He stood a little while hesitating, as if doubtful whether to take it
or no; but I pressed it on him, and made him accept it, and it was not
much less worth than his leather pouch full of Spanish gold; no, though
it were to be reckoned as if at London, whereas it was worth twice as
much there, where I gave it him. At length he took it, kissed it, told
me the watch should be a debt upon him that he would be paying as long
as I lived.
A few days after he brought the writings of gift, and the scrivener
with them, and I signed them very freely, and delivered them to him
with a hundred kisses; for sure nothing ever passed between a mother
and a tender, dutiful child with more affection. The next day he
brings me an obligation under his hand and seal, whereby he engaged
himself to manage and improve the plantation for my account, and with
his utmost skill, and to remit the produce to my order wherever I
should be; and withal, to be obliged himself to make up the produce
#100 a year to me. When he had done so, he told me that as I came to
demand it before the crop was off, I had a right to produce of the
current year, and so he paid me #100 in Spanish pieces of eight, and
desired me to give him a receipt for it as in full for that year,
ending at Christmas following; this being about the latter end of
August.
I stayed here about five weeks, and indeed had much ado to get away
then. Nay, he would have come over the bay with me, but I would by no
means allow him to it. However, he would send me over in a sloop of
his own, which was built like a yacht, and served him as well for
pleasure as business. This I accepted of, and so, after the utmost
expressions both of duty and affection, he let me come away, and I
arrived safe in two days at my friend's the Quaker's.
I brought over with me for the use of our plantation, three horses,
with harness and saddles, some hogs, two cows, and a thousand other
things, the gift of the kindest and tenderest child that ever woman
had. I related to my husband all the particulars of this voyage,
except that I called my son my cousin; and first I told him that I had
lost my watch, which he seemed to take as a misfortune; but then I told
him how kind my cousin had been, that my mother had left me such a
plantation, and that he had preserved it for me, in hopes some time or
other he should hear from me; then I told him that I had left it to his
management, that he would render me a faithful account of its produce;
and then I pulled him out the #100 in silver, as the first year's
produce; and then pulling out the deerskin purse with the pistoles,
'And here, my dear,' says I, 'is the gold watch.' My husband--so is
Heaven's goodness sure to work the same effects in all sensible minds
where mercies touch the heart--lifted up both hands, and with an
ecstacy of joy, 'What is God a-doing,' says he, 'for such an ungrateful
dog as I am!' Then I let him know what I had brought over in the
sloop, besides all this; I mean the horses, hogs, and cows, and other
stores for our plantation; all which added to his surprise, and filled
his heart with thankfulness; and from this time forward I believe he
was as sincere a penitent, and as thoroughly a reformed man, as ever
God's goodness brought back from a profligate, a highwayman, and a
robber. I could fill a larger history than this with the evidence of
this truth, and but that I doubt that part of the story will not be
equally diverting as the wicked part, I have had thoughts of making a
volume of it by itself.