63 That I before had kindled in thy breast; And so My bride have turn'd it back that way, "If he was better to them he might go, Thou would never waste his love, thou told'st him so, To hurt himself, and back to thee to come, If he was great; thou told'st him thou wast grand." Unto the skies they've swell'd their wisdom high- And say we'll turn and try her heart once more;- Continuation of Joanna's History. "As I am called to write the particulars, that all may be explained, I shall mention what I have omitted before we parted for good. There was a young woman in Sidmouth, Captain Wickers's daughter, who was almost mad about Noah Bishop, and would follow him wherever he went; when he did go to Sidmouth Town, one Sunday, she followed him upon thee beach, and followed him part of the way home, and he stood talking with her. A friend of mine passed them by, and came and told me of it. This fired my soul with jealousy and, as soon as I saw him enter the yard, I went immediately up stairs. He came and enquired of my sister for me. She told him I was gone up stairs, because I refused to see him; for, that I had desired her to tell him, that where he had been ALREADY, he might go again, along with Fanny Wickers. He declared to my sister, he could not bear her; and, though she followed him, he hated her, and believed her a very bad, loose girl; but, as she had followed him, he was obliged to stop and speak with her: but this excuse. did not do for me. My heart burned with jealousy: and, in my passion, I said, I would not come down for the night; neither did I the next day. I thought, if what he said was real, he would come as usual, when I was milking, as he knew I could not shun him then; but, to my astonishment, he did not come: this fired my heart with indignation, for I thought my jealousy was without a cause. The next day, I went to my father's at Getsham, and Noah came and pleaded his cause again with my Sister, who told him I was more confirmed in my opinion than ever; and she was gone to Getsham to my Father's. He said, well then I will soon be after her, for I will go and and see her, and convince her, that I hate Fanny Wichers. My Sister told him he need not go to Getsham to see me, for I should return again the latter end of the week. He said, then he would wait till my return. I returned home on the Saturday night, but as soon 65 as he came into the house on the Sunday, I fled from him as beforè; but in the evening when I went to milking I saw him standing at the Orchard Gate, as he knew I could go no other way; he had an halter in his hand, and said, he had been down to turn the Sheep out of the Orchard, and put in the Colt, and he would not let me go till he had convinced me of his dislike to Fanny Wickers, and that I was the only Woman in the World that he loved. I told him, if what he said was TRUE, he would have come on the Monday night to convince me of the Truth, and not have staid away as he did; for I supposed he was with her then. He assured me to the contrary; for his father had sent him in the morning all over Bulverton Hill to find the colts, and he had come round two or three times to my brother's grounds, in hopes of seeing me watering the bullocks, which I very often used to do at noon, as there was no water in the field; but he had missed the time that I came, and made it so late before he could find his horses, that he did not return home till after night; and to prove the truth of what he said, he could bring his brother Nathaniel, William Prince, Richard Isaac, and many others, to testify the truth of what he said; and his brother, and William Prince, did. testify the truth: so I gave up all my jealousy in this matter, before it came to be alarmed another way, by people's saying, that he would break my heart in a twelve-month if I had him, which brought the sorrows upon me, as is mentioned in my history: but, as all particulars must be explained, I shall notice one further. His wife that is now, and I, were intimately acquainted: and, one Sunday, when she came into the house, I told him that she should be his wife. In a contemptuous manner, he said, he did not like her: but, years after, when he courted her, I was in company with him at a reaping-harvest, and there was a woman there that said her name was Anne. He said, Oh, Anne! I love the name of Anne-and now I may say the same of my dear SAVIOUR, that I have been so often jealous of, fearing HE would let the gates of hell prevail against me; but now I know none can pluck me out of His Hand and now I will say, with David, "if I am vile, I will still be viler," and prove the truth that the Bible is clear, and the truth of His words are true to me. Though I'm unworthy, and of merit none; Widows sorrows. What Manner forsaken Communications 67 And so my heart they thought to tear that way, go, I see my LORD in Noah to appear; Not all the arts of hell shall now appear, Worse than a widow's was my sorrows there→→ |