Page:Autobiography of Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes.djvu/36

10 My father had married Mrs John Rodgers of New York. It was a great surprise to us, but as a boy it made but little impression on me at the time. I loved my father dearly and whatever he did was right in my mind, as far as I was able to see, but of course I had little idea what changes were to befall me. Subsequently I came to the conclusion that it was a marriage of convenience & always believe[d], as I do now, that it was a very unsuitable one for him. He was highly educated and a gentleman of refined feeling, but Mrs Rogers had not these acquirements—and, although well born, she had not been educated and frequently, in common parlance, murdered the King's English. She was born in England; was, I suppose, exceedingly pretty of which she had some [illegible]; had married Mr Rogers on a visit he had made on business. After his death, Mrs Rogers was left a widow with three children, two sons and a daughter, all young as were my father's children. She had an ample fortune but it was in real estate & my father's means, though ample, had many bills upon him from various sources which it was difficult for him to meet. This was in times of the War of 1812 and business had very much decreased and the rental of Mrs. Rogers was comparatively little and very uncertain. This I well recollect as I was frequently sent by my father to collect rents and generally returned empty handed. Mrs Rogers estate has, of course, with the improvement of property, real estate, become exceedingly valuable and her children benefited by it—the ⅓ only being assigned to Mrs Rogers. After my father's death, which took place in Feby of 1818, the families separated and we have had nothing to do with them since.

My stepmother was always exceedingly kind to me and gave me every pleasure that was in her power, but it was impossible for me not to observe and feel the difference in my home. When I had been at home I was almost my father's constant companion.

About this time my father determined to visit Philadelphia to consult Dr Physic, the celebrated physician at that time, for [a] disease he had been afflicted with for some time believed to be the stone which occasioned him at times excruciating agony. He determined to go in his carriage which was fitted up for travelling, and as I had but slowly recovered from a fever and [was] greatly addicted to chills, he determined to take me with him. We accordingly set out to make easy stages. The carriage was easy and we had a very fine pair of horses. The party consisted of my father, Mrs Wilkes, my sister and myself. On our way we met with no interruption or accident until we reached Bristol, where we found a very large concourse of people and no accommodations. It was the week of the Races. The day was exceedingly hot and one of the horses showed great restlessness and irritation. Our coachman, old John Lyle, had great difficulty in controlling him and urged my father to stop but this was impossible for want of getting any place to accommodate us in. The inns at that time were small. It was determined to drive on to Philadelphia. This we reached by nightfall and were hos-