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way　when　my　messenger　came；　my　letter　came　directly　to　my　

son's　hand；　and　he　opened　and　read　it。



He　called　the　messenger　in；　after　some　little　stay；　and　asked　

him　where　the　person　was　who　gave　him　the　letter。　　The　

messengertold　him　the　place；　which　was　about　seven　miles　

off；　so　he　bid　him　stay；　and　ordering　a　horse　to　be　got　ready；　

and　two　servants；　away　he　came　to　me　with　the　messenger。　　

Let　any　one　judge　the　consternation　I　was　in　when　my　

messenger　came　back；　and　told　me　the　old　gentleman　was　not　

at　home；　but　his　son　was　come　along　with　him；　and　was　just　

coming　up　to　me。　　I　was　perfectly　confounded；　for　I　knew　not　

whether　it　was　peace　or　war；　nor　could　I　tell　how　to　behave；　

however；　I　had　but　a　very　few　moments　to　think；　for　my　son　

was　at　the　heels　of　the　messenger；　and　coming　up　into　my　

lodgings；　asked　the　fellow　at　the　door　something。　　I　suppose　

it　was；　for　I　did　not　hear　it　so　as　to　understand　it；　which　was　

the　gentlewoman　that　sent　him；　for　the　messenger　said；　'There　

she　is；　sir'；　at　which　he　comes　directly　up　to　me；　kisses　me；　

took　me　in　his　arms；　and　embraced　me　with　so　much　passion　

that　he　could　not　speak；　but　I　could　feel　his　breast　heave　and　

throb　like　a　child；　that　cries；　but　sobs；　and　cannot　cry　it　out。



I　can　neither　express　nor　describe　the　joy　that　touched　my　very　

soul　when　I　found；　for　it　was　easy　to　discover　that　part；　that　

he　came　not　as　a　stranger；　but　as　a　son　to　a　mother；　and　indeed　

as　a　son　who　had　never　before　known　what　a　mother　of　his　

own　was；　in　short；　we　cried　over　one　another　a　considerable　

while；　when　at　last　he　broke　out　first。　　'My　dear　mother；'　says　

he；　'are　you　still　alive？　　I　never　expected　to　have　seen　your　

face。'　　As　for　me；　I　could　say　nothing　a　great　while。　



After　we　had　both　recovered　ourselves　a　little；　and　were　able　

to　talk；　he　told　me　how　things　stood。　As　to　what　I　had　written　

to　his　father；　he　told　me　he　had　not　showed　my　letter　to　his　

father；　or　told　him　anything　about　it；　that　what　his　grandmother　

left　me　was　in　his　hands；　and　that　he　would　do　me　justice　to　

my　full　satisfaction；　that　as　to　his　father；　he　was　old　and　infirm　

both　in　body　and　mind；　that　he　was　very　fretful　and　passionate；　

almost　blind；　and　capable　of　nothing；　and　he　questioned　

whether　he　would　know　how　to　act　in　an　affair　which　was　of　

so　nice　a　nature　as　this；　and　that　therefore　he　had　come　himself；　

as　well　to　satisfy　himself　in　seeing　me；　which　he　could　not　

restrain　himself　from；　as　also　to　put　it　into　my　power　to　make　

a　judgment；　after　I　had　seen　how　things　were；　whether　I　would　

discover　myself　to　his　father　or　no。



This　was　really　so　prudently　and　wisely　managed；　that　I　found　

my　son　was　a　man　of　sense；　and　needed　no　direction　from　me。　　

I　told　him　I　did　not　wonder　that　his　father　was　as　he　had　

described　him；　for　that　his　head　was　a　little　touched　before　I　

went　away；　and　principally　his　disturbance　was　because　I　

could　not　be　persuaded　to　conceal　our　relation　and　to　live　with　

him　as　myhusband；　after　I　knew　that　he　was　my　brother；　that　

as　he　knew　better　than　I　what　his　father's　present　condition　

was；　I　should　readily　join　with　him　in　such　measure　as　he　

would　direct；　that　I　was　indifferent　as　to　seeing　his　father；　

since　I　had　seen　him　first；　and　he　could　not　have　told　me　better　

news　than　to　tell　me　that　what　his　grandmother　had　left　me　

was　entrusted　in　his　hands；　who；　I　doubted　not；　now　he　knew　

who　I　was；　would；　as　he　said；　do　me　justice。　　I　inquired　then　

how　long　my　mother　had　been　dead；　and　where　she　died；　and　

told　so　many　particulars　of　the　family；　that　I　left　him　no　room　

to　doubt　the　truth　of　my　being　really　and　truly　his　mother。



My　son　then　inquired　where　I　was；　and　how　I　had　disposed　

myself。　　I　told　him　I　was　on　the　Maryland　side　of　the　bay；　at　

the　plantation　of　a　particular　friend　who　came　from　England　

in　the　same　ship　with　me；　that　as　for　that　side　of　the　bay　where　

he　was；　I　had　no　habitation。　　He　told　me　I　should　go　home　

with　him；　and　live　with　him；　if　I　pleased；　as　long　as　I　lived；　

that　as　to　his　father；　he　knew　nobody；　and　would　never　so　

much　as　guess　at　me。　　I　considered　of　that　a　little；　and　told　

him；　that　though　it　was　really　no　concern　to　me　to　live　at　a　

distance　from　him；　yet　I　could　not　say　it　would　be　the　most　

comfortable　thing　in　the　world　to　me　to　live　in　the　house　with　

him；　and　to　have　that　unhappy　object　always　before　me；　which　

had　been　such　a　blow　to　my　peace　before；　that　though　I　should　

be　glad　to　have　his　company　（my　son）；　or　to　be　as　near　him　as　

possible　while　I　stayed；　yet　I　could　not　think　of　being　in　the　

house　where　I　should　be　also　under　constant　restraint　for　fear　

of　betraying　myself　in　my　discourse；　nor　should　I　be　able　to　

refrain　some　expressions　in　my　conversing　with　him　as　my　

son；　that　might　discover　the　whole　affair；　which　would　by　no　

means　be　convenient。



He　acknowledged　that　I　was　right　in　all　this。　　'But　then；　dear　

mother；'　says　he；　'you　shall　be　as　near　me　as　you　can。'　　So　he　

took　me　with　him　on　horseback　to　a　plantation　next　to　his　own；　

and　where　I　was　as　well　entertained　as　I　could　have　been　in　his　

own。　　Having　left　me　there　he　went　away　home；　telling　me　we　

would　talk　of　the　main　business　the　next　day；　and　having　first　

called　me　his　aunt；　and　given　a　charge　to　the　people；　who　it　

seems　were　his　tenants；　to　treat　me　with　all　possible　respect。　　

About　two　hours　after　he　was　gone；　he　sent　me　a　maid…servant　

and　a　Negro　boy　to　wait　on　me；　and　provisions　ready　dressed　

for　my　supper；　and　thus　I　was　as　if　I　had　been　in　a　new　world；　

and　began　secretly　now　to　wish　that　I　had　not　brought　my　

Lancashire　husband　from　England　at　all。　



However；　that　wish　was　not　hearty　neither；　for　I　lived　my　

Lancashire　husband　entirely；　as　indeed　I　had　ever　done　from　

the　beginning；　and　he　merited　from　me　as　much　as　it　was　

possible　for　a　man　to　do；　but　that　by　the　way。



The　next　morning　my　son　came　to　visit　me　again　almost　as　

soon　as　I　was　up。　　After　a　little　discourse；　he　first　of　all　pulled　

out　a　deerskin　bag；　and　gave　it　me；　with　five…and…fifty　Spanish　

pistoles　in　it；　and　told　me　that　was　to　supply　my　expenses　from　

England；　for　though　it　was　not　his　business　to　inquire；　yet　he　

ought　to　think　I　did　not　bring　a　great　deal　of　money　out　with　

me；　it　not　being　usual　to　bring　much　money　into　that　country。　　

Then　he　pulled　out　his　grandmother's　will；　and　read　it　over　to　

me；　whereby　it　appeared　that　she　had　left　a　small　plantation；　

as　he　called　it；　on　York　River；　that　is；　where　my　mother　lived；　

to　me；　with　the　stock　of　servants　and　cattle　upon　it；　and　given　

it　in　trust　to　this　son　of　mine　for　my　use；　whenever　he　should　

hear　of　my　being　alive；　and　to　my　heirs；　if　I　had　any　children；　

and　in　default　of　heirs；　to　whomsoever　I　should　by　will　dispose　

of　it；　but　gave　the　income　of　it；　till　I　should　be　heard　of；　or　

found；　to　my　said　son；　and　if　I　should　not　be　living；　then　it　was　

to　him；　and　his　heirs。



This　plantation；　though　remote　from　him；　he　said　he　did　not　

let　out；　but　managed　it　by　a　head…clerk　（steward）；　as　he　did　

another　that　was　his　father's；　that　lay　hard　by　it；　and　went　over　

himself　three　or　four　times　a　year　to　look　after　it。　　I　asked　him　

what　he　thought　the　plantation　might　be　worth。　　He　said；　if　I　

would　let　it　out；　he　would　give　me　about　60　a　year　for　it；　but　

if　I　would　live　on　it；　then　it　would　be　worth　much　more；　and；　

he　believed；　would　bring　me　in　about　#150　a　year。　　But　seeing　

I　was　likely　either　to　settle　on　the　other　side　of　the　bay；　or　

might　perhaps　have　a　mind　to　go　back　to　England　again；　if　I　

would　let　him　be　my　steward　he　would　manage　it　for　me；　as　

he　had　done　for　himself；　and　that　he　believed　he　should　be　

able　to　send　me　as　much　tobacco　to　England　from　it　as　would　

yield　me　about　#100　a　year；　sometimes　more。



This　was　all　strange　news　to　me；　and　things　I　had　not　been　

used　to；　and　really　my　heart　began　to　look　up　more　seriously　

than　I　think　it　ever　did　before；　and　to　look　with　great　thankfulness　

to　the　hand　of　Providence；　which　had　done　such　wonders　for　

me；　who　had　been　myself　the　greatest　wonder　of　wickedness　

perhaps　that　had　been　suffered　to　live　in　the　world。　　And　I　must　

again　observe；　that　not　on　this　occasion　only；　but　even　on　all　

other　occasions　of　thankfulness；　my　past　wicked　and　abominable　

life　never　looked　so　monstrous　to　me；　and　I　never　so　completely　

abhorred　it；　and　reproached　myself　with　it；　as　when　I　had　a　

sense　upon　me　of　Providence　doing　good　to　me；　while　I　had　

been　making　those　vile　returns　on　my　part。



But　I　leave　the　reader　to　improve　these　thoughts；　as　no　doubt　

they　will　see　cause；　and　I　go　on　to　the　fact。　　My　son's　tender　

carriage　and　kind　offers　fetched　tears　from　me；　almost　all　the　

while　he　talked　with　me。　　Indeed；　I　could　scarce　discourse　

with　him　but　in　the　intervals　of　my　passion；　however；　at　length