The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-03-27
WHOLE NUMBER 259

rand debarrod her further success; the
jailer would neither allow her to see her
friends, nor would he convey message
to them. Mary could have wcpt in an
ger and vexation, and from intense SYM
pathy with the grief she bad witnessed
outside the walls, but she did not she
rctorted upon the jailcr the severity Of
bis manner, and bidding him look to tho
consequences, folded her cloak round
her, and walked forth again into the
circle Of Friends who surrounded tho
gate The jailer laughed as he drew
the heavy bolts after her, and bado her
do her worst.
Among tho Friends collected in the
street before the prison, Mary heard
that William Penn, who had just return
cd from his new settlement in America,
was now in London. AS soon as she
heard this, she determined upon her
plan Of conduct She knew his influence
with the king, who, when Duke of York,
had induced his brother, Charles H.,
to bestow on him that tract of land call
ed Pennsylvania. To him, therefore,
she determined to 60, and pray him to
represent to the king tho deplorable
sufferings of Friends in those parts.
When her old attendant heard of her
msditated journey, he looked upon her
as almost insane. 10 him the project
was appalling. 1t would require many
days to reach London, and who must
take charge Of the farm in his absence,
seeing bis worthy master was in prison ;
And then, too, though he had been will
ling to attend her as far as the next
town, would it be right for young
maiden and an old man to endanger
their lives by SO long and SO strange a
journey?
Mary was uninhuenccd by his reason
ing, nor was she to be daunted by his
fears. If she said, he would not
accompany her, she would 90 alone.'-
She bade him, therefore, to have her
horse saddled by break of day, and re-
tired to her own apartment, to prepare
for the journey
'Ofa surety said the old man to
himself, { she is wilful young thing
In the morning, however,, she found
not only her horse prepared, but tho old
man and his also; for, vlful as she was,
the old man loved her; aud though hc
could not conjecture the object of so
strange journey, he would he said,
O. with her to the end of tho world
Mary had yentured to make use Of
the stores in Walter Pixley's Golfers,
for she considered the lives of her friends
wore at stake. She was therefore suffi-
ciently supplied with money for their
journey.
For this time tho wild gaiety Of Ma
ry's spirits was gone, but instead, was
strong energy and determination of char
acter, which supported her above fatigue
or the apprehension of danger and day
after day, from town to town, in the
depth Of winter, did she and her attend
ant journey onward They had no iu-
tercorrse with travellers on the road,
nor did they make known to any one
the object Of their journey,
When she arrived in London, she
went straight to tho house where Will
liam Penn had his temporary residence,
and without Introduction, apology, or
circumlocution, laid before that great
and good man the sad condition Of her
suffering friends. She then made him
acquainted with her own private history,
her obligations to the family of the
worthy Walter Pixlcy, and the anxiety
she now felt for the life Of her who had
been as a mother unto her,
William Penn heard her with evident
emotion, and promised to do all that lay
in his power for her benofactors tho
he assured her she had overrated his
influence with the king lie then de-
sired Mary TO take up her abode under
bis roof; and bidding an attendant call
in his mistress, ho gave her into the
hands Of his fair and gentle wife, briefly
relating to her upon what errand the
maiden had come.
When Mary found her mission thus
far SC happily accomplished, aud the
door shut dpon herself and her kind