I can wait no longer to write you, for I have a great deal to say- I
should not have thought it possible to pass a Sabbath in our country
among such a dissolute vicious set of wretches as we are now among--I
believe at least 50 dutchmen have been here to day to smoke, drink,
swear, pitch cents, almost dance, laugh & talk dutch & stare at us- They
come in, in droves young & old- black & white- women & children- It is
dreadful to see so many people that you cannot speak to or understand--
They are all high dutch, but I hope not a true specimen of the
Pennsylvanians generally-- Just as we set down to tea, in came a dozen
or two of women, each with a child in her arms, & stood round the room-
I did not know but they had come in a body to claim me as one of their
kin, for they all resemble me- but as they said nothing to me, I
concluded they came to see us _Yankees_, as they would a learned pig--
The women dress in striped linsey woolsey petticoats & short gowns not 6
inches in length- they look very strangely- The men dress much better-
they put on their best cloaths on sunday, which I suppose is their only
holiday, & "keep it up" as they call it-- A stage came on from Bethlehem
& stopt here, with 2 girls & a well dress'd _fellow_ who sat between
them an arm round each-- They were probably going to the next town to a
dance or a frolic of some kind-for the driver, who was very familiar
with them, said he felt just right for a frolic-- I suspect more liquor
has been sold to day than all the week besides-- The children have been
calling us Yankees (which is the only english word they can speak) all
day long-Whether it was meant as a term of derision or not, I neither
know nor care- of this I am sure, they cannot feel more contempt for me
than I do for them;-tho' I most sincerely pity their ignorance & folly-
There seems to be no hope of their improvement as they will not attend
to any means- After saying so much about the people, I will describe our
yesterday's ride- but first I will describe our last nights lodging-
Susan & me ask'd to go to bed- & Mrs W spoke to M^r Riker the
landlord-(for no woman was visible)- So he took up a candle to light us
& we ask'd M^{rs} W to go up with us, for we did not dare go alone- when
we got into a room he went to the bed & open'd it for us, while we were
almost dying with laughter, & then stood waiting with the candle for us
to get into bed- but M^{rs} W- as soon as she could speak, told him she
would wait & bring down the candle & he then left us- I never laugh'd so
heartily in my life- Our bed to sleep on was straw, & then a feather bed
for covering- The pillows contain'd nearly a single handful of feathers,
& were cover'd with the most curious & dirty patchwork, I ever saw-We
had one bedquilt & one sheet- I did not undress at all, for I expected
dutchmen in every moment & you may suppose slept very comfortably in
that expectation----M^r & M^{rs} W, & another woman slept in the same
room- When the latter came to bed, the man came in & open'd her bed
also, after we were all in bed in the middle of the night, I was
awaken'd by the entrance of three dutchmen, who were in search of a bed-
I was almost frightened to death- but M^r W at length heard & stopt them
before they had quite reach'd our bed- Before we were dress'd the men
were at the door- which could not fasten, looking at us- I think _wild
Indians_ will be less terrible to me, than these creatures- Nothing
vexes me more than to see them set & look at us & talk in dutch and
laugh-- Now for our ride- After we left Mansfield, we cross'd the
longest hills, and the worst road, I ever saw- two or three times after
riding a little distance on turnpike, we found it fenced across & were
oblig'd to turn into a wood where it was almost impossible to proceed-
large trees were across, not the road for there was none, but the only
place we could possibly ride- It appear'd to me, we had come to an end
of the habitable part of the globe- but all these difficulties were at
last surmounted, & we reach'd the Delaware- The river where it is
cross'd, is much smaller than I suppos'd- The bridge over it is elegant
I think-- It is covered & has 16 windows each side-- As soon as we
pass'd the bridge, we enter'd Easton, the first town in Pennsylvania- It
is a small but pleasant town- the houses are chiefly small, & built of
stone- very near together- The meeting house, Bank, & I think, market,
are all of the same description- There are a few very handsome brick
houses, & some wooden buildings--From Easton, we came to Bethlehem,
which is 12 miles distant from it- M^r W. went a mile out of his way,
that we might see the town- It contains almost entirely dutch people--
The houses there are nearly all stone- but like Easton it contains some
pretty brick houses- It has not half as many stores as Easton---- The
meeting house is a curious building-it looks like a castle- I suppose it
is stone,- the outside is plaister'd- We left our waggon to view the
town- we did not know whether the building was a church or the moravian
school, so we enquir'd of 2 or 3 men who only answer'd in dutch- M^r &
M^{rs} W were purchasing bread, & Susan & I walk'd on to enquire- we
next saw a little boy on horseback, & he could only say "me cannot
english" but he I believe, spoke to another, for a very pretty boy came
near us & bow'd & expecting us to speak, which we soon did; & he pointed
out the school & explained the different buildings to us as well as he
was able; but we found it difficult to understand him, for he could but
just "english"- We felt very much oblig'd to him, though we neglected to
tell him so- He is the only polite dutchman small or great, we have yet
seen; & I am unwilling to suppose him a _dutchman_. The school buildings
are low, long stone houses- the stone houses are not at all handsome-
but rather ugly--Where we stopt to bait yesterday, we found another
waggon containing a widow Jackson, her 2 sons & a daughter in law- They
enquir'd where we were going & told us they were going to the same place
& immediately join'd our party- We were sorry as we did not wish an
addition to our party, & thought by not travvelling on sunday we should
lose their company, but rather than lose ours, they wait till
monday-They are very clever people apparently, & we may possibly be
benefited by them before we end our journey--We now find the benefit of
having our own provision- for I would not eat anything we could get
here.