CHAPTER III
His Marriage—The Death of his Father—His Journies into the upper Part of New-Jersey, and afterwards into Pennsylvania—Considerations on keeping Slaves, and his Visits to the Families of Friends at several Times and Places—An Epistle from the General Meeting—His Journey to Long-Island—Considerations on Trading, and on the Use of spirituous Liquors and costly Apparel—And his Letter to a Friend
About this Time, believing it good for me to settle, and thinking seriously about a Companion, my Heart was turned to the Lord with Desires that he would give me Wisdom to proceed therein agreeable to his Will; and he was pleased to give me a well-inclined Damsel, Sarah Ellis; to whom I was married the eighteenth Day of the eighth Month, in the Year 1749.
In the fall of the Year 1750 died my Father, Samuel Woolman, with a Fever, aged about sixty Years.
In his Life-time he manifested much Care for us his Children, that in our Youth we might learn to fear the Lord; often endeavouring to imprint in our Minds the true Principles of Virtue, and particularly to cherish in us a Spirit of Tenderness, not only towards poor People, but also towards all Creatures of which we had the Command.
After my Return from Carolina, in the Year 1746, I made some Observations on keeping Slaves, which some Time before his Decease I shewed him; and he perused the Manuscript, proposed a few Alterations, and appeared well satisfied that I found a Concern on that Account: And in his last Sickness, as I was watching with him one Night, he being so far spent that there was no Expectation of his Recovery, but having the perfect Use of his Understanding, he asked me concerning the Manuscript, whether I expected soon to proceed to take the Advice of Friends in publishing it? And, after some Conversation thereon, said, I have all along been deeply affected with the Oppression of the poor Negroes; and now, at last, my Concern for them is as great as ever.
By his Direction I had wrote his Will in a Time of Health, and that Night he desired me to read it to him, which I did; and he said it was agreeable to his Mind. He then made mention of his End, which he believed was near; and signified, that, though he was sensible of many Imperfections in the Course of his Life, yet his Experience of the Power of Truth, and of the Love and Goodness of God from Time to Time, even till now, was such, that he had no Doubt but that, in leaving this Life, he should enter into one more happy.
The next Day his Sister Elizabeth came to see him, and told him of the Decease of their Sister Ann, who died a few Days before: He then said, I reckon Sister Ann was free to leave this World: Elizabeth said, she was. He then said, I also am free to leave it; and, being in great Weakness of Body, said, I hope I shall shortly go to Rest. He continued in a weighty Frame of Mind, and was sensible till near the last.
On the second Day of the ninth Month, in the Year 1751, feeling Drawings in my Mind to visit Friends at the Great-Meadows, in the upper Part of West-Jersey, with the Unity of our Monthly-meeting, I went there; and had some searching laborious Exercise amongst Friends in those Parts, and found inward Peace therein.