THE HISTORY OF JOANNA'S LIFE.

June the 17th, 1804.

My Father married his first Wife out of pity, because he saw her upon a sick bed, and he was told she could not live without him. He then went and told her to arise, for he would have her; as he thought to himself he would break the hearts of no more: but that woman died in child-bed childbirth; and while she was dying, my Mother was in the room; and he thought to himself, if she died, as soon as decency would allow, he would make his addresses to my Mother, whom he felt in his heart to admire. But my Mother had thought in her heart, of all the men upon earth he was the last she would have; for she was provoked with words she had heard before, as one of my grandfather's servant men had been in company with my Father and many others, who was talking about the women whom they should like for wives; and one said, my Mother he should like for a wife. Another made answer, "I would never go a courting there; for men enough have tried there, and she hath refused them all: she looks with scorn on every man." My Father answered, "you know not how to go a courting to a religious woman: I'll be bound for it, if I was a widower I would gain her." The man came home and told my Mother of it; which she said raised her indignation, and she thought to herself, if he was a widower, and offered to come to her, he should find she was not so easily gained. But, being very intimate with his Wife, she was desired to be with her when in child-bed childbirth; which she was; and then my Father fixed his mind to come to my Mother as soon as decency would allow; but the agonies he saw his Wife die in, made him like a distracted man. So my Mother judged him a man of tender feelings, which with all his passion