the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第19节

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never　forget　his　kindness　to　her　in　her　younger　days　when　she　and　her　husband　first　came　from　the　Old　Country　and　began　life　among　strangers　in　very　straightened　circumstances。　After　passing　through　a　hard　winter　in　which　food　had　been　very　scarce　they　found　themselves　in　the　spring　without　any　seed　wheat　or　the　means　of　buying　any。　〃Her　husband　was　almost　in　despair。　She　tried　to　cheer　him　up　by　telling　him　that　if　she　went　to　Mr。　Trueman　she　thought　he　would　help　them。　So　her　husband　agreed　to　let　her　try　her　chance；　and　she　mounted　a　horse　and　set　out　for　Prospect　Farm。　Just　as　she　arrived　there　another　woman　came　in　and　asked　Mr。　Trueman　to　sell　her　some　wheat；　telling　him　she　had　money　to　pay　for　it。　Grandfather　said　he　had　very　little　wheat　to　sell　but　he　could　let　her　have　a　bushel　or　two。　The　old　lady　said　her　heart　almost　sank　within　her；　she　thought　her　case　was　hopeless。　However；　she　told　him　she；　too；　had　come　for　seed　wheat；　but　she　had　no　money　nor　the　means　of　getting　any　at　present；　and　they　were　entirely　without　seed。　Grandfather　turned　to　the　other　woman　and　said；　'You　have　money'　go　to　Mr。…　（a　neighbor）；　you　can　get　as　much　as　you　want；　and　I　will　give　this　woman　the　grain。'　　Oh；　how　glad　she　felt！　　Words　were　too　poor　to　express　her　thanks；　and　she　went　home　rejoicing。　In　after　years；　when　Providence　had　favored　her　with　a　goodly　share　of　this　world's　goods；　she　could　not　tell　this　experience　without　the　tears　running　down　her　cheeks。　How　true　it　is；　'The　memory　of　the　just　is　blessed。'〃

The　following　letter　received　from　a　son　of　Rev。　William　Black；　is　of　some　interest：

〃HALIFAX；　N。S。；　〃27th　Sept。　1819。　〃MR。　WILLIAM　TRUEMAN；　〃DEAR　SIR；Your　favor　of　the　20th　inst。　is　at　hand；　and　in　reply　to　it；　as　relates　to　the　probable　price　of　Butter；　I　would　state　it　as　my　opinion　that　it　is　likely　to　command　about　14d。　A　considerable　quantity　of　Irish　Butter　has　already　arrived　and　more　is　expected。　A　number　of　firkins　have　this　day　been　sold　at　public　auction　at　1s。　per　lb。；the　quality　is　said　to　be　very　fair。　Please　say　to　Mrs。　Wells　that　I　have　received　her　letter　of　the　24th　inst。；　and　shall　do　as　she　requests。　Mrs。　Black　and　family　are　well；　and　join　me　in　best　regards　to　Mrs。　Trueman；　Yourself　and　Family。　〃Yrs。　Truly；　〃M。　G。　BLACK。〃

After　Amos　and　Robert　left　Prospect　for　homes　of　their　own；　the　family　remained　unchanged　until　1820。　That　year；　Mary；　the　second　daughter；　married　William　Humphrey；　of　Sackville。　William　Humphrey　was　a　carpenter　by　trade　but　shortly　after　his　marriage　bought　a　farm　in　Upper　Maccan　and　went　quite　extensively　into　farming　and　milling。

The　Humphreys　were　from　Yorkshire；　and　after　coming　to　America；　settled　first　at　Falmouth；　Nova　Scotia。　After　the　death　of　Wm。　Humphrey；　sen。；　Mrs。　Humphrey；　following　the　advice　of　her　friend；　Charles　Dixon；　moved　to　Sackville　with　her　family　of　five　children；　three　sons　and　two　daughters。　James　Dixon　says　of　Mrs。　Humphrey；　in　his　history　of　the　Dixons：　　〃She　was　evidently　a　capable　woman；〃　and　judging　from　the　position　her　descendants　have　taken　in　the　new　country　he　was　probably　right　in　his　estimate。

As　I　remember　the　second　William　Humphrey；　he　was　a　man　of　more　than　ordinary　intelligence；　one　who　looked　closely　at　both　sides　of　a　question；　and　with　whom　every　new　undertaking　was　well　thought　out　beforehand。　He　had　no　place　for　the　man　who　wanted　to　make　a　show。　He　was；　for　the　times；　a　large　employer　of　labor；　and　his　men　did　not　readily　leave　his　employ。　He　was　possessed　of　strong　religious　convictions；　but　was　by　no　means　demonstrative　in　such　matters。　His　children　were　given　good　educational　opportunities。　Two　of　his　sons　studied　and　graduated　at　colleges　in　the　United　States；　and　two　others　were　students　at　the　old　Academy；　at　Sackville。

The　following　letter；　written　by　William；　one　of　the　sons　who　was　educated　in　the　United　States；　to　his　cousin　Ruth；　will　show　how　graduates　of　that　day　looked　upon　life：

〃NEW　HAVEN；　June　27th；　1853。　〃DEAR　COUSIN；　〃Your　very　welcome　letter　came　to　hand　in　due　time；　for　which　I　am　exceedingly　obliged；　especially　as　many　of　my　correspondents　have　been　dilatory　and　others　have　given　me　up　altogether。　But　they　probably　have　as　much　reason　to　complain　of　me　as　I　have　of　them。　The　truth　is　my　studies　so　occupy　my　attention　that　I　am　too　much　inclined　to　forget　my　friends。　The　acquisition　of　a　profession　presents　such　an　immensity　of　labor　that　it　would　seem　to　require　a　lifetime　to　become　proficient；　especially　when　the　small　amount　of　energy　that　I　can　command　is　brought　to　bear　upon　it。　However；　I　am　not　disposed　to　find　fault　with　the　labor　so　long　as　there　is　so　much　that　is　intensely　interesting　and　I　can　make　respectable　progress　towards　the　grand　crisis　of　a　student's　life。　〃New　Haven　is　equally　as　attractive　as　it　was　during　my　college　life　and　I　feel　more　at　home　here　than　in　any　other　place　in　the　United　States　during　the　present　summer　so　far。　I　have　become　acquainted　with　the　professional　men　of　the　city　from　whom　I　have　received　many　favors　and　many　of　whom　I　hope　to　regard　as　my　future　friends。　Through　their　influence　I　have　had　an　opportunity　of　treating　a　number　of　patients；　which　is　no　small　advantage　to　me　in　my　studies。　I　confess　I　am　so　much　attached　to　the　city　I　should　like　to　make　it　my　home　if　it　were　practicable；　but　it　is　so　much　crowded　with　physicians　that　there　is　no　room　for　me。　In　reply　to　your　question　as　to　what　pleasure　it　afforded　me　to　receive　my　diploma；　I　can　very　readily　say　that　it　was　far　from　affording　me　anything　like　a　thrill　of　pleasure　to　look　back　upon　my　acquirements。　I　rather　felt　as　a　tired　traveller　might　be　supposed　to　feel　when；　having　exerted　himself　to　reach　the　top　of　the　first　peak　on　a　mountain；　he　has　only　secured　a　position　where　he　can　see　Alpine　peaks　towering　to　the　skies；　which　he　must　scale　before　his　journey　is　ended。　I　very　many　times　have　felt　as　though　I　was　not　a　particle　wiser　since　I　graduated　than　before　I　first　left　home；　yet　I　suppose　I　may　claim　more　than　this　for　myself　without　being　thought　vain　or　arrogant；　but　what　advantage　either　myself　or　others　are　to　reap　from　it　remains　to　be　seen。　I　hope　I　am　better　prepared　to　spend　the　remainder　of　my　life　more　profitably　than　I　was　before；　with　higher　aims　and　in　possession　of　greater　capacity　for　enjoyment　myself　and　of　doing　good　to　others。　I　cannot　yet　tell　when　I　shall　get　my　medical　degree；　yet　if　fortune　favors　and　I　get　along　with　my　studies　pretty　well；　it　will　not　be　longer　than　fourteen　months。　I　would　like　to　arrange　my　plans　to　leave　for　home　as　soon　as　I　get　through；　but　it　is　so　long　beforehand　that　I　do　not　think　about　it　yet。　〃I　shall　have　a　short　vacation　of　a　few　weeks；　commencing　with　August　1st；　when　I　should　like　to　be　at　home；　but　I　do　not　deem　it　best　for　me　to　go　this　summer。　I　shall　probably　go　into　the　country　'round。　I　shall　probably　return　to　Philadelphia　early　in　October　and　spend　the　winter　there；　which　will　end　my　residence　in　that　city；　unless　I　should　remain　longer　to　attend　the　hospital　and　see　more　practice　than　I　could　otherwise。　〃From　the　accounts　I　hear　from　home　you　still　have　need　of　doctors；　for　people　continue　to　be　sick　and　die。　〃Think　you　there　will　be　any　patronage　for　me？　　But　your　answer　will　probably　depend　upon　my　worthiness　of　it。　〃But　I　must　hasten　to　close。　I　shall　be　happy　to　hear　from　you　whenever　you　are　disposed　to　write。　〃Kind　regards　to　your　mother；　sisters　and　brothers。　〃Very　sincerely　yours；　〃WILLIAM　F。　HUMPHREY。　〃To：　〃MISS　RUTH　TRUEMAN；　〃Point　de　Bute。〃

The　Humphreys　have　not　increased　rapidly　in　this　country。　There　were　three　brothers　in　the　first　family；　William；　John　and　Christopher。　John　never　married。　Christopher　married；　but　had　no　family。　William　had　four　sons；　and　these；　with　their　father　and　uncles；　made　seven　of　the　name　then　living　in　the　provinces。　Since　then　these　four　boys　have　married；　and　two　of　their　sons；　yet　the　males　of　the　name　just　number　seven　to…day；　　and；　strange　to　say；　have　remained　at　that　figure　the　most　of　the　time　for　the　last　seventy　years。　At　present　there　are　living　four　great…grandsons；　and　three　great…great…grandsons　of　the　first　William。

Dr。　Humphrey　graduated　in　regular　course；　received　his　medical　degree；　and　settled　in　St。　John；　New　Brunswick；　where　he　worked　up　a　good　practice。　His　health；　however；　gave　way；　and　he　died　a　comparatively　young　man。

Mrs。　Bishop；　a　daughter　of　William　Humphrey；　writes：

〃I　do　not　remember　hearing　my　parents　say　much　about　their　early　life。　I　remember　my　father　saying　he　gave　a　doubloon　to　the　man　who　married　them。　They　moved　to　Maccan　very　shortly　after　they　were　married。　When　grandmother　Humphrey　died　they　went　to　the　funeral　on　horseback　（thirty　miles）；　and　took　John　with　them；　then　a　young　babe。　（The　baby；　John；　was　the　late　John　A。　Humphrey；　of　Moncton。）　　I　have　heard　mother　say　she　took　me　to　her　father's　funeral　when　I　was　four　months　old；　another　long　ride　on　horseback。〃

Mrs。　Bishop　is　the　only　one　of　the　family　now　living。

Returning　to　the　family　at　Prospect；　Betty；　the　youngest　daughter；　was　married　to　George　Glendenning；　in　1823。　Her　name　was　to　have　been　Elizabeth；　but　one　day　previous　to　the　baptism　the　minister　was　at　the　house