The Adventures of Ann

The Adventures of Ann

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Title: The Adventures of Ann Stories of Colonial Times
Author: Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
Release Date: January 21, 2006 [EBook #17560]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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ADVENTURES OF ANN ***

Produced by Jeff Kaylin and Andrew Sly

THE ADVENTURES OF ANN
STORIES OF COLONIAL TIMES
BY Mary E. Wilkins
FROM ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS AND FAMILY TRADITIONS

BOSTON D. LOTHROP AND COMPANY FRANKLIN AND
HAWLEY STREETS

Copyright, 1886, by D. Lothrop & Company.

CONTENTS.
The Bound Girl Deacon Thomas Wales' Will The Adopted Daughter
The "Horse-House" Deed

STORIES OF COLONIAL TIMES

I
The Bound Girl
This Indenture Wittnesseth, That I Margaret Burjust of Boston, in the
County of Suffolk and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New
England. Have placed, and by these presents do place and bind out my
only Daughter whose name is Ann Ginnins to be an Apprentice unto
Samuel Wales and his wife of Braintree in the County afores:d,
Blacksmith. To them and their Heirs and with them the s:d Samuel
Wales, his wife and their Heirs, after the manner of an apprentice to
dwell and Serve from the day of the date hereof for and during the full
and Just Term of Sixteen years, three months and twenty-three day's
next ensueing and fully to be Compleat, during all which term the s:d
apprentice her s:d Master and Mistress faithfully Shall Serve, Their
Secrets keep close, and Lawful and reasonable Command everywhere
gladly do and perform.
Damage to her s:d Master and Mistress she shall not willingly do. Her

s:d Master's goods she shall not waste, Embezel, purloin or lend unto
Others nor suffer the same to be wasted or purloined. But to her power
Shall discover the Same to her s:d Master. Taverns or Ailhouss she
Shall not frequent, at any unlawful game She Shall not play,
Matrimony she Shall not Contract with any persons during s:d Term.
From her master's Service She Shall not at any time unlawfully absent
herself. But in all things as a good honest and faithful Servant and
apprentice Shall bear and behave herself, During the full term afores:d
Commencing from the third day of November Anno Dom: One
Thousand, Seven Hundred fifty and three. And the s:d Master for
himself, wife, and Heir's, Doth Covenant Promise Grant and Agree
unto and with the s:d apprentice and the s:d Margaret Burjust, in
manner and form following. That is to say, That they will teach the s:d
apprentice or Cause her to be taught in the Art of good housewifery,
and also to read and write well. And will find and provide for and give
unto s:d apprentice good and sufficient Meat Drink washing and
lodging both in Sickness and in health, and at the Expiration of S:d
term to Dismiss s:d apprentice with two Good Suits of Apparrel both of
woolen and linnin for all parts of her body (viz) One for Lord-days and
one for working days Suitable to her Quality. In Testimony whereof I
Samuel Wales and Margaret Burjust Have Interchangably Sett their
hands and Seals this Third day November Anno Dom: 1753, and in the
twenty Seventh year of the Reign of our Soveraig'n Lord George the
Second of great Britain the King. Signed Sealed & Delivered. In
presence of Sam Vaughan Margaret Burgis Mary Vaughan her X
mark."
This quaint document was carefully locked up, with some old deeds
and other valuable papers, in his desk, by the "s:d Samuel Wales," one
hundred and thirty years ago. The desk was a rude, unpainted pine
affair, and it reared itself on its four stilt-like legs in a corner of his
kitchen, in his house in the South Precinct of Braintree. The sharp eyes
of the little "s:d apprentice" had noted it oftener and more enviously
than any other article of furniture in the house. On the night of her
arrival, after her journey of fourteen miles from Boston, over a rough
bridle-road, on a jolting horse, clinging tremblingly to her new
"Master," she peered through her little red fingers at the desk

swallowing up those precious papers which Samuel Wales drew from
his pocket with an important air. She was hardly five years old, but she
was an acute child; and she watched her master draw forth the papers,
show them to his wife, Polly, and lock them up in the desk, with the
full understanding that