We pass'd through Reading yesterday which is one of the largest &
prettiest towns I have seen-We stopt about 2 hours in the town, & I
improved my time in walking about to see it- I went into the stores
enquiring for a scissor case- Almost every one could talk english- but I
believe the greatest part of them were dutch people- As soon as we left
Reading, we cross'd the Schuylkill- It was not deeper than the Lehi, &
we rode thro' it in our waggon. A bridge was begun over it, but the man
broke & was unable to finish it- It would have been an excellent one had
it been completed- It is now grown over with grass & serves as a walk
for the ladies---- We put up for the night at Leonard Shaver's tavern-He
is a dutchman, but has one of the most agreeable women for his wife I
have seen in this State-I was extremely tir'd when we stopt, & went
immediately to bed after tea- & for the first time for a long while,
undress'd me & had a comfortable nights rest- We are oblig'd to sleep
every & any way- at most of the inns now---- My companions were all
disturb'd by the waggoners who put up here & were all night in the room
below us, eating, drinking, talking, laughing & swearing- Poor M^r W-
was so disturb'd that he is not well this morning, & what is more
unpleasant to us, is not good natur'd, & M^rs W has been urging him this
half hour, to eat some breakfast- he would only answer "I shan't eat
any"-but at length swallow'd some in sullen silence- but is in a
different way preparing to ride-- If I were going to be married I would
give my _intended_, a gentle emetic, or some such thing to see how he
would bear being sick a little- for I could not coax a husband as I
would a child, only because he was a little sick & a great deal cross- I
trust I shall never have the trial- I am sure I should never bear it
with temper & patience. M^r W is I believe a very pious good man, but
not naturally pleasant temper'd- religion however, has corrected it in a
great degree, but not wholly overcome it- M^{rs} W- is an amiable sweet
temper'd woman, as I ever saw; the more I know her, the better I love
her- Susan is a charming girl-but Erastus is rather an obstinate boy- he
feels superiour to his father & every one else, in wisdom--M^{rs}
Jackson is a clever woman I believe, but I have a prejudice against her
which I cannot overcome- She is very inquisitive and very communicative-
She resembles Moll Lyman or rather crazy Moll of Northampton in her
looks- She has considerable property & feels it very sensibly- Her
youngest son is almost eighteen & has his wife with him, who is not
quite as old- They have been married 2 months, & are a most loving
couple- I cannot help thinking whenever I see them together, of "love I
Sophia?" &c-- Her name is Eliza & his, John-- The other son is a very
obliging but not a very polish'd young man- I like them all better than
at first----