Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 11).djvu/302

This page needs to be proofread.

young people, and one of the thirty-nine families, for whom Mr. Fearon was deputed to find an asylum. He brought a respectable sum, 1,500l. and now cares not about any business, except that of growing produce enough for his own consumption. He will receive Mr. Potts, a neighbour, as his partner in farming, not caring much about profits. This freedom from care is a fine thing. On his marriage in London, where he was a school-master, he protested against all the absurdities of the marriage ceremony. When he removes from this settlement, it will be into the eastern states.

21st.—Met young Delaware Armstrong, the handsome simple son of a hunting Rowdey farmer, who grew only 80 bushels of corn off his whole farm last year.

This young man states his blood to be half Irish, half Scotch from his grandfather. He likes an English girl as well, or better than an American, if, as a wife, she could but make his clothes. But at any rate she must milk; he could not neglect his business to milk. Milking is disgraceful; or, if he agrees to do the milking, she must do all the washing herself, though it is common for him, and his father, and other farmers to assist in the washing. "Many a day," said he, "have I and father washed." I said, if he agreed to milk for his English wife, who certainly would not, he must always do it, or she would comb his hair, {322} pull his ears, scratch his eyes, or take the hot poker to him. "I can't always milk, and she would thus act only once; but if we could not agree, I would go to Squire Russel's and be parted. I would leave her, and marry again in another state. But if she did scratch and poker me, I would knock her down, and the devil's a hog, if I would not kill her." Before this, he said his mode of courtship would be, on the first time of meeting, to put