1726 January 20 (Thursday). Mr. Gee[1] preach’d the publick Lecture on Psalm 122. I went in the Afternoon to Mr. Lewis’s to see Mrs. Edward’s, but she herself was so ill with a broken Breast, and her son was apprehended to be dying, that therefore I could not see her. Captain Storey[2] convers’d with me about his Sons living with me. His words were these about the Conditions of our Discourse. ‘Take the Lad, Sir, Till about May, when I expect to return from Sea, but if it please God to prevent me, if you like the Boy keep him till he is 15 or 16 years old, when I would have him to put to apprentice. All I Desire is that you keep him warm, and feed him Suitably. Instruct him Christianity. My main Expectation and hope is that you’ll give him Education proper to such an One. Let him Serve you as he is able, impose not on him those heavy burthens that will either Cripple him or Spoil his Growth. But in all regards I am willing he should Serve you to his Utmost. Upon my Consenting to this he said he has no Hatt. Let him have one of yours, and if it should so happen that he doth not remain with you I’ll pay for it.’ Upon all which I got him a Hatt at my Brothers and took him with Me at the Entrance of the Evening. It was very Cold and for the Sake of the Boy I was forc’d to call in twice by the way to Cambridge. We got up to Father Champney’s in good Season, but very Cold.
[1]Reverend Joshua Gee of Boston.
[2]Probably Rowland Storey of Boston.