We left M^r Rees' yesterday ten oclock- & after waiting some time at the
ferry house, cross'd the Susquehanna with considerable difficulty- The
river is a mile wide & so shallow that the boat would scrape across the
large stones so as almost to prevent it from proceeding- We only came 8
miles- the riding was awful- & the weather so cold that I thought I
should perish riding 4 miles- This will do well for us, 8 miles in 3
days- We were to have seen the mountains yesterday, but are 50 miles
from it-- I should like to have staid at M^r Rees' till we reach home if
it was possible, notwithstanding we had like to have all lost our
characters there- While we were at breakfast, the black wench miss'd
nearly 4 dollars of money, & very impudently accused us with taking it,
in rather an indirect manner-- I felt at first very angry, but anger
soon gave place to pity for the poor girls loss- It was money she had
been saving for a long time that she might get enough to buy her a
dress- but she left it about very carelessly in the closet where any one
might have taken it who was so disposed-- But had I been inclined to
steal, I could not have stolen from a poor black girl- I would rather
have given her as much- I never felt so queerly in my life- To be
suspected of theft was so new & unexpected to me, that I was wholly
unprepar'd for it-- We went to M^r Rees & begg'd him to take some method
to satisfy the girl we were innocent but we could not prevail on him to,
tho' we really wish'd it-He gave the girl a severe scolding & desir'd us
not to remember it against them, or to suffer ourselves to be made a
moment uneasy by it, & both himself and M^rs Rees were extremely sorry
any thing of the kind had happen'd- The girl continued crying & assuring
us her money had been safe all summer till then & nobody had been near
it but us- I, nor any of us had any doubt that the landlord's sister,
whom I before mention'd, had taken it- She had the day before 2 or 3
ninepences in her shoes, & when M^r W ventur'd to ask her if she had not
taken it to tease the wench, she swore by every thing she had not
touch'd it- She said it was fashionable for ladies to carry money in
their shoes- I suppose she had long been eyeing it, & thought then would
be a good opper^ty to take it but did not intend it should be
discover'd till we were gone & unable to defend ourselves from the
charge which she then meant to make against us-- She is so worthless a
character in every respect, that I am certain she could be guilty of
stealing upon occasion-- She was very fond of telling what ladies, like
_her_ & _me_, did & wore-- She is between 30 & 40 y^{rs} of age- It was
an honour I was not very tenacious of, to be rank'd with her
ladyship-The money was not found before we left there & I suppose the
poor girl feels as certain some one of us have it, as that she has lost
it- Should I ever return this way I would call & enquire about it- I
hope it will be found with Babby (for that is the creatures name)--
We put up for the Sabbath at a tavern where none but the servants deign
to look at us- When I am with such people, my proud spirit rises & I
feel superior to them all-- I believe no regard is paid to the sabbath
any where in this State- It is only made a holiday of-- So much swearing
as I have heard amongst the Pensylvanians both men & women I have never
heard before during my whole life- I feel afraid I shall become so
accustom'd to hearing it, as to feel no uneasiness at it. Harrisburgh is
a most dissipated place I am sure- & the small towns seem to partake of
the vice & dissipation of the great ones-- I believe M^{rs} Jackson has
cast her eyes on Susan or me for a daughter in law- for my part, though
I feel very well disposed toward the young man, I had not thought of
_making a bargain_ with him, but I have jolted off most of my high
notions, & perhaps I may be willing to descend from a judge to a
blacksmith- I shall not absolutely determine with respect to him till I
get to Warren & have time to look about me & compare him with the judges
Dobson & Stephenson- It is clever to have two or three strings to ones
bow-- But in spite of my prejudices, they are _very clever_-- Among my
list of _cast offs_, I would rank Dutchmen, a Pensylvania waggoner,
ditto gentlemen- for their prophanity- & a Slut- The words, Landlord &
lady, terrible,- get married,- get a husband-&c &c-- I do not find it as
easy to write a journal as I had hoped- for we are seldom favour'd with
any more than the barroom, & there is always as many men as the room
will hold besides our party, & there is nine of us- so you may judge
whether I find it difficult or not- I frequently begin a sentence &
forget how to finish it,- for the conversation grows so loud, that I am
oblig'd to listen to it & write between whiles- I sometimes get quite
discouraged & think I will not try again, but I take too much pleasure
in writing, to give it up willingly--