Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-11-30
A STORY OF LONG AGO.

Said our host: It is true l have deliber-
ately gotten you all down here, where I
knew politeness would prevent your rum
ming away, to read to you-don't be alarmed
--its not my last new poem" or the long
desired original American play" no, it's
not, hope, quite SO bad as that Indeed, !
l believe you all know am as incapable of
such treachery as would be of writing
any kind of play or poem, which is say
ing much. | will acknowledge this: You
see that little woman there at the other
end of the tablef Yes3 Well, 1 have for
the first and only time, except when / de-
luded her into marrying me, most outra-
geously swindled her. Ihave told her cock
and bull story about what l am to read you,
but the fact is 1t Is all about her, or rather
her people.
Owning the place where the people of my
wife had lived some two centuries ago.
have tried to find out the details of its his
tory and have discovered most charming
story. The marked event refers to Thanks
giving dinner eaten on this very spot in 1898.
This house was built nearly four years
ago. The first Thanksgiving day after its
building we were abroad. Two years ago
had not learned its history Last year at
this time that little woman over there, who
bullies me dreadfully and rules me with a
rod Of iron lsatirical smiles from the COM
pany). but whom am foolish enough to be
rather fond of. lay SO ill that-that almost
feared-I mean almost hoped was about
to regain my freedom. Now for my story
OF 200 years ago:
Among the early immigrants to Massa-
chusetts Bay colony was one Symon
Weatheringfeld, Puritan of Puritans.
His son Mathew was if possible cast in
even harder mold-a deacon of the church,
a good and law abiding citizen, but with
out mercy for the weak feet which slip in
miry places Let MS hope that both mer-
tied heaven; they must have been most
uncomfortable companions on this poor
earth of ours. OF Mathews wife, we know
nothing of her Misunderstanding. We
know she died probably happy to
escape-leaying one child, to whom the ia
ther gave the name of Hezekiah.
This Hezekiah, for all his uncomfortable
name, seems to have been of an entirely
different temper from either father or
grandsire. OF a soldierly and adventurous
nature. he distinguished himself while still
a lad as a man of war; in repelling and
chastising band of predatory savages, and
as an explorer of the then little known
country that lay west of the feeble English
colony
Two diaries, or rather parts of diaries,
written by his wife and daughter, have by
some chance or through the filial piety of
some descendant come down to us.
In due time Hezekiah took to himself
wife. She was the daughter of a well
known clergyman, and in those days the
minister" seems to have been as much of
leader in things temporal as in things
spiritual And now for the first time we
hear of wondrously lovely place which
the young man had seen on one of his
youthful journeys-a tree crowned hill
from whose summit gushed a crystal
spring SO copious as to form a little
brook that fell in music down the rocky
height. Around stretched a level and al
most treeless valley, evidently at one
time the bottom of lake of considerable
size before the deep and rapid little river,
which now made great loop around the
solitary hill, had cut its channel through
the ravine by which it at present reached
the great stream beyond. The valley was
rich and fertile and ready for the plow.
The river was full of fish. Game abounded.
Fur bearing creatures of all kinds were
plentiful, bears and foxes in the woods, and
few miles up the little river colony of
beavers had built a dam. To crown all,
house placed on the hilltop could most
easily be defended against the Indians.
A few months after his marriage we find
that young Weatheringfield has hired a
small ship" This he loads with house
hold stuff, tools, etc., and "younge bulle
and three cowes"-which last we fear
from subsequent entries he used to plow
his fields with, for he certainly did plow
and SOW, and hear of no other beast fitted
for the yoke. They sailed from Boston
around Cape Cod and safely reached the
calm waters of Long Island sound. Here
a number of days were lost at the mouth of
the Thames, which the captain declared
must be the great river up which they were
to sail. At length they reached the Con-
necticut.
just here some pages are wanting. We
know. however, that six stout fellows,
probably carpenters and masons, had been
brought to build ''ye house and create
stone vale, which shoulde encompasse ye
house wyth its offyces as well as a great
sprynge."
The house, which was probably of logs,
is gone The stone wall can be in some
places traced. but the great spring" still
pours out its sparkling flood, as we all have
seen.
A year and two months after they had
settled in their new home there was born
to them daughter whom they named
Priscilla, name that my small tyrant yon-
der has inherited. OF her, her wonderful
doings and sayings, the mothers diary is
henceforth full. She even after time cut
teeth and did other as remarkable things.
nofo ie Of rr,f h hoo
sent for, and now, relieved of some of the
domestic cares, we find the young mother
and her babe as frequent companions to
the husband when he went to the stream or
forest
The years ran on, as they do with us all.
A man and his wife were brought out to
assist in the farming and house built for
them in the valley. Beside it was log
warehouse for the beaver skins and other
peltries, which were now purchased in large
quantities from the Indians.
Well, one fine summer day there came a
young captain, who had left his ship in the
Connecticut and been rowed in his barge
to the warehouse which stood just across
the meadow from the foot of the hill. He
was handsome young fellow, the son of
one of the principal merchants in Boston,
and although now only four or five and
twenty had been for eight years at sea.
He had gone to England ut 16 for his edu-
cation, but after a year had run away
from school aud shipped before tho mast
on vessel bennd for the Indies.
At first the father had been very angry,
but finding the son able to help himself,
and that he was already second officer on
an Indiaman. recalled him home, had q
ship built for him and provided him with
capital enough to ill her with merchandise
on his own account, for the masters Of
ships at that day were also merchants. He
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