8th Month, 31st. The last five days have been
spent at Merion

. At this place I was told that
as William Penn was once coming up from New-
castle to Philadelphia, a friend in the vessel re-
marked that both the wind and the tide were against
them; William Penn immediately replied, that
himself had been sailing against wide and tide
all his life. This reply was very descriptive of
the difficulties which this great man encountered
in the world.

9th Month, 21st.

The last three weeks I con-
tinued at Merion

, occasionally going to Philadel-
phia on business. In the afternoon of this day I
visited P. A. and his wife at H. Bowman's.
They are an ancient couple of plain, honest friends,
both in the ministry. The grandfather of the for-
mer came amongst friends in a remarkable way.
He resided near the sea coast in the Jerseys, and
being an active lively young man, he used some-
times to employ himself in playing upon a violin
amongst his neighbours; especially when the young
people were collected to dance and make merry.
After one of these occasions, as he was returning
home, late in the evening, he observed a human
skull lying upon the sand; which, as he passed by,
caused some serious reflections; but they passed
off for the present. Going that way again some-
time after, the impressions very renewed, and
while he was musing over the skull, which had