infirmary for the next two weeks. On March 29th he was taken to
the North Family for a visit but the next day he records that "he
visited too hard and got very much exhausted and my colic pains
come on and had a very distressed night." Two weeks later he
says he remains quite feeble/ unable to do much except to read
and write . "
But by Sunday, May 1, he was able "to read my second testimony in
our afternoon meeting" and the next day he walked to and from the
west Family. He is now 79.
'
In September Thomas A was considered competent enough to get the
job of supervising the reshingling of the old mill roof. Free-
gift complains that he is "unable to do any laborious worklll and
I use up my time in doing light chores and writing." He is
having recurring colic attacks, going in and out of the infirmary
and feeling "anxious for an orderly pass into the Spirit World."
But the next day he mends a chair and puts a hoop on an apple-
sauce bucket. What he considers these things to be, I don't
know, for he says it is only in February 1865 that he is able to
do light chores again.
The care of the mill is now given to Thomas who is now 17 years
and 8 months old. Freegift says Thomas "is a smart fellow and I
hope will always do well and honor his privilege by faithfully
bearing his cross to the end of his days. If he does this my
blessing will always remain with him and he will receive a rich
reward for all his labors. Hush now -- what have I been writing I
Likely as not he will get a peep at it some time but surely I
hope it will not do him any hurt."
On April 28thf Chauncey Copley brought him 2 barrels of clams
which Freegift then helped shuck -- about 1500. But he is now
eperiencing his daily spells of cholic again and this continues
through the summer. In October he went to the West Family and
gathered 2 1/2 bushels of black walnuts. The next morning Thomas
wheeled them home, Freegift shucked them and got 3 pecks of nuts.
But daily entries now cease and the journal ends with an entry on
31 Decemberst "Had no turns of cholic since October of much
account, but abundance of distress in my hands and arms, includ-
ingpain, throbbing, twinging, itching, a prickly feeling like
that experienced in the feet when asleep, and sometimes shocks
like those received from an electric machine." Since these take
place increasingly at night, he is deprived of sleep and many
times during the day his fingers are so numb he cannot hold a pen
to write or a tool to work with.
So we are lacking his comments when, in February 1867, Thomas,
now 19 years old, left the Shakers with two friends who came for
him. Another Church Family journal records it and tells that six
days later Thomas came back and "was lounging and hanging about
the mill and barns until about 7 pm" when he got word to Ada
Woods, his girl friend, that he was after her and "she, of
course , eloped with him in a secret manner. . ."

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