Saturday 8.
Expence to the Smith for mending my Stirrup a Pisterene 1/3—Ben this morning Wrote a letter to his Papa—I finished off mine for Mr Peck The Pain in my face is a good deal troublesome. Dined with us Colonel Frank Lee & his Lady; Mr Turberville Mrs Turberville & Miss Letty.
Sunday 9.
Ben & Harry ride to Ucomico Church I at home spend the day in my Room, I walked out towards evening & saw a number of Negroes very busy at framing together a small House—Sundays they commonly spend in fishing making Potatoes &c., building & patching their Quarters or rather Cabins—
Monday 10.
The General Court at Williamsburg begins to sit this Day—We have no intelligence of the carryings on of the Congress; our Papers this Summer come vastly seldom, it is said that the Post Men are bribed & give away the News Papers. I expect that Mr Peck is about setting out from Home for this place—I wish him a speedy & successful passage, for I am now impatient of Delay til I visit again my acquaintances & Home—The day is cold, the wind at North & the ground extremely dry—
Teusday 11.
Mr Stadley came this morning. He brings no news of the Congress, but much of the great Race lately at Fredericksburg—Every Evening, for the Benefit of exercise I ride out, and commonly carry with me one of the small Girls, who partaking of the prevailing Spirit, are passionately fond of Riding—
Wednesday 12.
I was told often before I left Home that coming into Virginia would bring me into the midst of many dangerous Temptations: Gay Company, frequent entertainments, little practical devotion, no remote pretention to Heart religion, daily examples in Men of the highest quality, of Luxury, intemperance, & impiety: these were urged, by my kind acquaintances, as very strong dissuasions against my leaving home; the admonitions I accepted with great Thankfulness, tho' I could not allow them to turn me off from my purpose & I resolved with as much sincerity & Firmness as I could to carry them with me in every part of my behaviour. The close of the time of my Stay here is I expect now near at hand: And if I may judge myself of the carrying my resolutions into practice, I should pronounce that I have not been wanting in my duty in this respect. Some few who frequently ask me to go from home, say I am dull, unsociable, & splenetic: But the Gentlemen generally here have a good & reasonable manner of judging in this case they are well pleased with strict & rigid virtue in those who have the management of their children, if it does not grow to factious enthusiasm; so that Levity, tho perhaps they would wink at it lessens, & in a while would take away the Reputation & business of a Family Tutor—Of this I was fully convinced in a short time after my coming into the Colony, & saw too the very great advantage of the Precaution which I received from my friends, for they assisted me in setting out on a safe, and prudent Plan, which has, I hope directed me to propriety of conduct with regard to my private character, & likewise to my little lovely Charge.