picked for me, suitable
enough to the place, and to the work we had for them to do; one of
which happened to come double, having been got with child by one of the
seamen in the ship, as she owned afterwards, before the ship got so far
as Gravesend; so she brought us a stout boy, about seven months after
her landing.

My husband, you may suppose, was a little surprised at the arriving of
all this cargo from England; and talking with me after he saw the
account of this particular, 'My dear,' says he, 'what is the meaning of
all this? I fear you will run us too deep in debt: when shall we be
able to make return for it all?' I smiled, and told him that is was all
paid for; and then I told him, that what our circumstances might expose
us to, I had not taken my whole stock with me, that I had reserved so
much in my friend's hands, which now we were come over safe, and was
settled in a way to live, I had sent for, as he might see.

He was amazed, and stood a while telling upon his fingers, but said
nothing. At last he began thus: 'Hold, let's see,' says he, telling
upon his fingers still, and first on his thumb; 'there's #246 in money
at first, then two gold watches, diamond rings, and plate,' says he,
upon the forefinger. Then upon the next finger, 'Here's a plantation
on York River, #100 a year, then #150 in money, then a sloop load of
horses, cows, hogs, and stores'; and so on to the thumb again. 'And
now,' says he, 'a cargo cost #250 in England, and worth here twice the
money.' 'Well,' says I, 'what do you make of all that?' 'Make of it?'
says he; 'why, who says I was deceived when I married a wife in
Lancashire? I think I have married a fortune, and a very good fortune
too,' says he.

In a word, we were now in very considerable circumstances, and every
year increasing; for our new plantation grew upon our hands insensibly,
and in eight years which we lived upon it, we brought it to such pitch,
that the produce was at least #300 sterling a year; I mean, worth so
much in England.

After I had been a year at home again, I went over the bay to see my
son, and to receive another year's income of my plantation; and I was
surprised to hear, just at my landing there, that my old husband was
dead, and had not been buried above a fortnight. This, I confess, was
not disagreeable news, because now I could appear as I was, in a
married condition; so I told my son before I came from him, that I
believed I should marry a g