The rearing of indigo was not this young girl’s only industry. I will quote from various letters written by her in 1741 and 1742 before her marriage, to show her many duties, her intelligence, her versatility:-- Wrote my father on the pains I had taken to bring the Indigo, Ginger, Cotton, Lucern, and Casada to perfection and had greater hopes from the Indigo, if I could have the seed earlier, than any of ye rest of ye things I had tried. I have the burthen of 3 Plantations to transact which requires much writing and more business and fatigue of other sorts than you can imagine. But lest you should imagine it too burthensome to a girl in my early time of life, give me leave to assure you I think myself happy that I can be useful to so good a father. Wont you laugh at me if I tell you I am so busy in providing for Posterity I hardly allow myself time to eat or sleep, and can but just snatch a moment to write to you and a friend or two more. I am making a large plantation of oaks which I look upon as my own property whether my father gives me the land or not, and therefore I design many yeer hence when oaks are more valuable than they are now, which you know they will be when we come to build fleets. I intend I say two thirds of the produce of my oaks for a charity (Ill tell you my scheme another time) and the other third for those that shall have the trouble to put my design in execution. I have a sister to instruct, and a parcel of little negroes whom I have undertaken to teach to read. The Cotton, Guinea Corn, and Ginger planted was cutt off by a frost. I wrote you in a former letter we had a good crop of Indigo upon the ground. I make no doubt this will prove a valuable commodity in time. Sent Gov. Thomas daughter a tea chest of my own doing. I am engaged with the Rudiments of Law to which I am but a stranger. If you will not laugh too immoderately at me I’ll trust you with a Secrett. I have made two Wills already. I know I have done no harm for I conn’d my Lesson perfect. A widow hereabouts with a pretty little fortune teazed me intolerably to draw a marriage settlement, but it was out of my depth and I absolutely refused it--so she got an able hand to do it--indeed she could afford it--but I could not get off being one of the Trustees to her settlement, and an old Gentⁿ the other. I shall begin to think myself an old woman before I am a young one, having such mighty affairs on my hands. I think this record of important work could scarce be equalled by any young girl in a comparative station of life nowadays. And when we consider the trying circumstances, the difficult conditions, in which these varied enterprises were carried on, we can well be amazed at the story.