A Letter From Kit. By Liz Erickson

Dear Elizabeth Ann,

My fellow neighbor, I have finished my journey to America.It was not like anything I would have imagened. It took us about nine long and boring days to get up the river.My experience on the Dolphin was terrible.There was a young girl on the ship with her mother, the little girl had dropped her only doll into the water. No one did anything to get it for the poor little girl, they all just watched it fade away.I felt angered, how could these people be so rude! I jumped into the water and swam after it and returned the girl her doll.Everybody was staring at me when i came out of the water, they were all so amazed i could swim, which I could not understand.Because of that everybody had accused me of being a witch, could you believe that! Nobody knew how to do anything such as, read or even swim.Also no one has any slaves, you have to do your own work. Life is very different and very different looking."The bleak line of shore surrounding the gray harbor was a disheartening contrast to the shimmering green and white that fringed the turquoise bay of Barbados."(1-2) I did not expect America to be so boring.

Even though my voyage was not as wonderful as I thought it would be I met two very nice men. One named John Holbrook, a young man studying to become a minister, and another young man named Nathaniel Eaton, he was sweet to me but he disagrees with my ways and religion. My arrival to my family's town was small and a little disappointing to me. When I had arrived to my aunt and uncle's home my aunt thought I was her sister margaret, I guess I do look a little like my mother. I was introduced to my new family. I have two cousins named Judith and Mercy, Judith is so beautiful and so is Mercy but she is crippled and has to walk around with crutches. I had also met my uncle Matthew and my Aunt Rachel. I was welcomed to stay, but they don't have much, I only brought seven trunks of dresses and they made a big deal about it. My uncle is very strict, while we were working the girls and I were just taking a break, they wanted to see my dresses so I let them. We were all having fun and trying on the dresses, even Aunt Rachel had joined us, until Uncle Matthew walked in on us and was very disappointed.The people of Connecticut practiced a very different religion, they are called Puritans. There religion is very harsh they are not allowed to wear anything beautiful, it is a sin to show your beauty. Even though he is hard on all of us, i had just learned why, Aunt Rachel had given birth to two boys but they had passed when they were babies, no wonder why Matthew is so grim. He just wants to have another man around the house.

 My life is very different than it was in Barbados, but i am a changed woman. I have been working around the house and I also got a job as a teacher in the Dame School teaching little kids how to read, write and learn letters. Just the other day while working with Judith, we were sent down to work the onion field in the south meadow. We passed by the Great Meadow, a stretch of grassy land that is often flooded by the river. Judith explained to me that no one lives there, but most landowners have a lot or garden there. It felt like I was home again, there was something there that reminded me of Barbados. I noticed a little house, Judith told me that the building is the home of Widow Tupper, the only person stubborn enough to live in the meadows. Hannah Tupper, lives with only her cats by Blackbird Pond. Most people think she’s a witch, as she does not attend Meeting. But she isn't a terrible person, I had met her. She is a nice old lady.I feel very terrible, she has no friends here and is all alone, she only has her cats. But as I learned more about her she became sweeter and sweeter. I learned that all those things I heard about her were all lies. I don't think people should be judging her without even seeing who she really is.

As much as I love writing to you, I must go. I hope you have learned that life here is very different then we both expected. I miss you very much and make sure to tell the other neighbors I said hello. I will hope to hear from you soon !

Sincerely,

Kit