intimate friend Elizabeth Smith,16 the maiden sister of Samuel 14 and John,15 had intended to travel abroad with him and her companion. Her certificate had been signed in the meeting by him and many Friends, and she was then laid upon a bed of sickness which proved to be her deathbed. Yet there was a hesitation lest he had not been "clear" when he put his name to the paper. The Smiths were people of wealth and standing. Elizabeth had family furniture and silver; were these consistent? So he wrote, calling her his "beloved sister," and told her gently of his "tender feeling" with her in her outward afflictions, and some measure of the same in her "inward exercises." He continues-"In the pure and undefiled way, that which is not of the Father but of the world is purged out. Christ of old time taught the people as they were able to bear it, and I believe, my dear friend, there are lessons for thee and I (sic) yet to learn. Friends from the Country and in the Citty are often at thy house, and when they behold amongst thy furniture some things which are not agreeable to the purity of Truth, the minds of some, I believe, at times are in danger of being diverted from so close an attention to the Light of Life as is necessary for us. I believe, my dear friend, the Lord hath weaned thy mind in a great Measure from all these things, and when I Signed thy Certificate, Expressing thee to be exemplary, I had regard to the State of thy mind as it appeared to me; but many times since I Signed it, I felt a desire to open to thee a reserve which I then, and Since often felt as to the Exemplariness of those things amongst thy furniture which are against the purity of our principles. I Trust the Great Friend and Keeper is near thee, in Whose Love I am thy friend. da mo 28:4: 1772 JOHN WOOLMAN. I desired my Wife to keep this letter for thee when she might see thee." Such was the gentle reproof of a sincere friend! The certificate, the letter and the furniture are now cherished together.1 They are all in possession of the editor, to whom they have come by inheritance. The chairs have only a shell on the back and knees, and, except for their graceful shape, are absolutely without other ornament. Another letter written on the same day gives a parting blessing to John and Mary Comfort.24 Their first child was born six weeks later. Dear Children: I feel a tender care for you at this time of parting from you, and under this care, my mind is turned toward the pure Light of Truth, to which if you take diligent heed I trust you will find inward Support under all your trials. My leaving you under the trying Circumstances now attending you, is not without close exercise and I feel a living concern, that under these cares of business, and under bodily affliction, your minds may be brought to a humble waiting on Him who is the great Preserver of his people. Your loving parent da. mo. 28: 4: 1772.1 John Woolman. Two more days in Philadelphia, after parting from his family at the early dawn, were occupied with final preparations, and one may fancy how his friends were troubled at his quiet persistence in selecting quarters which proved to be far more uncomfortable than he had known. Doubtless, as he carried with him, at his own charges, all the food and furnishings necessary for the voyage, the Friends placed for his comfort some of the provisions and remedies with which they desired to allay the discomforts and inconveniences before him. There are on record many long lists of the provisions taken abroad in the vessels of that day by traveling Friends. They are curious and interesting, but space will not permit an example here; there is no list of John Woolman's. Vessels in those days sailing from Philadelphia usually dropped down to Chester to take aboard their final cargo and passengers. After attending Darby Monthly Meeting, his last in America, where, as often, his tender heart yearned over the young people, John Woolman spent the night with his friend William Horne, at Darby and he and Samuel Emlen joined the ship next 2 7 57 1 Endorsed "For John Comfort." Size 52 X 7 inches. (Original in Woolman Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.) 2 Even during this brief stay, John Woolman found time to write a letter to Israel Pemberton, which he left with William Horne to deliver with his own hands. After a fruitless attempt to do so, when John Pemberton was not at home, W. Horne finally Beloved Sifter - I have often had a tender feeling with thee in thy outward Aghitions, and I hust in some measure with thee in thy inward exercises. I believe our by our heavenly Father, for affhitions are often permited full and perfect refineing. The Truth my dear Sifter, hath been presions in thy Sight, and I trust raw pins to be to the precious or over In the pure and undefiled way; that which is not of the Father, but of the world, is purged out, bear it, and I believe and I got to learn: were able to and in the Cifly my dear friend, there are lessons for thee Friends from the Country, are often at thy house, and which they behold amongst thy furniture some things which are not agreable to the purity of Fruth the minds of some Ill & at finer are in danger of be my dive led from so attention to the Light of life on is necessary for us ed from so close an I be lever my dear friend. the Lord hath weaned thy mind in agreat measure from all these things, and when I Signed thy for !! -ficate, Sex prep ming thee to be examplery, I had regard to the State of thy mind as it appeared to me; but "it I felt a defire to open to thee areserve, which I then, and Since many times since I Signed often. felt as to the le emplarines of those things amongst thy furniture which are agamsi the purity of our principles I Frust the Great Friend, and t Great Friend, and helper is near thee thy friend John Woolman in whose Love I remam 28.41772 I defired my wife to keep this letter for thee when She might see ther John Woolman to Elizabeth Smith of Burlington, N. J. 1772. All due to me from people on acrocapts I commit to the care 4-1772 "Pennsylvania Journal" Notice of Ship "Mary and Elizabeth" 1772 morning. The "Mary and Elizabeth" was a fine vessel of one hundred and eighty tons, built in Philadelphia, and owned by Daniel Mildred 58 and John Roberts 58 both of London, and John Head,56 the prominent shipping merchant, of Philadelphia. Her Captain, James Sparks,2 had taken over many traveling preachers among the Quakers, in both directions, in the fifteen or twenty years in which he had sailed to London. James Pemberton, writing soon after to his business correspondent, David Barclay [1728-1809], in London (5mo. 16) says "Our friend Jno. Woolman embarked with Capt. Sparks on a religious visit to some parts of your Island. He is a Friend in good Esteem among us, of blameless Life, a good understanding, and deep in Spiritual Experience, tho' Singular in his Dress & deportment. Is not a Censorious Mind, & I believe apprehends it his real Duty to appear as he does. Samy Emlen also Embarkt in the same Vessel on the like business; he is known well among you.”* Thus departed from his native shores, one whose meek spirit was greatly burdened with the weight of the whole social structure. One wonders how much longer he could have kept up his increasingly strict manner of life. He finally trod among his fellows a solitary path, abstaining from dyed garments because of the increased labor in their manufacture, and a mistaken idea as to cleanliness; from the use of sugar and all other foods that wrote on the 16th of 5mo. that he was enclosing the letter. the Pemberton Papers, Vol. XXIII, p. 138, Pennsylvania Woolman's has disappeared. William Horne's is among 1 "Ship Registers of the Port of Philada." Penna. Magazine of History and Biography. Vol. XXVII, p. 495. George Vaux, a descendant of John Head, made the suggestion that the ship was doubtless named for the first and second wives of the American owner, who built her! Captain Sparks was well known in Philadelphia. His name occurs as a Warden of Christ Church in that city. David Barclay was grandson of the famous apologist, and had joined Dr. Franklin and Dr. Fothergill in an effort (1765) to avert the American Revolution. Pemberton Papers. Vol. 23, p. 164. Historical Society Pennsylvania. A letter preserved in the Devonshire House Library, London, from Thos. Carleton, of Kennett, Pa., to his cousin, Elizabeth Shackleton, of Balletore, Ire., 6mo. 19, 1772, says"... Robert Willis and William Hunt have been on a visit to your Nation, and three other Friends left us lately on the same account, viz.: Sarah Morris, John Woolman and Samuel Emlin. . . . Tho' there may appear something of singularity in some of them, yet Wisdom is justified of her children." |