5 Still Apart

Chapter 5 Still Apart John didn't want to leave Abigail, but she couldn't go with him to Europe. She needed to stay home to run the farm and raise the children. John also worried about the dangers of the trip across the ocean. Taking his son was risky enough. As it turned out, their ship was fired on by a British ship, outran pirates, and survived a terrifying three-day storm. Lightning killed one of the crew! Meanwhile, Abigail worried. No one set sail, as John had, in winter. It wasn't safe. And it was wartime! She heard nothing from her husband and son for months. The rumor was that the ship had been captured by the British. Finally, a few letters came to say they were all right, but letters took so long to arrive!

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It was a difficult winter for Abigail. There were bad snowstorms in Braintree. War made everything scarce or expensive. The farm was losing money, and she had to let go some of her help. Abigail came up with a clever idea. She asked John to send her things she could sell to make money. He did—cloth, tea, dishes, and ribbons,

among other things. Abigail had a good head for business. Soon she was ordering items directly from the trading houses in Europe and making a profit. Abigail invested her profits in land and bonds. Many years later, she and her family still lived on this money. After one and a half years away, John and John Quincy sailed home. They were dropped off from their ship and rowed ashore to Braintree. It came as a complete surprise for Abigail when they appeared at her door!

Unfortunately, the reunion didn't last long. John had to return to Paris in November 1779. This time he took not only John Quincy but also their son Charles. Abigail felt the brothers needed their father. Still, she described being separated from her boys as "cruel torture." She was afraid they'd be gone a very long time. And

she was right. It was almost five years before Abigail saw her husband and sons again! John's voyage to Paris was not any easier than his first trip. The boat was leaky and was forced to land in Spain. John and his sons had to go eight hundred miles over land and over mountains to Paris. They walked or rode mules much of the way. It took a while. Abigail cried with relief when she finally got a letter from