United States -- Social life and customs -- To 1775; Women -- United States
Thursday about 3 in the afternoon I set forward with neighbour Polly
& Jemima a girl about 18 years old, who her father said he had been
to fetch out of the Narragansetts and said they had rode thirty miles
that day on a sorry lean Jade with only a Bagg under her for a pillion
which the poor Girl often complain’d was very uneasy. Wee made Good
speed along wch made poor Jemima make many a sowr face the mare being
a very hard trotter, and after many a hearty & bitter Oh she at length
low’d out: Lawful Heart father! this bare mare hurts mee Dingeely. I’m
direfull sore I vow, with many words to that purpose. Poor Child--sais
Gaffer--she us’t to serve your mother so. I dont care how mother ust
to do, quoth Jemima in a passionate tone. At which the old man Laught
and kikt his Jade o’ the side, which made her Jolt ten times harder.
About seven that evening we came to New London Ferry here by reason of
a very high wind, we mett with great difficulty in getting over. The
boat tost exceedingly and our Horses cappered at a very Surprising
rate and set us all in a fright especially poor Jemima who desired
father to say So Jack! to the Jade to make her stand. But the careless
parent, taking no notice of her repeated desires, She Rored out in a
Pasionate manner Pray Suth father Are you deaf? Say So Jack to the
Jade I tell you. The Dutiful Parent obeyed saying So Jack So Jack as
gravely as if he had bin saying Chatchise after young Miss who with
her fright look’t all the Colours of ye Rainbow.
It is very evident from entries in her Journal that Madam Knight
thought much of gratifying her appetite, for the food she obtained at
her different resting-places is often described. She says:--
Landlady told us shee had some mutton which shee would broil. In a
little time she bro’t it in but it being pickled and my Guide said it
smelt strong of head-sause we left it and paid six pence apiece for
our dinners which was only smell.
Again, she thus describes a meal:--
Having call’d for something to eat the woman bro’t in a Twisted thing
like a cable, but something whiter, laying it on the bord, tugg’d for
life to bring it into a capacity to spread; which having with great
pains accomplished shee served a dish of Pork and Cabage I supose the
remains of Dinner. The sause was of a deep purple which I tho’t was
boiled in her dye Kettle; the bread was Indian and everything on the
Table service agreeable to these. I being hungry gott a little down,
but my stomach was soon cloy’d and what cabage I swallowed served me
for a Cudd the whole day after.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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