John Deane of Nottingham: Historic Adventures by Land and SeaKingston, William Henry Giles
General
John Deane of Nottingham: Historic Adventures by Land and Sea
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Dean, John, 1679-1761
was a large building devoted to the purposes of a public school or
college. A printing-press had long been established in the city by
William Bradford, a native of Leicester, who had accompanied Mr Penn in
the "Welcome." Deane had, however, but little inclination to view the
city until he had found his way to the house of his sister and
brother-in-law. He had no great difficulty in discovering it, for Giles
Dainsforth was already well-known as a man of mark, as sagacious,
steady, and industrious men are sure to be in a new settlement.
"There is friend Dainsforth's house," said a worthy citizen to whom
Deane addressed himself; and he saw before him a fine and substantial
stone building, with a broad verandah surrounded by trees and flowering
shrubs. A gentle voice reached his ears, singing an air he knew well.
The door stood open and he entered. Passing through the house, he saw
seated on a lawn, beneath the shade of the building, three ladies, while
the same number of young children played about them. The nearest he
recognised as his sister Kate, though grown into more matronly
proportions than when he last had seen her. Near her was a fair girl.
He required not a second glance to convince him that she was Elizabeth.
He hurried forward, forgetting how he might startle them. A cry of
delight escaped Elizabeth as she advanced to meet him. In another
minute he found himself in the arms of his sister, while a sob of joy
escaped from her companion's bosom.
"He's come! he's come!" she exclaimed; "I knew he would find us out."
The third lady was Mistress Pearson. She looked careworn and aged, as
if her life had well-nigh come to an end.
Their history was soon told. When at length Captain Davis was ordered
to visit the plantations, previous to returning to England, he obtained
permission to receive them on board and to convey them home. When the
ship was cast away, they, with a few only of the crew, had been rescued.
The captain, however, although he was the last to leave the ship, had
also been saved. Deane had fortunately told Elizabeth of the marriage
of Giles Dainsforth to his sister, and of their intention of settling in
Pennsylvania. On their arrival, therefore, at Philadelphia, hearing his
name, she made herself known to him, and it was thus that she and
Mistress Pearson became inmates of his house.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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