Snows this morning Briskly—Ben in a great Fever lest the Weather shall stop him from a Ride he has alloted for tomorrow—At twelve the Snow ceased, Depth about five Inches—I corrected Harry for the first time to-day for expressing himself indecently to Prissy.
Saturday 29.
Ben is preparing himself to go out—while we were dining about three it began to Snow briskly—After Dinner when I went over to my Room I was very much surprised to find my Room full of Smoke & Flame!—A kind Providence only prevented the total Loss of our School-House & all its Furniture, & our own Clothes Books &c!—A Coal of Fire had by accident (as the Hearth is very narrow) fall'n on the floor, it took fire, & when I entered it was burning rapidly—It had burnt three Boards about eight Inches from the Hearth, & most certainly in a short time would have been inextinguishable—I put it out however speedily, & had all the fire removed—
The Weather is as wintry here in every Respect as I have ever known it in New-Jersey—Mr Carter has a Cart & three pair of Oxen which every Day bring in four Loads of Wood, Sundays excepted, & yet these very severe Days we have none to spare; And indeed I do not wonder, for in the Great House, School House, Kitchen, &c. there are twenty Eight steady fires! & most of these are very Large!—After Supper, when all had retired but Mrs Carter, Mr Carter & Myself, the Conversation being on serious Matters, Mr Carter observed that he much dislikes the common method of making Burying Yards round Churches, & having them almost open to every Beast—He would have them at some small distance from the Church, neatly & strongly inclosed, and the Graves kept up decent, & plain, but would have no splendid, nor magnificent Monument, nor even Stone to say "Hic jacet."—He told us he proposes to make his own Coffin & use it for a Chest til its proper use shall be required—That no Stone, nor Inscription to be put over him—And that he would choose to be laid under a shady Tree where he might be undisturbed, & sleep in peace & obscurity—He told us, that with his own hands he planted, & is with great diligence raising a Catalpa-Tree at the Head of his Father who lies in his Garden—Mrs Carter beg'd that She might have a Stone, with this only for a Monument, "Here lies Ann Tasker Carter."[120] with these things for my consideration I left them about ten and went to my cold Room, & was hurried soon to Bed; Not however without reflecting on the importance of our preparation for this great Change!
Sunday 30.
Very stormy this morning with Rain and Hail which instantly freezes; the trees hang bending with Ice, & the ways are all glassy & slippery—None think of going to Church this day—Mrs Carter & I after Breakfast had a long conversation on religious affairs—Particularly on differing Denominations of Protestants—She thinks the Religion of the established Church without Exception the best of any invented or practised in the world. & indeed she converses with great propriety on these things, & discovers her very extensive Knowledge; She allows the Difference between the Church, & Presbyterianism to be only exceeding small, & wishes they were both intirely united! Through this whole Day it storms but the Evening is terrible! almost an Inundation of Rain; The wind violent at North-East; The Snow, Hail, and Rain freezing together on the Ground! This Evening the Negroes collected themselves into the School-Room, & began to play the Fiddle, & dance—I was in Mr Randolphs Room;—I went among them, Ben, & Harry were of the company—Harry was dancing with his Coat off—I dispersed them however immediately.
Monday 31.
Excessive sloppy—Miss Nancy came to School to Day—I finished my verses which are to be presented as a Valantine to Miss Prissy Carter.
Teusday February 1st 1774.