Edited by Leah Reimer
It was upon a Sabbath-day-morning1, that they prepared for their travel. This morning I asked my master whether he would sell me to my husband. He answered me “Nux,”2 which did much rejoice my spirit. My mistress3, before we went, was gone to the burial of a papoose4, and returning, she found me sitting and reading in my Bible; she snatched it hastily out of my hand, and threw it out of doors. I ran out and catched it up, and put it into my pocket, and never let her see it afterward5. Then they packed up their things to be gone, and gave me my load. I complained it was too heavy, whereupon she gave me a slap in the face, and bade6 me go; I lifted up my heart to God, hoping the redemption was not far off; and the rather because their insolency7 grew worse and worse.
But the thoughts of my going homeward (for so we bent our course) much cheered my spirit, and made my burden seem light, and almost nothing at all. But (to my amazement and great perplexity) the scale was soon turned; for when we had gone a little way, on a sudden my mistress gives out; she would go no further, but turn back again, and said I must go back again with her, and she called her sannup, and would have had him gone back also, but he would not, but said he would go on, and come to us again in three days. My spirit was, upon this, I confess, very impatient, and almost outrageous. I thought I could as well have died as went back8; I cannot declare the trouble that I was in about it; but yet back again I must go. As soon as I had the opportunity, I took my Bible to read, and that quieting Scripture came to my hand, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46.10). Which stilled my spirit for the present. But a sore time of trial, I concluded, I had to go through, my master being gone, who seemed to me the best friend that I had of an Indian, both in cold and hunger, and quickly so it proved.9
Down I sat, with my heart as full as it could hold, and yet so hungry that I could not sit neither; but going out to see what I could find, and walking among the trees, I found six acorns, and two chestnuts, which were some refreshment to me. Towards night I gathered some sticks for my own comfort, that I might not lie a-cold; but when we came to lie down they bade me to go out, and lie somewhere else, for they had company (they said) come in more than their own. I told them, I could not tell where to go, they bade me go look; I told them, if I went to another wigwam10 they would be angry, and send me home again. Then one of the company drew his sword, and told me he would run me through if I did not go presently. Then was I fain to stoop to this rude fellow, and to go out in the night, I knew not whither11. Mine eyes have seen that fellow afterwards walking up and down Boston, under the appearance of a Friend Indian, and several others of the like cut. I went to one wigwam, and they told me they had no room.
Then I went to another, and they said the same; at last an old Indian bade me to come to him, and his squaw12 gave me some ground nuts; she gave me also something to lay under my head, and a good fire we had; and through the good providence of God, I had a comfortable lodging that night.13
According to Wikipedia, a wigwam is “a semi-permanent domed dwelling used by certain Native American tribes and First Nations people”
In the morning, another Indian bade me come at night, and he would give me six ground nuts, which I did. We were at this place and time about two miles from [the] Connecticut river14. We went in the morning to gather ground nuts, to the river, and went back again that night. I went with a good load at my back (for they when they went, though but a little way, would carry all their trumpery15 with them). I told them the skin was off my back, but I had no other comforting answer from them than this: that it would be no matter if my head were off too.
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The Sabbath day is the day of rest and worship in Christian tradition. Rowlandson was a devout Puritan, and so the Sabbath was very important to her. Throughout her captivity, Rowlandson struggled with working on the Sabbath. ↩
Mary Rowlandson’s mistress was her female master ↩
Papoose was the American English word for an Indigenous child. ↩
Rowlandson’s Bible was very sacred to her, and she held to it tightly as it was the primary thing that helped her feel as though she was still holding onto her identity as a virtuous Christian. ↩
“Bade” is a word for order or command (OED). ↩
“Insolence” is a word for rude (OED). ↩
Rowlandson was very intent on reuniting with her family, and wanted to continue on their journey. By this statement, Rowlandson meant that she would rather die than go backwards in their journey ↩
Text is broken up into smaller paragraphs for readability and to establish the different time frames occurring in this section. This format strays from Project Gutenberg’s original format. ↩
A wigwam is an Indigenous house or gathering place. ↩
“Wither” is a literary word meaning “to where”. When Rowlandson writes “I knew not wither”, she is saying “I did not know where”, meaning she did not know where to go in the night. ↩
“Squaw” is an American English derogatory word used against Indigenous women. However, there is some debate regarding the derogatory nature of this word. ↩
Rowlandson rarely credited her good fortune to the kindness of the Indigenous people around her and often credited positive events during her captivity to God. This was a way for Rowlandson to maintain the “evil” identity of the Indigenous people and dehumanize them. ↩
Much of Rowlandson’s journey in captivity took place along the Connecticut River. ↩
By referring to the Indigenous people’s items as “trumpery”, Rowlandson is implying that the things they take with them are useless and trivial, further dehumanizing and belittling them. ↩