"What is every body's business is no body's" for instance- it is
nobody's business where we are going, yet every body enquires- every
toll gatherer & child that sees us---- I am almost discouraged- we shall
never get to New Connecticut or any where else, at the rate we go on- We
went but eleven miles yesterday & 15 to day-- Our Waggon wants repairing
& we were oblig'd to put up for the night at about 3 oclock.---- I think
the country so far, much pleasanter than any part of Connecticut we
pass'd thro'-but the Turnpike roads are not half as good- The Deacon &
his family complain most bitterly of the gates & toll bridges- tho' the
former is very good-natur'd with his complaints-- Also the tavern
expenses are a great trouble- As I said before I will never go with a
Deacon again- for we go so slow & so cheap, that I am almost tir'd to
death. The horses walk, walk hour after hour while M^r W sits _reckoning
his expenses_ & forgetting to drive till some of us ask when we shall
get there?- then he remembers the longer we are on the road the more
_expensive_ it will be, & whips up his horses--and when Erastus the son,
drives, we go still slower for fear of hurting the horses-- Since I left
you I have conceived such an aversion for Doctors & the words, expense,
expensive, cheap & expect, that I do not desire ever to see the one (at
least to need them) or hear the others again, in my life-- I have just
found out that Elizabeth Town is but 5 miles off & have been to the
landlord to enquire if I cannot possibly get there & he encourages me a
little, I cannot write more till I am certain- Oh if I can but see my
brother! After a long crying spell, I once more take up my pen to tell
you I cannot go,- there is no chair or side saddle to be got, & I will,
by supposing him at New York, try to content myself- to describe my
disappointment would be impossible--it is such an agravation of my pain,
to know myself so near & then not see him-- I have the greater part of
the time till now, felt in better spirits than I expected-my journal has
been of use to me in that respect----I did not know but I should meet
with the same fate that a cousin of M^r Hall's did, who like me, was
journeying to a new, if not a western country- She was married on her
way & prevented from proceeding to her journey's end- There was a man to
day in Camptown where we stopt to eat, not oats but gingerbread, who
enquired, or rather _expected_ we were going to the Hio- we told him yes
& he at once concluded it was to get husbands- He said winter was coming
on & he wanted a wife & believ'd he must go there to get him one- I
concluded of course the next thing would be, a proposal to Miss W or me
to stay behind to save trouble for us both; but nothing would suit him
but a rich widow, so our hopes were soon at an end- Disappointment is
the lot of man & we may as well bear them with a good grace- this
thought restrain'd my tears at that time, but has not been able to
since-- What shall I do? My companions say they shall insist upon seeing
my journal & I certainly will not show it to them, so I told them I
would bring it with me the first time I came to Henshaw (the place where
they live) & read it to them; but I shall do my utmost to send it to you
before I go- that would be a sufficient excuse for not performing my
promise which must be conditional--I will not insist upon your reading
this thro' my dear Elizabeth & I suspect by this time you feel quite
willing to leave it unread further- I wish I could make it more
interesting-- I write just as I feel & think at the moment & I feel as
much in haste to write every thing that occurs, as if you could know it
the moment it was written- I must now leave you to write to my brother,
for if I cannot see him I will at least write him- I cannot bear the
idea of leaving the state without once more seeing him-- I hope next to
write you from 30 miles hence at least--Poor Susan feels worse to night
than me, & M^{rs} Wolcott to cheer us, tells us what we have yet to
expect- this you may be sure has the desir'd effect & raises our spirits
at once--
Friday morn- Chester N J.
We left Springfield yesterday about nine oclock & came on to Chester
about 22 miles from Spring^d----Patience & perseverance will get us to N
C in time-but I fear we shall winter on our way there, for instead of
four weeks, I fear we shall be four times four---- We found an excellent
tavern here compar'd with any we have yet found, & we had for the first
time clean sheets to sleep in- We pass'd thro' Morristown yesterday, &
3 small villages- one called Chatham I do not know the names of the
others-- It is very hilly in N Jersey, & what is very strange, we appear
almost always to be going up hill, but like the squirrel, never rise 2
inches higher- The hills look very handsomely at a little distance,- but
none of them are very high---- M^r & M^{rs} Wolcott, after telling us
every thing dreadful, they could think of, began encouraging us by
changing sides & relating the good as well as the bad- They are sure I
shall like Warren better than I expect & think I shall not regret going
in the least---- The weather yesterday was very pleasant, & is this
morning also- We wish to reach Easton to day, but I am sure we shall
not, for it is 32 miles distant- 5 or 600 hundred miles appears like a
short journey to me now- indeed I feel as if I could go almost any
distance- My courage & spirits & both very good--one week is already
gone of the 4-- I wish I could fly back to you a few minutes while we
are waiting----