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⟨myself⟩ at leisure hours. With this good master ⟨I⟩ continued till I was seventeen years old, when ⟨he⟩ died; and, as a reward for my faithful service, ⟨he⟩ left me £200 currency, which was then about 150 sterling, his best horse, saddle, and all his (illegible text)caring apparel.
Being now my own master, having money in ⟨my⟩ pocket, and all other necessaries, I employed ⟨myself⟩ in jobbing about the country, working for ⟨any⟩ one that would employ me, for near seven ⟨years⟩, when, thinking I had money sufficient to ⟨allow⟩ some better way of life, I resolved to settle, but thought one step necessary thereto was ⟨to⟩ be married; for which purpose I applied to ⟨the⟩ daughter of a substantial planter, and found ⟨my⟩ suit was not unacceptable to her or her father, ⟨so⟩ that matters were soon concluded upon, and ⟨we⟩ married. My father-in-law, in order to establish us in the world in an easy, if not affluent manner, made me a deed of gift of a tract of land, ⟨that⟩ lay, unhappily for me, as it has since proved, ⟨on⟩ the frontiers of the province of Pennsylvania, ⟨near⟩ the forks of Delaware, in Berks County, ⟨containing⟩ about 200 acres; 30 of which were well cleared, and fit for immediate use, whereon was a good house and barn. The place pleasing me well, I settled on it, though it cost me the major part of my money in buying stock, household furniture, and implements for out-door work;
