17.1
My father and Unole Riohard were in the practice of
meeting at Nonton Limarady, a town botwoon Derry and Ballymoney, and spending
the evening in society together - on such occasions my father would be accom-
panied by one of his sisters, or by lotters from them.
The following is from his sister Elizabeth to her brother Richard, dated May 1772
I envy my dear brothers the pleasure they will enjoy
in
each others society at Newton. It is a pity you had not some more equal division
of travel for these fratornal feasts of reason. You have to come but twelve miles
from Derry whilst brother John travels eightoon over rough causeways and wild
heaths and mountains, besides yours is a fine level road.
I am about inflicting a task on your patience by sending
you my notes of the last week and it so happens that there are various items:
in it which may in some cases provoko your laughter and in others meet your
Bympathy. It was through your advice that I first commenced this system of
journalizing the events of the day, butt Aunt and Sibby are rather opposed to
it, lest in my desire to fill my paper, or be pleasing to my correspondant,
I might be induced to dip too far into my neighbour's concerns and foster a
satirical propensity, which they imagine I am tinged with. They may be right
for I have often experienced the good resulting from reliance on their judge-
ment, and shall hereafter abide by their advice, but in the present case I
shall venture to give you the aforesaid diary.
Sunday
fine morning, which enabled the young country girls the better
to display their simple adornments of person and manners. Saw many a blooming
lass carrying her shoes and stookings to the dwelling of those friends, who
by dint of industry and trading had emerged from the country; and there with
a degree of simplicity and teste despised or unknown by higher grades in
Society, decorating their persons preparatory to their attendance at the
L'eeting House. After the services of the Tabernaola many kind inquiries about.
you and brother James, and troublesome 26 are these frequent and repeated in-
quiries, we cannot but fool grateful for the unceasing interest these good
people express towards every individual of our family at home and abroad.
Our state of almost orphanage oreated in the breasts of these our neighbours
feelings, which would do honor to more cultivated and enlightened minds.
Our worthy minister gave us an excellent discourse on the duty of submission
to the Divine will. I felt much interested and brought home many of his ob-
servations to my own and poor Sibella's lot, and in the words of the Holy
trit considered "it was good for me to be here." A ludiorous scene however
ocour'd near the conclusion of the sermon, which completely discomposed the
gravity of the congregation and induced many from a becoming sense of decor-
um to quit the house, being unable to restrain risible faculties. You may
recollect Jenet Knox, the orazy woman, who in her luoid intervals was in-
dulged with a Beat on the pulpit stairs, and at whose quaint sayings we ao
often laughed and used to think"there r.as method in her madness; and you can-
not forget the man whoce pew 1.05 st the foot of these stairs and who 80 fre-
