　he　had　business　upon　his　hands　

sufficient　to　employ　him；　besides　his　gun　to　divert　him；　which　

they　call　hunting　there；　and　which　he　greatly　delighted　in；　and　

indeed　we　used　to　look　at　one　another；　sometimes　with　a　great　

deal　of　pleasure；　reflecting　how　much　better　that　was；　not　than　

Newgate　only；　but　than　the　most　prosperous　of　our　circumstances　

in　the　wicked　trade　that　we　had　been　both　carrying　on。



Our　affair　was　in　a　very　good　posture；　we　purchased　of　the　

proprietors　of　the　colony　as　much　land　for　#35；　paid　in　ready　

money；　as　would　make　a　sufficient　plantation　to　employ　

between　fifty　and　sixty　servants；　and　which；　being　well　

improved；　would　be　sufficient　to　us　as　long　as　we　could　either　

of　us　live；　and　as　for　children；　I　was　past　the　prospect　of　

anything　of　that　kind。



But　out　good　fortune　did　not　end　here。　　I　went；　as　I　have　said；　

over　the　bay；　to　the　place　where　my　brother；　once　a　husband；　

lived；　but　I　did　not　go　to　the　same　village　where　I　was　before；　

but　went　up　another　great　river；　on　the　east　side　of　the　river　

Potomac；　called　Rappahannock　River；　and　by　this　means　

came　on　the　back　of　his　plantation；　which　was　large；　and　by　

the　help　of　a　navigable　creek；　or　little　river；　that　ran　into　the　

Rappahannock；　I　came　very　near　it。



I　was　now　fully　resolved　to　go　up　point…blank　to　my　brother　

（husband）；　and　to　tell　him　who　I　was；　but　not　knowing　what　

temper　I　might　find　him　in；　or　how　much　out　of　temper　rather；　

I　might　make　him　by　such　a　rash　visit；　I　resolved　to　write　a　

letter　to　him　first；　to　let　him　know　who　I　was；　and　that　I　was　

come　not　to　give　him　any　trouble　upon　the　old　relation；　which　

I　hoped　was　entirely　forgot；　but　that　I　applied　to　him　as　a　sister　

to　a　brother；　desiring　his　assistance　in　the　case　of　that　provision　

which　our　mother；　at　her　decease；　had　left　for　my　support；　and　

which　I　did　not　doubt　but　he　would　do　me　justice　in；　especially　

considering　that　I　was　come　thus　far　to　look　after　it。



I　said　some　very　tender；　kind　things　in　the　letter　about　his　

son；　which　I　told　him　he　knew　to　be　my　own　child；　and　that　

as　I　was　guilty　of　nothing　in　marrying　him；　any　more　than　he　

was　in　marrying　me；　neither　of　us　having　then　known　our　

being　at　all　related　to　one　another；　so　I　hoped　he　would　allow　

me　the　most　passionate　desire　of　once　seeing　my　one　and　only　

child；　and　of　showing　something　of　the　infirmities　of　a　mother　

in　preserving　a　violent　affect　for　him；　who　had　never　been　

able　to　retain　any　thought　of　me　one　way　or　other。



I　did　believe　that；　having　received　this　letter；　he　would　

immediately　give　it　to　his　son　to　read；　I　having　understood　

his　eyesbeing　so　dim；　that　he　could　not　see　to　read　it；　but　it　

fell　out　better　than　so；　for　as　his　sight　was　dim；　so　he　had　

allowed　his　son　to　open　all　letters　that　came　to　his　hand　for　

him；　and　the　old　gentleman　being　from　home；　or　out　of　the　

way　when　my　messenger　came；　my　letter　came　directly　to　my　

son's　hand；　and　he　opened　and　read　it。



He　called　the　messenger　in；　after　some　little　stay；　and　asked　

him　where　the　person　was　who　gave　him　the　letter。　　The　

messengertold　him　the　place；　which　was　about　seven　miles　

off；　so　he　bid　him　stay；　and　ordering　a　horse　to　be　got　ready；　

and　two　servants；　away　he　came　to　me　with　the　messenger。　　

Let　any　one　judge　the　consternation　I　was　in　when　my　

messenger　came　back；　and　told　me　the　old　gentleman　was　not　

at　home；　but　his　son　was　come　along　with　him；　and　was　just　

coming　up　to　me。　　I　was　perfectly　confounded；　for　I　knew　not　

whether　it　was　peace　or　war；　nor　could　I　tell　how　to　behave；　

however；　I　had　but　a　very　few　moments　to　think；　for　my　son　

was　at　the　heels　of　the　messenger；　and　coming　up　into　my　

lodgings；　asked　the　fellow　at　the　door　something。　　I　suppose　

it　was；　for　I　did　not　hear　it　so　as　to　understand　it；　which　was　

the　gentlewoman　that　sent　him；　for　the　messenger　said；　'There　

she　is；　sir'；　at　which　he　comes　directly　up　to　me；　kisses　me；　

took　me　in　his　arms；　and　embraced　me　with　so　much　passion　

that　he　could　not　speak；　but　I　could　feel　his　breast　heave　and　

throb　like　a　child；　that　cries；　but　sobs；　and　cannot　cry　it　out。



I　can　neither　express　nor　describe　the　joy　that　touched　my　very　

soul　when　I　found；　for　it　was　easy　to　discover　that　part；　that　

he　came　not　as　a　stranger；　but　as　a　son　to　a　mother；　and　indeed　

as　a　son　who　had　never　before　known　what　a　mother　of　his　

own　was；　in　short；　we　cried　over　one　another　a　considerable　

while；　when　at　last　he　broke　out　first。　　'My　dear　mother；'　says　

he；　'are　you　still　alive？　　I　never　expected　to　have　seen　your　

face。'　　As　for　me；　I　could　say　nothing　a　great　while。　



After　we　had　both　recovered　ourselves　a　little；　and　were　able　

to　talk；　he　told　me　how　things　stood。　As　to　what　I　had　written　

to　his　father；　he　told　me　he　had　not　showed　my　letter　to　his　

father；　or　told　him　anything　about　it；　that　what　his　grandmother　

left　me　was　in　his　hands；　and　that　he　would　do　me　justice　to　

my　full　satisfaction；　that　as　to　his　father；　he　was　old　and　infirm　

both　in　body　and　mind；　that　he　was　very　fretful　and　passionate；　

almost　blind；　and　capable　of　nothing；　and　he　questioned　

whether　he　would　know　how　to　act　in　an　affair　which　was　of　

so　nice　a　nature　as　this；　and　that　therefore　he　had　come　himself；　

as　well　to　satisfy　himself　in　seeing　me；　which　he　could　not　

restrain　himself　from；　as　also　to　put　it　into　my　power　to　make　

a　judgment；　after　I　had　seen　how　things　were；　whether　I　would　

discover　myself　to　his　father　or　no。



This　was　really　so　prudently　and　wisely　managed；　that　I　found　

my　son　was　a　man　of　sense；　and　needed　no　direction　from　me。　　

I　told　him　I　did　not　wonder　that　his　father　was　as　he　had　

described　him；　for　that　his　head　was　a　little　touched　before　I　

went　away；　and　principally　his　disturbance　was　because　I　

could　not　be　persuaded　to　conceal　our　relation　and　to　live　with　

him　as　myhusband；　after　I　knew　that　he　was　my　brother；　that　

as　he　knew　better　than　I　what　his　father's　present　condition　

was；　I　should　readily　join　with　him　in　such　measure　as　he　

would　direct；　that　I　was　indifferent　as　to　seeing　his　father；　

since　I　had　seen　him　first；　and　he　could　not　have　told　me　better　

news　than　to　tell　me　that　what　his　grandmother　had　left　me　

was　entrusted　in　his　hands；　who；　I　doubted　not；　now　he　knew　

who　I　was；　would；　as　he　said；　do　me　justice。　　I　inquired　then　

how　long　my　mother　had　been　dead；　and　where　she　died；　and　

told　so　many　particulars　of　the　family；　that　I　left　him　no　room　

to　doubt　the　truth　of　my　being　really　and　truly　his　mother。



My　son　then　inquired　where　I　was；　and　how　I　had　disposed　

myself。　　I　told　him　I　was　on　the　Maryland　side　of　the　bay；　at　

the　plantation　of　a　particular　friend　who　came　from　England　

in　the　same　ship　with　me；　that　as　for　that　side　of　the　bay　where　

he　was；　I　had　no　habitation。　　He　told　me　I　should　go　home　

with　him；　a