University of Virginia Library

Oct. ye 14th.

A strange and wonderful Providence! Last night
there was a great Companie of the neighbors at my
Uncle's, to help him in the husking and stripping of the
Corn, as is the custom in these parts. The barn floor
was about half filled with the Corn in its dry Leaves;

the companie sitting down on blocks and stools before
it plucking off the Leaves, and throwing the yellow
Ears into Baskets. A pleasant and merrie Evening
we had; and when the Corn was nigh stripped, I
went into the House with Cousin Thankful, to look to
the Supper and the laying of the Tables, when we
heard a loud Noise in the Barn, and one of the Girls
came running in, crying out, “Oh, Thankful! Thankful!
John Gibbins has appeared to us! — His Spirit is
in the Barn!” The plates dropped from my Cousin's
Hand, and, with a faint cry, she fell back against the
Wall for a little space; when, hearing a Man's voice
without, speaking her name, she ran to the Door, with
the look of one beside herself, while I, trembling to
see her in such a plight, followed her. There was a
clear Moon, and a tall Man stood in the Light close to
the Door.

“John,” said my Cousin, in a quick choking Voice,
“Is it you?”

“Why, Thankful, don't you know me? I'm alive,
but the Folks in the Barn will have it that I'm a Ghost,”
said the Man, springing towards her.

With a great Cry of Joy and Wonder, my Cousin
caught hold of him: “Oh, John, you are alive!”

Then she swooned quite away, and we had a deal to
do to bring her to Life again. By this time, the House

was full of People, and among the rest came John's old
Mother and his Sisters, and we all did weep and laugh
at the same Time. As soon as we got a little quieted,
John told us that he had indeed been grievously
stunned by the Blow of a Tomahawk, and left for dead
by his comrades, but that after a time he did come to
his Senses, and was able to walk, but, falling into the
hands of the Indians, he was carried off to the French
Canadas, where by reason of his great sufferings on the
way, he fell Sick, and lay for a long time at the point
of Death. That when he did get about again, the
Savage who lodged him, and who had taken him as a
Son, in the place of his own, slain by the Mohawks,
would not let him go home, although he did confess
that the Warre was at an end. His Indian father, he
said, who was feeble and old, died not long ago, and
he had made his way home by the way of Crown
Point and Albany. Supper being readie, we all sat
down, and the Minister, who had been sent for, offered
Thanks for the marvellous preserving and restoring of
the friend who was lost and now was found, as also
for the blessings of Peace, by reason of which every
Man could now sit under his own Vine and Fig tree,
with none to molest or make him afraid, and for the
abundance of the Harvest, and the Treasures of the
Seas, and the Spoil of the Woods, soe that our Land
might take up the song of the Psalmist: The Lord
doth build up Jerusalem; he gathereth the outcasts of
Israel; he healeth the broken in heart. Praise thy
God, oh Zion! For he strengtheneth the Bars of thy
Gates, he maketh peace in thy Borders, and filleth thee
with the finest of Wheat. Oh! a sweet Supper we
had, albeit little was eaten, for we were filled full of
Joy, and needed not other Food. When the companie
had gone, my dear Cousin and her Betrothed went a
little apart, and talked of all that had happened unto
them during their long Separation. I left them sitting
lovingly together in the Light of the Moon, and a
measure of their unspeakable happiness did go with
me to my Pillow.

This morning, Thankful came to my bedside to pour
out her Hearte to me. The poor girl is like a new
creature. The Shade of her heavy Sorrow, which did
formerlie rest upon her Countenance, hath passed off
like a morning cloud, and her Eye hath the light of a
deep and quiet joy.

“I now know,” said she, “what David meant when
he said, `We are like them that Dream; our Mouth
is filled with Laughter, and our Tongue with Singing;
The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we
are glad!”'