Isuppose
itwas，forIdidnothearitsoastounderstandit，whichwas
thegentlewomanthatsenthim；forthemessengersaid，’There
sheis，sir’；atwhichhecomesdirectlyuptome，kissesme，
tookmeinhisarms，andembracedmewithsomuchpassion
thathecouldnotspeak，butIcouldfeelhisbreastheaveand
throblikeachild，thatcries，butsobs，andcannotcryitout。
Icanneitherexpressnordescribethejoythattouchedmyvery
soulwhenIfound，foritwaseasytodiscoverthatpart，that
hecamenotasastranger，butasasontoamother，andindeed
asasonwhohadneverbeforeknownwhatamotherofhis
ownwas；inshort，wecriedoveroneanotheraconsiderable
while，whenatlasthebrokeoutfirst。
’Mydearmother，’says
he，’areyoustillalive？
Ineverexpectedtohaveseenyour
face。’
Asforme，Icouldsaynothingagreatwhile。
Afterwehadbothrecoveredourselvesalittle，andwereable
totalk，hetoldmehowthingsstood。AstowhatIhadwritten
tohisfather，hetoldmehehadnotshowedmylettertohis
father，ortoldhimanythingaboutit；thatwhathisgrandmother
leftmewasinhishands，andthathewoulddomejusticeto
myfullsatisfaction；thatastohisfather，hewasoldandinfirm
bothinbodyandmind；thathewasveryfretfulandpassionate，
almostblind，andcapableofnothing；andhequestioned
whetherhewouldknowhowtoactinanaffairwhichwasof
soniceanatureasthis；andthatthereforehehadcomehimself，
aswelltosatisfyhimselfinseeingme，whichhecouldnot
restrainhimselffrom，asalsotoputitintomypowertomake
ajudgment，afterIhadseenhowthingswere，whetherIwould
discovermyselftohisfatherorno。
Thiswasreallysoprudentlyandwiselymanaged，thatIfound
mysonwasamanofsense，andneedednodirectionfromme。
ItoldhimIdidnotwonderthathisfatherwasashehad
describedhim，forthathisheadwasalittletouchedbeforeI
wentaway；andprincipallyhisdisturbancewasbecauseI
couldnotbepersuadedtoconcealourrelationandtolivewith
himasmyhusband，afterIknewthathewasmybrother；that
asheknewbetterthanIwhathisfather’spresentcondition
was，Ishouldreadilyjoinwithhiminsuchmeasureashe
woulddirect；thatIwasindifferentastoseeinghisfather，
sinceIhadseenhimfirst，andhecouldnothavetoldmebetter
newsthantotellmethatwhathisgrandmotherhadleftme
wasentrustedinhishands，who，Idoubtednot，nowheknew
whoIwas，would，ashesaid，domejustice。
Iinquiredthen
howlongmymotherhadbeendead，andwhereshedied，and
toldsomanyparticularsofthefamily，thatIlefthimnoroom
todoubtthetruthofmybeingreallyandtrulyhismother。
MysontheninquiredwhereIwas，andhowIhaddisposed
myself。
ItoldhimIwasontheMarylandsideofthebay，at
theplantationofaparticularfriendwhocamefromEngland
inthesameshipwithme；thatasforthatsideofthebaywhere
hewas，Ihadnohabitation。
HetoldmeIshouldgohome
withhim，andlivewithhim，ifIpleased，aslongasIlived；
thatastohisfather，heknewnobody，andwouldneverso
muchasguessatme。
Iconsideredofthatalittle，andtold
him，thatthoughitwasreallynoconcerntometoliveata
distancefromhim，yetIcouldnotsayitwouldbethemost
comfortablethingintheworldtometoliveinthehousewith
him，andtohavethatunhappyobjectalwaysbeforeme，which
hadbeensuchablowtomypeacebefore；thatthoughIshould
begladtohavehiscompany(myson)，ortobeasnearhimas
possiblewhileIstayed，yetIcouldnotthinkofbeinginthe
housewhereIshouldbealsounderconstantrestraintforfear
ofbetrayingmyselfinmydiscourse，norshouldIbeableto
refrainsomeexpressionsinmyconversingwithhimasmy
son，thatmightdiscoverthewholeaffair，whichwouldbyno
meansbeconvenient。
HeacknowledgedthatIwasrightinallthis。
’Butthen，dear
mother，’sayshe，’youshallbeasnearmeasyoucan。’
Sohe
tookmewithhimonhorsebacktoaplantationnexttohisown，
andwhereIwasaswellentertainedasIcouldhavebeeninhis
own。
Havingleftmetherehewentawayhome，tellingmewe
wouldtalkofthemainbusinessthenextday；andhavingfirst
calledmehisaunt，andgivenachargetothepeople，whoit
seemswerehistenants，totreatmewithallpossiblerespect。
Abouttwohoursafterhewasgone，hesentmeamaid-servant
andaNegroboytowaitonme，andprovisionsreadydressed
formysupper；andthusIwasasifIhadbeeninanewworld，
andbegansecretlynowtowishthatIhadnotbroughtmy
LancashirehusbandfromEnglandatall。
However，thatwishwasnotheartyneither，forIlivedmy
Lancashirehusbandentirely，asindeedIhadeverdonefrom
thebeginning；andhemeritedfrommeasmuchasitwas
possibleforamantodo；butthatbytheway。
Thenextmorningmysoncametovisitmeagainalmostas
soonasIwasup。
Afteralittlediscourse，hefirstofallpulled
outadeerskinbag，andgaveitme，withfive-and-fiftySpanish
pistolesinit，andtoldmethatwastosupplymyexpensesfrom
England，forthoughitwasnothisbusinesstoinquire，yethe
oughttothinkIdidnotbringagreatdealofmoneyoutwith
me，itnotbeingusualtobringmuchmoneyintothatcountry。
Thenhepulledouthisgrandmother’swill，andreaditoverto
me，wherebyitappearedthatshehadleftasmallplantation，
ashecalledit，onYorkRiver，thatis，wheremymotherlived，
tome，withthestockofservantsandcattleuponit，andgiven
itintrusttothissonofmineformyuse，wheneverheshould
hearofmybeingalive，andtomyheirs，ifIhadanychildren，
andindefaultofheirs，towhomsoeverIshouldbywilldispose
ofit；butgavetheincomeofit，tillIshouldbeheardof，or
found，tomysaidson；andifIshouldnotbeliving，thenitwas
tohim，andhisheirs。
Thisplantation，thoughremotefromhim，hesaidhedidnot
letout，butmanageditbyahead-clerk(steward)，ashedid
anotherthatwashisfather’s，thatlayhardbyit，andwentover
himselfthreeorfourtimesayeartolookafterit。
Iaskedhim
whathethoughttheplantationmightbeworth。
Hesaid，ifI
wouldletitout，hewouldgivemeabout60ayearforit；but
ifIwouldliveonit，thenitwouldbeworthmuchmore，and，
hebelieved，wouldbringmeinabout#150ayear。
Butseeing
Iwaslikelyeithertosettleontheothersideofthebay，or
mightperhapshaveamindtogobacktoEnglandagain，ifI
wouldlethimbemystewardhewouldmanageitforme，as
hehaddoneforhimself，andthathebelievedheshouldbe
abletosendmeasmuchtobaccotoEnglandfromitaswould
yieldmeabout#100ayear，sometimesmore。
Thiswasallstrangenewstome，andthingsIhadnotbeen
usedto；andreallymyheartbegantolookupmoreseriously
thanIthinkiteverdidbefore，andtolookwithgreatthankfulness
tothehandofProvidence，whichhaddonesuchwondersfor
me，whohadbeenmyselfthegreatestwonderofwickedness
perhapsthathadbeensufferedtoliveintheworld。
AndImust
againobserve，thatnotonthisoccasiononly，butevenonall
otheroccasionsofthankfulness，mypastwickedandabominable
lifeneverlookedsomonstroustome，andIneversocompletely
abhorredit，andreproachedmyselfwithit，aswhenIhada
senseuponmeofProvidencedoinggoodtome，whileIhad
beenmakingthosevilereturnsonmypart。
ButIleavethereadertoimprovethesethoughts，asnodoubt
theywillseecause，andIgoontothefact。
Myson’stender
carriageandkindoffersfetchedtearsfromme，almostallthe
whilehetalkedwithme。
Indeed，Icouldscarcediscourse
withhimbutintheintervalsofmypassion；however，atlength
Ibegan，andexpressingmyselfwithwonderatmybeingso
happytohavethetrustofwhatIhadleft，putintothehands
ofmyownchild，Itoldhim，thatastotheinheritanceofit，I
hadnochildbuthimintheworld，andwasnowpasthaving
anyifIshouldmarry，andthereforewoulddesirehimtoget
awritingdrawn，whichIwasreadytoexecute，bywhichI
would，afterme，giveitwhollytohimandtohisheirs。
And
inthemeantime，smiling，Iaskedhimwhatmadehimcontinue
abachelorsolong。
Hisanswerwaskindandready，that
Virginiadidnotyieldanygreatplentyofwives，andthatsince
ItalkedofgoingbacktoEngland，Ishouldsendhimawife
fromLondon。
Thiswasthesubstanceofourfirstday’sconversation，the
pleasantestdaythateverpassedovermyheadinmylife，and
whichgavemethetruestsatisfaction。
Hecameeveryday
afterthis，andspentgreatpartofhistimewithme，andcarried
meabouttoseveralofhisfriends’houses，whereIwas
entertainedwithgreatrespect。
AlsoIdinesseveraltimesat
hisownhouse，whenhetookcarealwaystoseehishalf-dead
fathersooutofthewaythatIneversawhim，orheme。
I
madehimonepresent，anditwasallIhadofvalue，andthat
wasoneofthegoldwatches，ofwhichImentionedabove，
thatIhadtwoinmychest，andthisIhappenedtohavewith
me，andIgaveithimathisthirdvisit。
ItoldhimIhadnothing
ofanyvaluetobestowbutthat，andIdesiredhewouldnow
andthenkissitformysake。
IdidnotindeedtellhimthatI
hadstoleitfromagentlewoman’sside，atameeting-housein
London。
That’sbytheway。
