Fryday April 1st 1774.
Good Fryday—A general Holiday here—Wednesday & thursday I gave up my School on account of the Dance, and they must have this Day for Devotion!—The Colonel, Ben Harry, & myself all go to Ucomico Church—Parson Smith gave the usual Prayers for the Day and a long Sermon very suitable & well chosen.
After Service we were invited and went Home with Captain Walker to dine; I was here introduced to Dr Steptoe[143] & a young Gentleman Brother to the Parson Both seem agreeable, & appear to be men of Sense Dined here also the Parson, his Wife, Sister, Mr Warder the Lawyer
Towards Evening we rode home I observed as I rode along People are universally plowing up their Land for planting Corn & for Tobacco And in one field I saw several Women planting Corn I think however, it is early even here—They raise no Flax, their Land in general being so poor that it will not produce it—And their Method of farming is slovenly, without any regard to continue their Land in heart, for future Crops—They plant large Quantities of Land, without any Manure, & work it very hard to make the best of the Crop, and when the Crop comes off they take away the Fences to inclose another Piece of Land for the next years tillage, and leave this a common to be destroyed by Winter & Beasts till they stand in need of it again to plough—The Land most commonly too is of a light sandy soil, & produces in very great quantities shrubby Savins & Pines, unless in the Vallies (for it is very hilly) & near the Potowmack where it is often vastly rich—Mr Carter has been lately solicited & was to have gone this Day with a number of Gentlemen to Horn-Point on the River Ucomico, with an intention, if they think the Situation will be proper, to establish Ware-Houses, & form a small Town—It is however, in my opinion, a fruitless Scheme—
Saturday 2.
The morning stormy. I kept the children in til twelve o-Clock then dismissed them—I spent the greater part of this Day in reading Miscellaneous Pieces out of Magazines—The weather cleared before Evening—At five with Ben, I rode over to Mr Turburville's, chiefly to see a young Lady[144] lately from London; who has come over at Mr Turburville's Invitation in the character of Governess to Miss Turburville She seems to be young, genteel, & is not without personal excellence—I received together with Mr Carters Family an Invitation from Mr Turburville to dine with him to morrow; which I propose to accept.—
Sunday 3.
The Day pleasant; I rode to church—after the Service proper for the Day, Mr Smith entertained us with a Sermon from Pauls Defence before King Agrippa "How is it thought a thing impossible with you that God should raise the dead," He in this gave us a very plain & just Discourse on the doctrine of the resurection—This being Easter-Sunday, all the Parish seem'd to meet together High, Low, black, White all come out—After Sermon the Sacrament was administered, but none are admited except communicants to see how the matter is conducted—
After Sermon I rode to Mr Turburville's (for I found to day the true spelling of his name) There dined with him, Ladies Mrs Carter, & Mrs George Turburville: Gentlemen, Colonel Carter, Squire-Lee, Mr Cunningham, & Mr Jennings, Merchants; Mr George Lee, & Ben Carter & Myself—We had an elegant dinner; Beef & Greens; roast-Pig; fine boil'd Rock-Fish, Pudding, Cheese &c—Drink: good Porter-Beer, Cyder, Rum, & Brandy Toddy. The Virginians are so kind one can scarce know how to dispense with, or indeed accept their kindness shown in such a variety of instances.—I had again an oppertunity of seeing Miss Sally Panton which is the name of Mrs Turburville's English Governess—But the common voice seems to be against me as to her being Handsome—But her huge Stays low Head dress; enormous long Waist, a Dress entirely contrary to the liking of Virginia Ladies, these I apprehend make her in their Eyes less personable, than to any one wholly unprejudiced—Her Stays are suited to come up to the upper part of her shoulders, almost to her chin; and are swaithed round her as low as they can possibly be, allowing Her the liberty to walk at all: To be sure this is a vastly modest Dress!—She speaks French & is to teach the Language to Miss Turburville, & also Writing, & reading English—Upon the whole, if her Principles of Religion, & her moral behaviour, be as unexceptionable as her person, & her Manner, let Mr and Mrs Carters opinions go again me I shall think her agreeable—Miss Prissy Miss Nancy; & Miss Fanny all stay the night at Captain Turburville's—At Church, Mr Low, a young Scotch Gentleman, tutor in Colonel Washingtons Family, solicited me to carry his Recommendations from Scotland, to Dr Witherspoon as he is desirous to be licensed in one of our northern Presbyteries—I shall do him the Favour.[145]—The country begins to put on her Fowery Garment, & appear in gaity—The Apricots are in their fulles Bloom; Peaches also, & Plumbs, & several sorts of Cheries are blossoming; as I look from my Window & see Groves of Peach Trees on the Banks of Nomini; (for the orchards here are very Large) and other Fruit Trees in Blossom; and amongst them interspers'd the gloomy Savin; beyond all these at a great Distance the blue Potowmack; & over this great River, just discern the Woods of Maryland & conceive that beyond them all lies Cohansie my native pleasant Residence; & when I think with myself that by Gods permission, in a very few days more I shall be in the midst of Society, quite remote from formality, and from the least fear of giving offence by being familiar, or of being aw'd to silence by ostentatious vanity: how the thought fires me! Direct my Way, merciful God, and keep my Feet from falling, & my Heart from disobeying thy pure & perfect commandments—And make my Way prosperous that I may go and return again, still doing thy Pleasure, & honouring thy great Name!—
Monday 4.