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
(husband)wasdead，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
