_Boston, Feb. 22._ I regretted that you were not present at the
pow-wow after church on the 14th. Mr. Tomlinson talked very "straight"
to Pompey and others about their having no right to live on my land
without working for me at fair rates. He expressed his opinion very
freely about the fairness of our prices and told them they must go
and hunt up another home or work for us at these rates. I promised to
sign a "pass," which you can do for me, promising to Pompey or any
other man who works for us that as soon as he gets a piece of land of
his own, gets a deed of it, and gets it fenced in, we will sell him a
cow at cost, but I would not agree to allow their cows to run at large
on the plantation, and Mr. Tomlinson said I was perfectly right.
During the confab I overheard mutterings among the crowd such as "we
shan't get anything," "it's no use," etc., serving to convince me that
the whole subject would be quietly dropped unless stirred up by some
such men as J. H. and F. J. W. again. Considering the prospect of high
prices of molasses and bacon, etc., I think we may find it advisable
to pay fifty cents all summer for what we had promised forty. But
would do nothing about it till I have made my purchases of molasses,
etc., and know just how the thing will stand.
An unexpected danger in the shape of an epidemic of
small-pox made its appearance in the middle of the winter
and lasted for two or three months.