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 DSUGHT6RS OF TH6 RCVOLUT1 
 AND TH6IR TIM6S 
 1769 - 1776
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 Commodore Byron McCandless
 
 ELIZABETH HOOTON WARREN
 
 DAUGHTERS OF THE 
 
 REVOLUTION AND 
 
 THEIR TIMES 
 
 1769 1776 
 # Historical iiomancc 
 
 BY 
 
 CHARLES CARLETON COFFIN 
 
 BOSTON AND NEW YORK 
 HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY 
 
 1895
 
 Copyright, 1895, 
 BY CHARLES CAELETON COFFIN. 
 
 All rights reserved. 
 
 The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Mass., U. S. A. 
 Electrotyped and Printed by H. O. Houghton and Company.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 No period in the history of our country surpasses 
 in interest that immediately preceding and including 
 the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Many vol 
 umes have been written setting forth the patriotism 
 and heroism of the fathers of the Republic, but the 
 devotion of the mothers and daughters has received 
 far less attention. This volume is designed, there 
 fore, to portray in some degree their influence in the 
 struggle of the Colonies to attain their independence. 
 The narration of events takes the form of a story a 
 slight thread of romance being employed, rather than 
 didactic narrative, to more vividly picture the scenes 
 and the parts performed by the actors in the great 
 historic drama. It will not be difficult for the reader 
 to discern between the facts of history and the imagi 
 native parts of the story. 
 
 Eminent educators have expressed the opinion that 
 history may be more successfully taught through the 
 medium of fiction than by any other form of diction. 
 The novels of Sir Walter Scott, notably " Waverley," 
 " Ivanhoe," are cited as presenting pictures of the 
 times more effectively than any purely historic vol 
 ume. The same may be said of " Uncle Tom's 
 Cabin," as illustrating the state of affairs in our own 
 country preceding the War of the Rebellion. It 
 may be questioned whether any work of fiction in 
 
 957341
 
 iv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 the world's history has been so far-reaching in its in 
 fluence as that portrayal of the institution of slavery 
 by Mrs. Stowe. Believing that the spirit of the times 
 can be best pictured by the employment of romance, I 
 have adopted that form of narrative. 
 
 The story opens in the fall of 1769. The Stamp 
 Act had been repealed, and the irritation produced by 
 that act had been allayed. It was a period of quiet 
 and rest. The colonists still regarded themselves as 
 Englishmen and loyal to the crown. Information 
 came that His Majesty George III. was determined 
 to maintain his right to tax the Colonies by imposing 
 an export duty on tea, to be paid by the exporter, 
 who, in turn, would charge it to the consumer. The 
 first resistance to that claim was the agreement of all 
 but six of the merchants of Boston not to import tea 
 from England, and the agreement of their wives and 
 daughters not to drink tea so imported. It was a 
 resistance which had its outcome in the destruction of 
 three cargoes of tea by the historic " Tea-Party," - 
 a resistance which became equally effective in the 
 other Colonies, if less dramatic than in Boston. The 
 determination of the mothers and daughters to ab 
 stain from its use brought about a change in social 
 life, and was influential in awakening a public senti 
 ment which had its legitimate outcome in the events 
 at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill. 
 
 There were causes other than the Stamp Act, Writs 
 of Assistance, and the Tax on Tea, which brought about 
 the Revolution. 
 
 " Whoever would comprehend the causes which led 
 to the struggle of the Colonies for independence," says
 
 INTRODUCTION. v 
 
 John Adams, " must study the Acts of the Board of 
 Trade." 
 
 In this volume I have endeavored to briefly pre 
 sent some of those acts, in the conversation of Sam 
 Adams with Robert Walden, that the school children 
 of the country may have a comprehension of the un 
 derlying causes which brought about resistance to 
 the tyranny of the mother country. The injustice 
 of the laws had its legitimate result in a disregard of 
 moral obligations, so that smuggling was regarded as 
 a virtuous act. 
 
 In no history have I been able to find an account 
 of the tragic death and dramatic burial of the school 
 boy Christopher Snider, given in chapter VIII. It 
 was the expression of sympathy by the people in fol 
 lowing the body of the murdered boy from the Liberty 
 Tree to the burial-place that intensified the antagonism 
 between the citizens and the soldiers of the Fourteenth 
 and Twenty - ninth regiments of the king's troops, 
 which led, the following week, to the Massacre of 
 March 5, 1770. Bancroft barely mentions the name of 
 Snider ; other historians make no account of the event. 
 
 To explain the motives and the play of forces which 
 brought about the Revolution, I have endeavored to 
 set forth society as it was not only in Boston but in 
 Parliament and at the Court of George III. Most 
 historians of the Revolutionary period regard the debt 
 incurred by Great Britain in the conquest of Canada 
 as the chief cause of the war, through the attempt of 
 the mother country, subsequently, to obtain revenue 
 from the Colonies ; but a study of the times gives con 
 clusive evidence that a large portion of the indebted-
 
 vi INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ness was caused by mismanagement and the venality 
 and corruption of Parliament. 
 
 To set forth the extravagance and frivolity of soci 
 ety surrounding King George, I have employed Lord 
 Upperton and his companion, Mr. Dapper, as narra 
 tors. The student of history by turning to Jessee's 
 " Life and Times of George III.," Molloy's " Court 
 Life Below Stairs," Waldegrave's " Memoirs," Hor 
 ace Walpole's writings, and many other volumes, will 
 find ample corroboration of any statement made in 
 this volume. 
 
 The period was characterized by sublime enthusi 
 asm, self-sacrifice, and devotion, not only by the 
 patriots but by loyalists who conscientiously adhered 
 to the crown. In our admiration of those who secured 
 the independence of the Colonies, we have overlooked 
 the sacrifices and sufferings of the loyalists ; their 
 distress during the siege of Boston, the agony of the 
 hour when suddenly confronted with the appalling 
 fact that they must become aliens, exiles, and wander 
 ers, leaving behind all their possessions and estates, 
 an hour when there was a sundering of tender ties, the 
 breaking of hearts. 
 
 I have endeavored to make the recital of events 
 strictly conformable with historic facts by consulting 
 newspapers, documents, almanacs, diaries, genealogi 
 cal records, and family histories. 
 
 It was my great privilege in boyhood to hear the 
 story of the battle of Bunker Hill told by three men 
 who participated in the fight, Eliakim Walker, who 
 was in the redoubt under Prescott, Nathaniel Atkinson 
 and David Flanders, who were under Stark, by the
 
 INTRODUCTION. vii 
 
 rail fence. They were near neighbors, pensioners of 
 the government, and found pleasure in rehearsing the 
 events of the Revolutionary War. My grandfather, 
 Eliphalet Kilburn, was at Winter Hill at the time of 
 .the battle. 
 
 It was also my privilege to walk over Bunker Hill 
 with Richard Frothingham, author of the " Siege of 
 Boston," whose home was on the spot where Pigot's 
 brigade was cut down by the withering fire from the 
 redoubt. Mr. Frothingham had conversed with many 
 old pensioners who were in the redoubt at the time 
 of the battle. In my account of the engagement I 
 have endeavored to picture it in accordance with the 
 various narratives. 
 
 I hardly need say that Ruth Newville, Berinthia 
 Brandon, and Mary Shrimpton are typical characters, 
 representing the young women of the period, a pe 
 riod in which families were divided, parents adhering 
 to King George, sons and daughters giving their alle 
 giance to Liberty. 
 
 I am under obligations to the proprietors of the 
 "Memorial History of Boston" for the portrait of 
 Mrs. Joseph Warren. The portrait of Dorothy 
 Quincy is from that in possession of the Bostonian 
 Society ; that of Mrs. John Adams from her " Life 
 and Letters." 
 
 The historic houses are from recent photographs. 
 
 I trust the reader will not regard this volume 
 wholly as a romance, but rather as a presentation of 
 the events, scenes, incidents, and spirit of the people 
 at the beginning of the Revolution. 
 
 CHARLES CARLETON COFFIN.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 INTRODUCTION iii 
 
 I. ROBERT WALDEN GOES .TO MARKET .... 1 
 
 IL FIRST DAY IN BOSTON 20 
 
 III. THE SONS OF LIBERTY 38 
 
 IV. AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS .... 49 
 V. A GARDEN TEA-PARTY 69 
 
 VI. CHRIST CHURCH CHIMES . . . . . . 93 
 
 VII. LAUNCHING OF THE BERINTHIA BRANDON . . . 104 
 
 VIII. CHRISTOPHER SNIDER . . . . . ' . 119 
 
 IX. THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS . . . . 130 
 
 X. MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY . . . . 149 
 
 XI. SOCIETY LIFE IN LONDON . . ... . . 174 
 
 XII. A NEW ENGLAND GIRL . . . . . . 188 
 
 XIII. THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY . .' . 203 
 
 XIV. BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD .... 221 
 XV. THE MIDNIGHT RIDE 241 
 
 XVI. THE MORNING DRUMBEAT 259 
 
 XVII. BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA ...... 266 
 
 XVIII. BESIEGED . " . 280 
 
 XIX. BUNKER HILL . . . . . . . .291 
 
 XX. WHEN THE TIDE WAS GOING OUT .... 305 
 
 XXI. THE ESCAPE 320 
 
 XXII. BRAVE OF HEART 337 
 
 XXIII. SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS 356 
 
 XXIV. IN THE OLD HOME . .... 374
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PASE 
 
 ELIZABETH HOOTON WARREN Frontispiece 
 
 OLD BRICK MEETINGHOUSE . . 16 
 
 LATIN SCHOOL . . 17 
 
 GREEN DRAGON TAVERN 18 
 
 FANEUIL HALL AND MARKET-PLACE . . . . . . 21 
 
 MAP OF BOSTON . . . .23 
 
 SAMUEL ADAMS .26 
 
 DOCTOR JOSEPH WARREN 40 
 
 COPP'S HILL BURIAL GROUND 49 
 
 IN THE SHIPYARD 53 
 
 MASTER LOVELL . . . . . . . . . 73 
 
 ABIGAIL SMITH ADAMS . . . . .... .82 
 
 MR. HANCOCK'S HOUSE . . . . ... . . 83 
 
 DOROTHY QUINCY . . . 84 
 
 CHRIST CHURCH . . . . . . .... . 94 
 
 LAUNCHING THE SHIP s . . . . . . . . 110 
 
 LORD NORTH 129 
 
 KING'S CHAPEL. . . . 135 
 
 TOWN HOUSE . . .. .143 
 
 GEORGE III. . . . 161 
 
 QUEEN SOPHIA CHARLOTTE . . . . . . . . 166 
 
 LORD PERCY . . . . . , . . . .232 
 
 PAUL REVERE'S HOUSE . . . . ' . . ; . 253 
 
 REVEREND JONAS CLARK'S HOUSE . . , . . . . 258 
 
 BUCKMAN'S TAVERN . . , . . . . . . 260 
 
 JONATHAN HARRINGTON'S HOUSE . . . . . . . 264 
 
 ROBERT MUNROE'S HOUSE 266 
 
 MAP, ROUTE TO LEXINGTON AND CONCORD . . . . 267 
 
 REVEREND WILLIAM EMERSON'S HOUSE 268 
 
 WRIGHT'S TAVERN . . .270 
 
 NORTH BRIDGE . . . . . . . . .272 
 
 MERRIAM'S CORNER 274 
 
 MUNROE TAVERN 276 
 
 PROVINCE HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . 281 
 
 WHERE WASHINGTON ASSUMED COMMAND .... 308 
 
 PLANNING THE ESCAPE . . . ... . . . 324 
 
 WASHINGTON'S HEADQUARTERS 334 
 
 THE DINNER-PARTY 381 
 
 HOME OF THE EXILES. ... 384
 
 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET. 
 
 JOSHUA WALDEN, of Rumford, Province of New 
 Hampshire, was receiving letters from Samuel Adams 
 and Doctor Joseph Warren in relation to the course 
 pursued by King George III. and his ministers in 
 collecting revenue from the Colonies. Mr. Walden 
 had fought the French and Indians at Ticonderoga 
 and Crown Point in the war with France. The gun 
 and powder-horn which he carried under Captain 
 John Stark were hanging over the door in his kitchen. 
 His farm was on the banks of the Merrimac. The 
 stately forest trees had fallen beneath the sturdy 
 blows of his axe, and the sun was shining on inter 
 vale and upland, meadow and pasture which he had 
 cleared. His neighbors said he was getting fore 
 handed. Several times during the year he made a 
 journey to Boston with his cheeses, beef, pigs, tur 
 keys, geese, chickens, a barrel of apple-sauce, bags 
 filled with wool, together with webs of linsey-woolsey 
 spun and woven by his wife and daughter. He never 
 failed to have a talk with Mr. Adams and Doctor 
 Warren, John Hancock, and others foremost in resist-
 
 2 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 ing the aggressions of the mother country upon the 
 rights and liberties of the Colonies. When at home 
 he was up early in the morning, building the fire, 
 feeding the cattle, and milking the cows. Mrs. Wai- 
 den, the while, was stirring the corn meal for a 
 johnny-cake, putting the potatoes in the ashes, placing 
 the Dutch oven on the coals, hanging the pots and 
 kettles on the hooks and trammels. 
 
 Robert, their only son, twenty years old, would be 
 glad to take another nap after being called by his 
 father, but felt it would not be manly for one who 
 had mowed all the hired men out of their swaths in 
 the hayfield, and who had put the best wrestler in 
 Rumford on his back, to lie in bed and let his father 
 do all the chores, with the cows lowing to get to the 
 pasture. With a spring he was on his feet and slip 
 ping on his clothes. He was soon on his way to the 
 barn, drumming on the tin pail and whistling as he 
 walked to the milking. 
 
 The cows turned into pasture, he rubbed down the 
 mare Jenny and the colt Paul, fed the pigs, washed 
 his face and hands, and was ready for breakfast. 
 
 It would not have been like Rachel Walden, the 
 only daughter, eighteen years old, to lie in bed and 
 let her mother do all the work about the house. She 
 came from her chamber with tripping steps, as if it 
 were a pleasure to be wide awake after a good sleep. 
 She fed the chickens, set the table, raked the potatoes 
 from the ashes, drew a mug of cider for her father. 
 When breakfast was ready, they stood by their chairs 
 while Mr. Walden asked a blessing. The meal fin 
 ished, he read a chapter in the Bible and offered
 
 ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET. 3 
 
 prayer. When the " Amen " was said, Mr. Walden 
 and Robert put on their hats and went about their 
 work. Mrs. Walden passed upstairs to throw the 
 shuttle of the loom. Eachel washed the dishes, 
 wheyed the curd, and prepared it for the press, turned 
 the cheeses and rubbed them with fat. That done, she 
 set the kitchen to rights, made the beds, sprinkled 
 clean sand upon the floor, wet the web of linen bleach 
 ing on the grass in the orchard, then slipped upstairs 
 and set the spinning-wheel to humming. His neigh 
 bors said that Mr. Walden was thrifty and coidd af 
 ford to wear a broadcloth blue coat with bright brass 
 buttons on grand occasions, and that Mrs. Walden was 
 warranted in having a satin gown. 
 
 Haying was over. The rye was reaped, the wheat 
 and oats were harvested, and the flax was pulled. 
 September had come, the time when Mr. Walden 
 usually went to Boston with the cheese. 
 
 " Father," said Rachel at dinner, " I wish you 
 would take the cheeses to market. It is hard work to 
 turn so many every day." 
 
 Mr. Walden sat in silence awhile. " Robert," he 
 said at length, " how would you like to try your hand 
 at truck and dicker ? " 
 
 " If you think I can do it I will try," Robert re 
 plied, surprised at the question, yet gratified. 
 
 " Of course you can do it. You can figure up how 
 much a cheese that tips the steelyard at twenty 
 pounds and three ounces will come to at three pence 
 ha'penny per pound. You know, or you ought to 
 know, the difference between a pistareen and a smooth 
 faced shilling. When you truck and dicker, you 've
 
 4 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 got to remember that the other feller is doing it all 
 the time, while you will be as green as a pumpkin in 
 August. When you are tasting 'lasses, you must run 
 a stick into the bung-hole of the barrel clear clown to 
 the bottom and then lift it up and see if it is thick or 
 thin. T" other feller will want you to taste it at the 
 spiggot, where it will be almost sugar. When you 
 are selecting dried codfish, look sharp and not let 
 him give you all damp ones from the bottom of the 
 pile, neither the little scrimped ones from the top. 
 Of course you will get cheated, but you have got to 
 begin knocking about some time. You 're old enough 
 to have your eye teeth cut. You can put Jenny up 
 at the Green Dragon and visit Cousin Jedidiah Bran 
 don on Copp's Hill, see the ships he is building, visit 
 with Tom and Berinthia. Tom, I guess, is going to 
 be a chip of the old block, and Berinthia is a nice girl. 
 Take your good clothes along in your trunk, so after 
 you get through handling the cheese you can dress 
 like a gentleman. I want you to pick out the best 
 cheese of the lot and give it to Samuel Adams, also 
 another to Doctor Warren, with my compliments. 
 You can say to Mr. Adams I would like any informa 
 tion he can give about what is going on in London 
 relative to taxing the Colonies. He is very kind, and 
 possibly may ask you to call upon him of an evening, 
 for he is very busy during the day. Doctor Warren 
 is one of the kindest-hearted men in the world, and 
 chuck full of patriotism. He will give a hearty shake 
 to your hand. 
 
 " You had better mouse round the market awhile 
 before trading. John Hancock bought my last load.
 
 ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET. 5 
 
 His store is close by Faneuil Hall. He is rich, inher 
 ited his property from his uncle. He lives in style in 
 a stone house on Beacon Hill. He is liberal with his 
 money, and is one of the few rich men in Boston who 
 take sides with the people against the aggressions of 
 King George and his ministers. Mr. Adams begins 
 to be gray, but Warren and Hancock are both young 
 men. They are doing grand things in maintaining the 
 rights of the Colonies. I want you to make their ac 
 quaintance. By seeing and talking with such men you 
 will be worth more to yourself and everybody else. 
 Your going to market and meeting such gentlemen 
 will be as good as several months of school. You '11 
 see more people than you ever saw on the muster-field ; 
 ships from foreign lands will be moored in the harbor. 
 You '11 see houses by the thousand, meetinghouses with 
 tall steeples, and will hear the bells ring at five o'clock 
 in the morning, getting-up time, at noon for dinner, 
 and at nine in the evening, bed-time. Two regiments 
 of red-coats are there. The latest news is that they are 
 getting sassy. I can believe it. At Ticonderoga and 
 Crown Point they used to put on airs, and call the 
 Provincials " string - beans," " polly - pods," " slam 
 bangs." They turned up their noses at our buckskin 
 breeches, but when it came to fighting we showed 'em 
 what stuff we were made of. Don't let 'm pick a quar 
 rel, but don't take any sass from 'em. Do right by 
 everybody." 
 
 " I will try to do right," Robert replied. 
 
 The sun was rising the next morning when Robert 
 gathered up the reins and stood ready to step into the 
 wagon which had been loaded for the market.
 
 6 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " You have three dozen new milk cheeses," said 
 Rachel, " and two and one half dozen of four meal. I 
 have marked the four meals with a cross in the centre, 
 so you '11 know them from the new milk. There are 
 sixteen greened with sage. They look real pretty. I 
 have put in half a dozen skims ; somebody may want 
 'em for toasting." 
 
 "You will find," said Mrs. Walden, "a web of 
 linsey-woolsey in your trunk with your best clothes, 
 and a dozen skeins of wool yarn. It is lamb's wool. 
 I 've doubled and twisted it, and I don't believe the 
 women will find in all Boston anything softer or nicer 
 for stockings." 
 
 " I have put up six quarts of caraway seed," said 
 Rachel. " I guess the bakers will want it to put into 
 gingerbread. And I have packed ten dozen eggs in 
 oats, in a basket. They are all fresh. You can use 
 the oats to bait Jenny with on your way home." 
 
 " There are two bushels of beans," said Mr. Wal 
 den, " in that bag, the one-hundred-and-one kind, 
 and a bushel and three pecks of clover seed in the other 
 bag. You can get a barrel of 'lasses, half a quintal of 
 codfish, half a barrel of mackerel, and a bag of Turk's 
 Island salt." 
 
 " Don't forget," said Mrs. Walden, " that we want 
 some pepper, spice, cinnamon, nutmegs, cloves, and 
 some of the very best Maccaboy snuff. Oh, let me 
 see! I want a new foot-stove. Our old one is all 
 banged up, and I am ashamed to be seen filling it at 
 noon in winter in Deacon Stonegood's kitchen, with 
 all the women looking on, and theirs spick and span 
 new."
 
 ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET. 1 
 
 " Father and mother have told me what they want, 
 and now what shall I get for you, Rachel?" Robert 
 asked of his sister. 
 
 " Anything you please, Rob," Rachel replied with 
 such tender love in her eyes that he had half a mind 
 to kiss her. But kissing was not common in Rumford 
 or anywhere else in New England. Never had he 
 seen his father give his mother such a token of affec 
 tion. He had a dim recollection that his mother some 
 times kissed him when he was a little fellow in frock 
 and trousers, sitting in her lap. He never had kissed 
 Rachel, but he would now, and gave her a hearty smack. 
 He saw an unusual brightness in her eyes and a richer 
 bloom upon her cheek as he stepped into the wagon. 
 
 " I '11 get something nice for her," he said to him 
 self as he rode away. 
 
 Besides the other articles in the wagon, there was a 
 bag* of wool, sheared from his own flock. Years be 
 fore his father had given him a cosset lamb, and now 
 he was the owner of a dozen sheep. Yes, he would 
 get something for her. 
 
 The morning air was fresh and pure. He whistled 
 a tune and watched the wild pigeons flying in great 
 flocks here and there, and the red-winged blackbirds 
 sweeping past him from their roosting in the alders 
 along the meadow brook to the stubble field where the 
 wheat had been harvested. Gray squirrels were bark 
 ing in the woods, and their cousins the reds, less shy, 
 were scurrying along the fence rails and up the chest 
 nut-trees to send the prickly burrs to the ground. The 
 first tinge of autumn was on the elms and maples. 
 Jenny had been to market so many times she could be
 
 8 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 trusted to take the right road, and he could lie upon 
 his sack of wool and enjoy the changing landscape. 
 
 Mrs. Stark was blowing the horn for dinner at 
 John Stark's tavern in Derryfield when Jenny came 
 to a standstill by the stable door. 1 Robert put her in 
 the stall, washed his face and hands in the basin on 
 the bench by the bar-room door, and was ready for 
 dinner. Captain Stark shook hands with him. Rob 
 ert beheld a tall, broad-shouldered man, with a high 
 forehead, bright blue eyes, and pleasant countenance, 
 but with lines in his cheek indicating that he could be 
 very firm and resolute. This was he under whom his 
 father served at Ticonderoga and Crown Point. 
 
 " So you are the son of Josh Walden, eh ? Well, 
 you have your father's eyes, nose, and mouth. If you 
 have got the grit he had at Ti, I '11 bet on you." 
 
 Many times Robert had heard his father tell the 
 story of the Rifle Rangers, the service they performed, 
 the hardships they endured, and the bravery and cool 
 ness of John Stark in battle. 
 
 Through the afternoon the mare trotted on, halting 
 at sunset at Jacob Abbott's stable in Andover. 
 
 It was noon the next day when Robert reached Cam 
 bridge. He had heard about Harvard College ; now 
 he saw the buildings. The students were having a 
 game of football after dinner. The houses along the 
 streets were larger than any he had ever seen before, 
 stately mansions with porticoes, pillars, pilasters, carved 
 cornices, and verandas. The gardens were still bright 
 
 1 John Stark, tavern-keeper in Derryfield, was the renowned Indian 
 fighter and captain of the corps of Rifle Rangers in the war with 
 France. (See Biography by Jared Sparks.) The tavern is still stand 
 ing in the suburbs of the city of Manchester, N. H.
 
 ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET. 9 
 
 with the flowers of autumn. Reaching Roxbury, he 
 came across a man slowly making his way along the 
 road with a cane. 
 
 " Let me give you a lift, sir," Robert said. 
 
 " Thank you. I have been down with the rheumatiz, 
 and can't skip round quite as lively as I could once," 
 said the man as he climbed into the wagon. " 'Spect 
 you are from the country and on your way to market, 
 eh?" 
 
 Robert replied that he was from New Hampshire. 
 
 " Ever been this way before? " 
 
 " No, this is my first trip." 
 
 " Well, then, perhaps I can p'int out some things 
 that may interest ye." 
 
 Robert thanked him. 
 
 " This little strip of land we are on is the ' Neck.' 
 This water on our left is Charles River, this on our 
 right is Gallows Bay. Ye see that thing out there, 
 don't ye?" 
 
 The man pointed with his cane. " Well, that 's the 
 gallows, where pirates and murderers are hung. Lots 
 of 'em have been swung off there, with thousands of 
 people looking to see 'em have their necks stretched. 
 'T ain't a pretty sight, though." 
 
 The man took a chew of tobacco, and renewed the 
 conversation. 
 
 " My name is Peter Bushwick, and yours may 
 be ?" 
 
 " Robert Walden." 
 
 "Thank ye, Mr. Walden. So ye took the road 
 through Cambridge instead of Charlestown." 
 
 " I let Jenny pick the road. That through Charles-
 
 10 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 town would have been nearer, but I should have to 
 cross the ferry. My father usually comes this way." l 
 
 " Mighty fine mare, Mr. Waldeii ; ye can see she 's 
 a knowing critter. She 's got the right kind of an ear ; 
 she knows what she 's about." 
 
 They were at the narrowest part of the peninsula, 
 and Mr. Bushwick told about the barricade built by 
 the first settlers at that point to protect the town from 
 the Indians, and pointed to a large elm-tree which 
 they could see quite a distance ahead. 
 
 " That is the Liberty Tree," 2 he said. 
 
 " Why do you call it the Liberty Tree ? " 
 
 " Because it is where the Sons of Liberty meet. It 
 is a mighty fine tree, and, as near as we can make out, 
 is more than one hundred years old. We hang the 
 Pope there on Guy Fawkes' day, and traitors to liberty 
 on other days." 
 
 " I have heard you have jolly good times on Gun 
 powder Plot days." 
 
 " You may believe we do. You would have laughed 
 if you 'd been here Gunpowder day seven years ago 
 this coming November, when the Pope, Admiral Byng, 
 
 1 No bridge from Charlestown had been constructed across Charles 
 Rivers (1769), and the only avenue leading into Boston was from Rox- 
 bury. 
 
 '* The elm-tree stood at the junction of Orange and Essex streets 
 and Frog Lane, now Washington, Essex and Boylston streets. In 1760, 
 upon the repeal of the Stamp Act, a large copper plate was nailed upon 
 the tree with the following inscription : " This tree was planted in 
 the year 1646 and pruned by the Order of the Sons of Liberty Febru 
 ary 14, 1766." Other trees stood near it, furnishing a grateful shade. 
 The locality before 1767 was known as Hanover Square, but after the 
 repeal of the Stamp Act, as Liberty Hall. In August, 1767, a flag 
 staff was raised above its branches ; the hoisting of a flag upon the 
 staff was a signal for the assembling of the Sons of Liberty.
 
 ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET. 11 
 
 Nancy Dawson, 1 and the Devil, all were found hanging 
 on the old elm." 
 
 " I don't think I ever heard about Admiral Byng 
 and Nancy Dawson." 
 
 " Well, then, I must tell ye. Byng did n't fight 
 the French and Spaniards at Minorca, but sailed away 
 and sort o' showed the white feather, and so was court- 
 martialed and shot on his own ship." 
 
 " What did Nancy do ? " 
 
 " Oh, Nancy never did anything except kick up her 
 heels ; she 's the best dancer in London, so they say. 
 We have n't any theatre in this 'ere town, and don't 
 have much dancing. We have the Thursday lecture 
 instead." 
 
 Robert wondered whether the allusion to the lecture 
 was said soberly or in sarcasm. 
 
 " In London they go wild over dancing. Maybe 
 I might sing a song about her if ye would like to 
 hear it." 
 
 " I would like very much to hear it." 
 
 Mr. Bushwick took the quid of tobacco from his 
 mouth, cleared his throat, and sang, 
 
 " 'Of all the girls in our town, 
 The black, the fair, the red, the brown, 
 
 1 Nancy Dawson, when a little girl, was employed in setting up 
 skittles for players in High Street, Mary-le-bone, London. She was 
 agile, graceful, and had an attractive figure. She first appeared as a 
 dancer at Sadler's Wells theatre, where she soon attracted much at 
 tention, and in a short time became a great favorite. A rhymster 
 wrote a song for her which was introduced (1764) into the play, " Love 
 in a Valley." It was also arranged as a hornpipe for the harpsichord 
 and sung by young ladies throughout England. Children sang it 
 in the play, " Here we go round the Mulberry bush." The popidarity 
 of Nancy Dawson was at its height in 1769.
 
 12 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 That dance and prance it up and down, 
 There 's none like Nancy Dawson. 
 
 " ' Her easy mien, her shape, so neat, 
 She foots, she trips, she looks so sweet, 
 Her every motion so complete, 
 There 's none like Nancy Dawson. 
 
 " ' See how she comes to give surprise, 
 With joy and pleasure in her eyes ; 
 To give delight she always tries, 
 There 's none like Nancy Dawson.' " 
 
 " That 's a good song," said Robert. Mr. Bush- 
 wick put the quid once more in his mouth, and went on 
 with the story. 
 
 " On that night a great crowd gathered around the 
 tree ; the boys who go to Master Lovell's school came 
 with an old knocked-kneed horse and a rickety wagon 
 with a platform in it. They fixed the effigies on the 
 platform with cords and pulleys, so that the arms and 
 legs would be lifted when the boys under it pulled the 
 strings. We lighted our torches and formed in proces 
 sion. The fifers played the Rogue's March, and the 
 bellman went ahead singing a song. 
 
 " ' Don't you remember 
 The fifth of November 
 The gunpowder treason plot ? 
 I see no reason 
 Why gunpowder treason 
 Should ever be forgot. 
 
 " ' From the city of Rome 
 The Pope has come 
 Amid ten thousand fears, 
 With fiery serpents to be seen 
 At eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
 
 ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET. 13 
 
 " ' Don't you hear my little bell 
 Go chinking, chinking, chink ? 
 Please give me a little money 
 To buy my Pope a drink.' 
 
 "The streets were filled with people, who tossed 
 pennies into the bellman's hat. Everybody laughed to 
 see the Pope lifting his hands and working his under 
 jaw as if preaching, Byng rolling his goggle eyes, 
 Nancy kicking with both legs, and the Devil wriggling 
 his tail. We marched awhile, then put the Pope and 
 the devil into the stocks, Nancy hi the pillory, tied 
 Byng to the whipping-post and gave him a flogging, 
 then kindled a bonfire in King Street, pitched the 
 effigies into it, and went into the Tun and Bacchus, 
 Bunch of Grapes, and Admiral Vernon, and drank flip, 
 egg-nogg, punch, and black strap." 1 
 
 Mr. Bushwick chuckled merrily, and took a fresh 
 quid of tobacco. Robert also laughed at the vivacious 
 description. 
 
 " But I don't quite see why it should be called the 
 Liberty Tree," Robert said. 
 
 "I was coming to that." You know that Lord 
 Bute brought forward the Stamp Act a few years 
 ago : well, this old elm being so near the White 
 Lamb and the White Horse, it was a convenient 
 place for the citizens to meet to talk al)out the prop 
 osition to tax us. One evening Ben Edes, who pub 
 lishes the ' Gazette and News - Letter,' read what 
 Ike Barre said in Parliament in opposition to the 
 Stamp Act, in which he called us Americans Sons 
 
 1 Black strap was composed of rum and molasses, and was often 
 drunk by those who could not afford more expensive beverages.
 
 14 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 of Liberty, and as that was our meeting-place, we 
 christened the place Liberty Hall and the old elm 
 Liberty Tree. That was in July, 1765, just after 
 Parliament passed the Stamp Act. The king had 
 appointed Andrew Oliver stamp-master, and one 
 morning his effigy was dangling from the tree, and a 
 paper pinned to it writ large : 
 
 " ' Fair Freedom's glorious Cause I 've meanly quitted 
 For the sake of pelf ; 
 But ah, the Devil has me outwitted ; 
 Instead of hanging others, 
 I 've hanged myself.' 
 
 " Then there was a figure of a great boot, with the 
 Devil peeping out of it, to represent the king's minis 
 ter, Lord Bute. When night came, all hands of us 
 formed in procession, laid the effigies on a bier, 
 marched to the Province House so that the villain, 
 Governor Bernard, could see us, went to Mackerel 
 Lane, tore down the building Oliver was intending to 
 use for the sale of the stamps, went to Fort Hill, 
 ripped the boards from his barn, smashed in his front 
 door, and burned the effigies to let him know we never 
 would consent to be taxed in that way. A few days 
 later Oliver came to the tree, held up his hand, and 
 swore a solemn oath that he never would sell any 
 stamps, so help him God ! And he never did, for ye 
 see King George had to back down and repeal the 
 bill. It was the next May when Shubael Coffin, mas 
 ter of the brigantine Harrison, brought the news. 
 We set all the bells to ringing, fired cannon, and 
 tossed up our hats. The rich people opened their 
 purses and paid the debts of everybody in jail. We
 
 ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET. 15 
 
 hung lanterns on the tree in the evening, set off rock 
 ets, and kindled bonfires. John Hancock kept open 
 house, with ladies and gentlemen feasting in his par 
 lors, and pipes of wine on tap in the front yard for 
 everybody." 
 
 " It must have been a joyful day," said Robert. 
 
 " That ? s what it was. Everybody was generous. 
 Last year when the day came round a lot of us gath 
 ered under the old tree to celebrate it. Sam Adams 
 was there, James Otis, Doctor Warren, John Han 
 cock, and ever so many more. We fired salutes, sang 
 songs, and drank fourteen toasts. That was at ten 
 o'clock. Just before noon we rode out to the Grey 
 hound Tavern in Roxbury in carriages and chaises, 
 and had a dinner of fish, roast pig, sirloin, goose, 
 chickens and all the trimmings, topping off with plum- 
 pudding and apple-pie, sang Dickenson's Liberty Song, 
 drank thirty more toasts, forty-four in all, filling our 
 glasses with port, madeira, egg-nogg, flip, punch, and 
 brandy. Some of us, of course, were rather jolly, but 
 we got home all right," said Mr. Bushwick, laughing. 
 
 " You mean that some of you were a little weak in 
 the legs," said Robert. 
 
 "Yes, and that the streets were rather crooked," 
 Mr. Bushwick replied, laughing once more. 
 
 They were abreast of the tree, and Robert reined in 
 Jenny while he admired its beautiful proportions. 
 
 " I think I must leave you at this point ; my house 
 is down here, on Cow Lane, 1 not far from the house 
 of Sam Adams. I 'm ever so much obliged to you for 
 the lift ye 've given me," said Mr. Bushwick as he 
 shook hands with Robert. 
 
 1 Cow Lane is the present High Street.
 
 16 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I thank you for the information you have given 
 me," Robert replied. 
 
 Jenny walked on, past the White Horse Inn and 
 the Lamb' Tavern. A little farther, and he beheld 
 the Province House, a building with a cupola sur 
 mounted by a spire. The weather-vane was an Indian 
 with bow and arrow. The king's arms, carved and 
 gilded, were upon the balcony above the doorway. 
 Chestnut-trees shaded the green plot of ground be 
 tween the building and the street. A soldier with his 
 musket on his shoulder was standing guard. Upon 
 the other side of the way, a few steps farther, was a 
 meetinghouse ; he thought it must be the Old South. 
 His father had informed him he would see a brick 
 building with an apothecary's sign on the corner just 
 beyond the Old South, and there it was. 1 Also, the 
 Cromwell's Head Tavern on a cross street, and a 
 schoolhouse, which he concluded must be Master 
 Lovell's Latin School. He suddenly found Jenny 
 quickening her pace, and understood the meaning 
 when she plunged her nose into a watering trough by 
 the town pump. While she was drinking Robert was 
 startled by a bell tolling almost over his head ; upon 
 looking up he beheld the dial of a clock and remem 
 bered his father had said it was on the Old Brick 
 Meetinghouse ; that the building nearly opposite was 
 the Town House. 2 He saw two cannon in the street 
 
 1 The building known as the Old Corner Bookstore, at the junction 
 of School and Washington streets. The Cromwell's Head Tavern was 
 No. 19 School Street. 
 
 2 The old brick meetinghouse of the First Church occupied the 
 site of the present Rogers Building, nearly opposite the Old State 
 House.
 
 ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET. 17 
 
 and a soldier keeping guard before the door. Negro 
 servants were filling their pails at the pump, and 
 kindly pumped water for the mare. Looking down 
 King Street toward the water, he saw the stocks and 
 pillory, the Custom House, and in the distance the 
 masts and yard-arms of ships. Up Queen Street he 
 could see the jail. 
 
 The mare, having finished drinking, jogged on. He 
 
 Latin School. 
 
 saw on the left-hand side of the street the shop of 
 Paul Revere, goldsmith. 1 The thought came that 
 possibly he might find something there that would be 
 nice and pretty for Rachel. 
 
 Jenny, knowing she was nearing the end of her jour 
 ney, trotted through Union Street, stopping at last in 
 
 1 The shop of Paul Revere stood on Cornhill, now No. 169 Wash 
 ington Street.
 
 18 
 
 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 front of a building where an iron rod projected from 
 the wall, supporting a green dragon with wings, open 
 jaws, teeth, and a tongue shaped like a dart. 1 The red- 
 faced landlord was standing in the doorway. 
 
 Green Dragon Tavern. 
 
 " Well Jenny, old girl, how do you do ? " he said, 
 addressing the mare. "So it is the son and not the fa 
 ther ? I hope you are well. And how 's your dad ? " 
 
 Kobert replied that his father was well. 
 
 " Here, Joe ; put this mare in the stable, and give 
 her a good rubbing down. She 's as nice a piece as 
 ever went on four legs." 
 
 1 The Green Dragon Tavern stood in Green Dragon Lane, now Union 
 street. The lane in 1769 terminated at the mill-pond, a few rods from 
 the tavern. In front it showed two stories, but had three stories 
 and a basement in the rear. The hall was in the second story. The sign 
 was of sheet copper, hanging from an iron rod projecting from the 
 building. The rooms were named Devonshire, Somerset, Norfolk, re 
 spectively, for the shires of Old England. The building was about one 
 hundred years old, and was occupied, 1695, by Alexander Smith as a 
 tavern. The estate at one time was owned by Lieut.-Governor Wil 
 liam Stoughton, who was acting governor and took a prominent part 
 in persecuting those accused of witchcraft. He was a man of large 
 wealth, and devised a portion of his property to Harvard College, 
 Stoughton Hall being named for him.
 
 ROBERT WALDEN GOES TO MARKET. 19 
 
 The hostler took the reins and Robert stepped from 
 the wagon. 
 
 " Pete Augustus, take this gentleman's trunk up 
 to Devonshire. It will be your room, Mr. Walden." 
 
 Robert followed the negro upstairs, and discovered 
 that each room had its distinctive name. He could 
 have carried the trunk, but as he was to be a gentle 
 man, it would not be dignified were he to shoulder it. 
 He knew he must be in the market early in the morn 
 ing, and went to bed soon after supper. He might 
 have gone at once to Copp's Hill, assured of a hearty 
 welcome in the Brandon home, but preferred to make 
 the Green Dragon his abiding-place till through with 
 the business that brought him to Boston.
 
 n. 
 
 FIRST DAY IN BOSTON. 
 
 FARMERS from the towns around Boston were al 
 ready in the market-place around Faneuil Hall the 
 next morning when Robert drove down from the 
 Green Dragon. 1 Those who had quarters of beef and 
 lamb for sale were cutting the meat upon heavy oaken 
 tables. Fishermen were bringing baskets filled with 
 mackerel and cod from their boats moored in the dock. 
 An old man was pushing a wheelbarrow before him 
 filled with lobsters. Housewives followed by negro 
 servants were purchasing meats and vegetables, hold 
 ing eggs to the light to see if they were fresh, tasting 
 pats of butter, handling chickens, and haggling with 
 the farmers about the prices of what they had to sell. 
 
 The town-crier was jingling his bell and shouting 
 that Thomas Russell at the auction room on Queen 
 Street would sell a great variety of plain and spotted, 
 lilac, scarlet, strawberry-colored, and yellow paduasoys, 
 bellandine silks, sateens, galloons, ferrets, grograms, 
 and harratines at half past ten o'clock. 
 
 Robert tied Jenny to the hitching-rail, and walked 
 amid the hucksters to see what they had to sell ; by 
 
 1 The market was held in the open space around Faneuil Hall, in 
 which were rails where the farmers from the surrounding towns 
 hitched their horses. It was bounded on one side by the dock where 
 the fishermen moored their boats.
 
 FIRST DAY IN BOSTON. 
 
 21 
 
 observation he could ascertain the state of the market, 
 and govern himself accordingly. After interviewing 
 the hucksters he entered a store. 
 
 " No, I don't want any cheese," said the first on 
 whom he called. 
 
 Faneuil Hall. 
 
 " The market is glutted," replied the second. 
 
 " If it were a little later in the season I would talk 
 with you," was the answer of the third. 
 
 " I 'ye got more on hand now than I know what to 
 do with," said the fourth. 
 
 Robert began to think he might have to take them 
 back to Rumford. He saw a sign, " John Hancock, 
 Successor to Thomas Hancock," and remembered that 
 his father had traded there, and that John Hancock
 
 22 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 was associated with Sam Adams and Doctor Warren 
 in resisting the aggressions of the king's ministers. 
 Mr. Hancock was not in the store, but would soon be 
 there. The clerk said he would look at what Robert 
 had to sell, put on his hat, stepped to the wagon, stood 
 upon the thills, held a cheese to his nose, pressed it 
 with his thumb, tapped it with a gimlet, tasted it, and 
 smacked his lips. 
 
 " Your mother makes good cheese," he said. 
 
 " My sister made them." 
 
 " Your sister, eh. Older than yourself ? " 
 
 " No, younger ; only seventeen." 
 
 " Indeed ! Well, you may tell her she is a dabster 
 at cheese-making. Do you want cash? If you do 
 I'm afeard we shall not be able to trade, because 
 cash is cash these days ; but if you are willing to bar 
 ter I guess we can dicker, for Mr. Hancock is going 
 to freight a ship to the West Indias and wants some 
 thing to send in her, and it strikes me the sugar 
 planters at Porto Rico might like a bit of cheese," 
 the clerk said. 
 
 " I shall want some sugar, coffee, molasses, codfish, 
 and other things." 
 
 " I '11 give you the market price for all your cheeses, 
 and make fair rates on what you want from us." 
 
 " I can't let you have all. I must reserve two of 
 the best." 
 
 " May I ask why you withhold two ? " 
 
 " Because my father wishes to present one to Mr. 
 Samuel Adams and the other to Doctor Joseph War 
 ren, who are doing so much to preserve the rights of 
 the Colonies."
 
 FIRST DAY IN BOSTON. 
 
 23 
 
 " Your father's name is " 
 " Joshua Walden," said Robert. 
 " Oh yes, I remember him well. He was down here 
 last winter and I bought his load. He had a barrel
 
 24 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 of apple-sauce, and Mr. Hancock liked it so well he 
 took it for his own table. There is Mr. Hancock, 
 now," said the clerk, as a chaise drove up and halted 
 before the door. 
 
 Robert saw a tall young man, wearing a saffron 
 colored velvet coat, ruffled shirt, buff satin breeches, 
 black silk stockings, and shining shoe-buckles, step 
 in a dignified manner from the chaise and hand the 
 reins to a gray-headed negro, who lifted his hat as he 
 took them. 
 
 " Good-morning, Mr. Ledger," he said to the clerk. 
 
 " Good-morning," the clerk replied, lifting his hat. 
 
 " "Well, how is the Mary Jane getting on ? Have 
 you found anything in the market on which we can 
 turn a penny ? I want to get her off as soon as pos 
 sible." 
 
 " I was just having a talk with this young gentle 
 man about his cheeses. This is Mr. Walden from 
 Rumford. You perhaps may remember his father, 
 with whom we traded last year." 
 
 " Oh yes, I remember Mr. Joshua Walden. I hope 
 your father is well. I have not forgotten his earnest 
 ness in all matters relating to the welfare of the Colo 
 nies. Nor have I forgotten that barrel of apple-sauce 
 he brought to market, and I want to make a bargain 
 for another barrel just like it. All my guests pro 
 nounced it superb. Step into the store, Mr. Walden, 
 and, Mr. Ledger, a bottle of madeira, if you please." 
 
 The clerk stepped down cellar and returned with a 
 bottle of wine, took from a cupboard a salver and 
 glasses and filled them. 
 
 " Shall we have the pleasure of drinking the health
 
 FIRST DAY IN BOSTON. 25 
 
 of your father ? " said Mr. Hancock, courteously touch 
 ing his glass to Robert's. " Please give him my compli 
 ments and say to him that we expect New Hampshire 
 to stand shoulder to shoulder with Massachusetts in 
 the cause of liberty." 
 
 Mr. Hancock drank his wine slowly. Robert saw 
 that he stood erect, and remembered he was captain 
 of a military company the Cadets. 
 
 " Will you allow me to take a glass with you for 
 your own health?" he said, refilling the glasses and 
 bowing with dignity and again slowly drinking. 
 
 " Mr. Ledger, you will please do what you can to 
 accommodate Mr. Walden in the way of trade. You 
 are right in thinking the planters of Jamaica will 
 like some cheese from our New England dairies, and 
 you may as well unload them at the dock ; it will save 
 rehandling them. We must have Mary Jane scud 
 ding away as soon as possible." 
 
 Mr. Hancock bowed once more and sat down to his 
 writing-desk. 
 
 Robert drove his wagon alongside the ship and un 
 loaded the cheeses, then called at the stores around 
 Faneuil Hall to find a market for the yarn and cloth 
 and his wool. Few were ready to pay him money, 
 but at last all was sold. 
 
 " Can you direct me to the house of Mr. Samuel 
 Adams ? " he asked of the town crier. 
 
 " Oh yes, you go through Mackerel Lane 1 to Cow 
 
 Lane and through that to Purchase Street, and you 
 
 will see an orchard with apple and pear trees and a 
 
 big house with stairs outside leading up to a plat- 
 
 1 Mackerel Lane is the present Kilby Street.
 
 26 
 
 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 form on the roof ; that 's the house. Do you know 
 Sam?" 
 
 " No, I never have seen Mr. Adams." 
 " Well, if you run across a tall, good-looking man 
 between forty-five and fifty, with blue eyes, who wears 
 
 Samuel Adams. 
 
 a red cloak and cocked hat, and who looks as if he 
 was n't afear'd of the king, the devil, or any of his 
 imps, that is Maltster Sam. We call him Maltster 
 Sam because he once made malt for a living, but did n't 
 live by it because it did n't pay. He 's a master hand 
 in town meetings. He made it red hot for Bernard,
 
 FIRST DAY IN BOSTON. 27 
 
 and he '11 make it hotter for Sammy Hutchinson if he 
 don't mind his p's and q's. Sam is a buster, now, I 
 teU you." 
 
 Robert drove through Cow Lane and came to the 
 house. He rapped at the front door, which was 
 opened by a tall man, with a pleasant but resolute 
 countenance, whose clothes were plain and getting 
 threadbare. His hair was beginning to be gray about 
 the temples, and he wore a gray tie wig. 
 
 "This is Mr. Adams, is it not?" Robert asked. 
 
 " That is my name ; what can I do for you ? " 
 
 " I am Robert Walden from Rumford. I think 
 you know my father." 
 
 " Yes, indeed. Please walk in. Son of my friend 
 Joshua Walden ? I am glad to see you," said Mr. 
 Adams with a hearty shake of the hand. 
 
 " I have brought you a cheese which my father 
 wishes you to accept with his compliments." 
 
 " That is just like him ; he always brings us some 
 thing. Please say to him that Mrs. Adams and my 
 self greatly appreciate his kind remembrance of us." 
 
 A tall lady with a comely countenance was descend 
 ing the hall stairs. 
 
 "Wife, this is Mr. Walden, son of our old friend ; 
 just see what he has brought us." 
 
 Robert lifted his hat and was recognized by a gra 
 cious courtesy. 
 
 " How good everybody is to us. The ravens fed 
 Elijah, but I don't believe they brought cheese to him. 
 We shall be reminded of your kindness every time we 
 sit down to a meal," said Mrs. Adams. 
 
 Robert thought he never had seen a smile more gra-
 
 28 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 cious than that upon her pale, careworn countenance. 1 
 He noticed that everything about the room was plain, 
 but neat and tidy. Upon a shelf were the Bible, Bun- 
 yan's Pilgrim's Progress, and a volume of Reverend 
 Mr. South's sermons. Robert remembered his father 
 said Mrs. Adams was the daughter of Reverend Mr. 
 Checkley, minister of the New South Meetinghouse, and 
 that Mr. Adams went to meeting there. Upon the 
 table were law books, pamphlets, papers, letters, and 
 newspapers. He saw that some of the letters bore the 
 London postmark. He remembered his father said 
 Mr. Adams had not much money ; that he was so 
 dead in earnest in maintaining the rights of the peo 
 ple he had little time to attend to his own affairs. 
 
 " Will you be in town through the week and over 
 the Sabbath ? " Mr. Adams asked. 
 
 Robert replied that he intended to visit his relatives, 
 Mr. and Mrs. Brandon, on Copp's Hill. 
 
 " Oh yes, my friend the shipbuilder a very wor 
 thy gentleman, and his wife an estimable lady. They 
 have an energetic and noble daughter and a promising 
 son. I have an engagement to-night, another to-mor 
 row, but shall be at home to-morrow evening, and I 
 would like to have you and your young friends take 
 supper with us. I will tell you something that your 
 father would like to know." 
 
 Robert thanked him, and took his departure. 
 Thinking that Doctor Warren probably woidd be visit 
 ing his patients at that hour of the day, he drove to 
 
 1 Mrs. Adams was the daughter of Reverend Samuel Checkley, pas 
 tor of the New South Church, which stood on Church Green at the 
 junction of Summer and Bedford streets. She was a woman of much 
 refinement and intelligence, and greatly beloved.
 
 FIRST DAY IN BOSTON. 29 
 
 the Green Dragon, and put Jenny in her stall, and 
 after dinner made his way to the goldsmith's shop to 
 find a present for Rachel. 
 
 Mr. Paul Revere, who had gold beads, brooches, sil 
 ver spoons, shoe and knee buckles, clocks, and a great 
 variety of articles for sale, was sitting on a bench en 
 graving a copper plate. He laid down his graving- 
 tool and came to the counter. Robert saw he had a 
 benevolent face ; that he was hale and hearty. 
 
 " I would like to look at what you have that is 
 pretty for a girl of eighteen," said Robert. 
 
 Mr. Revere smiled as if he understood that the 
 young man before him wanted something that would 
 delight his sweetheart. 
 
 "I want it for my sister," Robert added. 
 
 Mr. Revere smiled again as he took a bag filled 
 with gold beads from the showcase. 
 
 " I think you cannot find anything prettier for your 
 sister than a string of beads," he said. " Women and 
 girls like them better than anything else. They are 
 always in fashion. You will not make any mistake, 
 I am sure, in selecting them." 
 
 He held up several strings to the light, that Robert 
 might see how beautiful they were. 
 
 " I would like to look at your brooches." 
 
 While the goldsmith was taking them from the 
 showcase, he glanced at the pictures on the walls, 
 printed from plates which Mr. Revere had engraved. 
 
 The brooches were beautiful ruby, onyx, sap 
 phire, emerald, but after examining them he turned 
 once more to the beads. 
 
 " They are eighteen carats fine, and will not grow
 
 30 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 dim with use. I think your sister will be delighted 
 with them." 
 
 Robert thought so too, and felt a glow of pleasure 
 when they were packed in soft paper and transferred 
 from the case to his pocket. 
 
 With the afternoon before him he strolled the 
 streets, looking at articles in the shop windows, at the 
 clock on the Old Brick Meetinghouse, the barracks 
 of the soldiers, the king's Twenty-Ninth Regiment. 1 
 Some of the redcoats were polishing their gun barrels 
 and bayonets, others smoking their pipes. Beyond the 
 barracks a little distance he saw Mr. Gray's rope walk. 
 He turned through Mackerel Lane and came to the 
 Bunch of Grapes Tavern, 2 and just beyond it the Ad 
 miral Vernon. He strolled to Long Wharf. The 
 king's warship, Romney, was riding at anchor near 
 by, and a stately merchant ship was coming up the har 
 bor. The fragrance of the sea was in the air. Upon 
 the wharf were hogsheads of molasses unloaded from 
 a vessel just arrived from Jamaica. Boys had knocked 
 out a bung and were running a stick into the hole and 
 lapping the molasses. The sailors lounging on the 
 
 1 The troops were ordered to Boston in 1765, in consequence of the 
 riots growing out of the passage of the Stamp Act, the mob having 
 sacked the house of Chief Justice Thomas Hutchinson. Though the 
 Stamp Act had been repealed, and though the citizens were orderly 
 and law-abiding, the regiments remained. 
 
 2 The Bunch of Grapes Tavern stood on the corner of Mackerel 
 Lane and King Street, now Kilby and State streets. Its sign was 
 three clusters of grapes. It was a noted tavern, often patronized by 
 the royal governors. In July, 1776, the Declaration of Independence 
 was read to the people from its balcony. After hearing it they tore 
 the lion and unicorn, and all emblems of British authority, from the 
 Custom House, Court House, and Town House, and made a bonfire of 
 them in front of the tavern.
 
 FIRST DAY IN BOSTON. 31 
 
 wharf were speaking a language he could not under 
 stand. For the first time in his life he was in touch, 
 as it were, with the great world beyond the sea. 
 
 During the day he had met several of the king's 
 soldiers, swaggering along the streets as if privileged 
 to do as they pleased, regardless of the people. Two, 
 whom he had seen drinking toddy in the Admiral Ver- 
 non, swayed against him. 
 
 " Hello, clodhopper ! How 's yer dad and marm ? " 
 said one. 
 
 Robert felt the hot blood mount to his brow. 
 
 " Say, bumpkin, how did ye get away from your 
 ma's apron-string ? " said the other. 
 
 " He has n't got the pluck of a goslin," said the 
 first. 
 
 Robert set his teeth together, but made no reply, 
 and walked away. He felt like pitching them head 
 foremost into the dock, and was fearful he might do 
 something which, in cooler blood, he would wish he 
 had not done. 
 
 By what right were they strolling the streets of an 
 orderly town ? Those who supported the king said 
 they were there to maintain the dignity of the crown. 
 True, a mob had battered the door of Thomas Hutch- 
 inson, but that had been settled. The people were 
 quiet, orderly, law-abiding. The sentinel by the Town 
 House glared at him as he walked up King Street, as 
 if ready to dispute his right to do so. He saw a book 
 store on the corner of the street, and with a light 
 heart entered it. A tall, broad-shouldered young man 
 welcomed him. 
 
 " May I look at your books? " Robert asked.
 
 32 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Certainly ; we have all those recently published 
 in London, and a great many pamphlets printed here 
 in the Colonies," the young man replied. 
 
 " I live in the country. We do not have many 
 books in New Hampshire," said Robert. 
 
 " Oh, from New Hampshire ? Please make your 
 self at home, and look at any book you please. My 
 name is Henry Knox," : said the young man. 
 
 " I am Robert Walden." 
 
 " I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. 
 Walden, and shall be glad to render you any service in 
 my power. Is this your first visit to town ? " 
 
 Robert said it was. He could only gaze in wonder 
 at the books upon the shelves. He had not thought 
 there could be so many in the world. Mr. Knox saw 
 the growing look of astonishment. 
 
 " What can I show you? Perhaps you do not care 
 for sermons. We have a good many ; ministers like 
 to see their sermons in print. I think perhaps you 
 will like this better," said Mr. Knox, taking down a 
 copy of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments. " You 
 will find it very interesting ; just sit down and look 
 at it." 
 
 Robert seated himself in a chair and read the story 
 of the Forty Thieves. 
 
 " Do you think these are true stories ? " he asked 
 when he had finished it. 
 
 1 Mr. Knox was clerk in the bookstore kept by Daniel Henchman. 
 In 1773 he began business on his own account on Cornhill now Wash 
 ington Street, upon the site now occupied by the Globe newspaper. 
 His store was frequented by the officers of the regiments, and doubt 
 less he obtained from them information that he turned to good account 
 during the war.
 
 FIRST DAY IN BOSTON. 33 
 
 Mr. Knox replied they were true in so far as they 
 described the manners and customs of the people of 
 Arabia and Persia. He did not doubt the stories had 
 been told in Babylon, Nineveh, and Damascus, and he 
 might think of the people in those cities sitting in the 
 calm evenings under the almond-trees on the banks of 
 the Euphrates or the river Abana listening to the 
 story-teller, who probably did his best to make the 
 story entertaining. 
 
 " Doubtless," said Mr. Knox, " we think it would 
 not be possible for things to happen as they are nar 
 rated, but I am not quite sure about that. One of the 
 stories, for instance, tells how a man went through the 
 air on a carpet. We think it cannot be true, but here 
 is a pamphlet which tells how Henry Cavendish, in 
 England, a little while ago discovered a gas which he 
 calls hydrogen. It is ten times lighter than air 
 so light that another gentleman, Mr. Black, filled a 
 bag with it which took him off his feet and carried 
 him round the room, to the astonishment of all who 
 beheld it. I should n't be surprised if by and by we 
 shall be able to travel through the air by a bag filled 
 with such gas." 
 
 Robert listened with intense interest, not being able 
 to comprehend how anything could be lighter than 
 air. He was not quite sure that his father and mo 
 ther would approve of his reading a book that was not 
 strictly true, and he was sure that the good minister 
 and deacons of the church would shake their heads 
 solemnly were they to know it ; but he could read it 
 on his way home and hide it in the haymow and read 
 it on rainy days in the barn. But that would not be
 
 34 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 manly. No, he could not do that. He would tell his 
 father and mother and Rachel about it, and read it to 
 them by the kitchen fire. Hit or miss, he would pur 
 chase the book. 
 
 Mr. Knox kindly offered to show him the Town 
 House. They crossed the street, and entered the 
 council chamber. Lieutenant-Governor Hutchiiison 
 and the members of the council were sitting in their 
 'armchairs, wearing white wigs and scarlet cloaks. 
 Their gold-laced hats were lying on their desks. Lieu 
 tenant-Colonel Dalrymple, commanding the king's 
 troops, was seated by the side of Governor Hutchinson 
 as a visitor. Upon the walls were portraits of Kings 
 Charles II. and James II. in gilded frames ; also por 
 traits of Governors Winthrop, Endicott, and Brad- 
 street. 
 
 Thanking Mr. Knox for his kindness, Robert passed 
 into the street, took a look at the stocks and pillory, 
 and wondered if that was the best way to punish those 
 who had committed petty offenses. 
 
 He saw a girl tripping along the street. A young 
 lieutenant in command of the sentinels around the 
 Town House stared rudely at her. In contrast to the 
 leering look of the officer, the negro servants filling 
 their pails at the pump were very respectful in giving 
 her room to pass. He saw the two soldiers who had 
 attempted to pick a quarrel with him on the wharf, 
 emerge from an alley. One chucked the young lady 
 under the chin ; the other threw his arm around her 
 and attempted to steal a kiss. Robert heard a wild 
 cry, and saw her struggle to be free. With a bound 
 he was by her side. His right arm swung through
 
 FIRST DAY IN BOSTON. 35 
 
 the air, and his clenched fist came down like a sledge- 
 
 o 
 
 hammer upon the head of the ruffian, felling him to 
 the earth. The next moment the other was picked up 
 and plunged headforemost into the watering-trough. 
 No word had been spoken. The girl, as if not com 
 prehending what had happened, stood amazed before 
 him. 
 
 " Thank you, sir ; I never shall forget your kind 
 ness," she said, dropping a low courtesy and walking 
 rapidly up Queen Street. 
 
 Never before had he seen a face like hers, a counte 
 nance that would not fade from memory, although he 
 saw it but a moment. 
 
 Suddenly he found himself confronted by the lieu 
 tenant, who came running from the Town House, with 
 flashing eyes and drawn sword. Robert did not run, 
 but looked him squarely in the face. 
 
 " What do you mean, you " 
 
 The remainder of the sentence is not recorded : the 
 printed page is cleaner without it. 
 
 " I meant to teach the villains not to insult a lady." 
 
 " I 've a good mind to split your skull open," said 
 the lieutenant, white with rage, but not knowing what 
 to make of a man so calm and resolute. 
 
 " Let me get at him ! Let me get at him ! I '11 
 knock the daylight out of him," shouted the fellow 
 whom Robert had felled to the ground, but who had 
 risen and stood with clenched fists. The other, the 
 while, was clambering from the trough, wiping the 
 water from his face and ready to rush upon Robert, 
 angered all the more by the jeers of the grinning 
 negroes.
 
 36 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " What is all this about ? " 
 
 It was Lieutenant-Colonel Dalrymple speaking. 
 He had seen the commotion from the window of the 
 council chamber, and hastened to the scene. " Put up 
 your sword," he said to the lieutenant. 
 
 " What have you been doing, sir ? " he asked, turn 
 ing sternly to Robert. 
 
 " Suppose you first ask those two fellows what 
 they 've been doing ? Nevertheless, Colonel, lest you 
 might not get a true answer, allow me to say that 
 they insulted a lady, that I knocked one down and 
 tossed the other into the watering-trough, to teach 
 them better manners. For doing it your lieutenant 
 has seen fit to draw his sword and threaten to split 
 my head open." 
 
 It was said quietly and calmly. 
 
 " What have you to say to that ? " Colonel Dal 
 rymple asked, addressing the soldiers, who made no 
 reply. 
 
 " Lieutenant, take them to the guardhouse, and 
 consider yourself under arrest till I can look into this 
 matter. Don't you know better than to draw your 
 sword against a citizen in this way ? " 
 
 The lieutenant made no reply, but looked savagely 
 at Robert, as if to say, " I '11 have it out with you 
 sometime," sheathed his sword and turned away, fol 
 lowing the crestfallen soldiers to the guardhouse. 
 
 Colonel Dalrymple bowed courteously, as if to apol 
 ogize for the insult to the lady. Robert came to the 
 conclusion that he was a gentleman. 
 
 The negroes were laughing and chuckling and tell 
 ing the rapidly gathering crowd what had happened.
 
 FIRST DAY IN BOSTON. 37 
 
 Robert, having no desire to be made conspicuous, 
 walked up Queen Street. He tarried a moment to 
 look at the iron-grated windows and double-bolted 
 doors of the jail, then turned down Hanover Street 
 and made his way to the Green Dragon.
 
 III. 
 
 THE SONS OP LIBERTY. 
 
 " Is it far to Doctor Warren's house ? " Robert 
 asked of the landlord after supper. 
 
 " Oh no, only a few steps around the corner on 
 Hanover Street. So you are going to call on him, 
 just as your father always does. You will find him a 
 nice gentleman. He is kind to the poor, charging 
 little or nothing when they are sick and need doctor 
 ing. He is n't quite thirty years old, but there is n't 
 a doctor in town that has a larger practice. He is a 
 true patriot. I heard a man say the other day that 
 if Joe Warren would only let politics alone he would 
 soon be riding in his own coach. The rich Tories 
 'don't like him much. They say it was he who gave 
 Governor Bernard such a scorching in Ben Edes's 
 newspaper awhile ago. He is eloquent when he gets 
 fired up. You ought to hear him in town meeting ; 
 you won't find him stuck up one mite ; you can talk 
 with him just as you do with me." 
 
 With the cheese under his arm Robert walked 
 along Hanover Street to Doctor Warren's house. 1 It 
 
 1 The home of Doctor Warren stood upon the spot now occupied 
 by the American House. It was a plain structure and was surrounded 
 by a garden. Mrs. Warren Elizabeth Hooton before marriage 
 was the daughter of Richard Hooton. a merchant possessing large
 
 THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 39 
 
 was a wooden building standing end to the road. 
 Entering a small yard, he rattled the knocker on the 
 door. The doctor opened it. 
 
 "Good-evening; will you walk in?" he said. It 
 was a pleasant, cheery voice, one to make a sick person 
 feel well. 
 
 " Please step into the office." 
 
 Robert entered a room smelling of rhubarb, jalap, 
 ipecac, and other medicines in bottles and packages on 
 the shelves. 
 
 Sincere and hearty were the thanks of Doctor "War 
 ren for the present. 
 
 " I want Mrs. Warren to make your acquaintance," 
 he said. 
 
 A beautiful woman entered and gave Robert a cor 
 dial greeting. 
 
 " It is very kind of you to bring us such a gift. It 
 is not the first time your father has made us happy," 
 she said. " We must find some way, husband, to let 
 Mr. Walden know we appreciate his kindness." 
 
 " That is so, wife." 
 
 " We live so far away," said Robert, " we do not 
 know what is going on. Father wishes me especially 
 to learn the latest news from London in regard to the 
 proposed tax on tea, and what the Colonies are going 
 to do about it." 
 
 " That is a very important matter," the doctor re- 
 wealth. She was beautiful in person and character. She died May, 
 1773. The Boston Gazette contained an appreciative tribute to her 
 worth. 
 
 " Good sense and modesty with virtue crowned ; 
 A sober mind when fortune smiled or frowned. 
 So keen a feeling for a friend distressed, 
 She could not bear to see a man oppressed."
 
 40 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 plied, " and we are to have a meeting of the Sons of 
 Liberty this evening to consider what shall be done 
 in case the bill now before Parliament becomes a law, 
 as I have no doubt it will. I shall be pleased to have 
 you go with me. Of course our meetings are some 
 what secret. We do not care to have any mousing 
 Tory know just what we intend to do. You will have 
 a hearty welcome from the boys. It is only a few 
 steps from here, at the Green Dragon." 
 
 " That is where I am stopping," Robert replied. 
 
 " You can say to your father," the doctor continued, 
 " that the redcoats are becoming very insolent, and 
 we fear there will be trouble." 
 
 Robert said nothing about his experience at the 
 town pump. 
 
 " Sammy Hutchinson," the doctor went on, " is 
 acting governor. He is not the hyena Bernard was. 
 Hutchinson was born here. He is a gentleman, but 
 loves office. I would not do him any injustice, but 
 being in office he naturally sides with the ministry. 
 He does not see which way the people are going. 
 King George believes that he himself is chosen of 
 God to rule us, and Lord North is ready to back him 
 up. The people around the king are sycophants who 
 are looking after their own personal advantage. The 
 ministers know very little about affairs in the Colo 
 nies. They are misled by Bernard and others. They 
 are determined to raise revenue from the Colonies, 
 but will be disappointed. But we will go round to 
 the Green Dragon." 
 
 They reached the tavern. Doctor Warren nodded 
 to the landlord, and led the way up the stairs along
 
 DOCTOR JOSEPH WARREN
 
 THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 41 
 
 the hall and gave four raps on a door. One of the 
 panels swung open. A man on the other side said 
 something which Robert could not understand, neither 
 could he make out what the doctor said in reply. 
 The panel closed, the door opened, and they passed 
 into a large room dimly lighted by two tallow candles. 
 A dozen or more yoiing men were seated in chairs 
 around a table smoking their pipes. At one end of 
 the table was a large punch-bowl, a basket filled with 
 lemons, a bottle of rum, a plate of crackers, and half 
 a cheese. One young man was slicing lemons and 
 making rum punch. All clapped their hands when 
 they saw Doctor Warren. 
 
 " I have brought a young friend ; he is from New 
 Hampshire and as true as steel," said the doctor. 
 
 " Boys," said Amos Lincoln, " this is the gentleman 
 I was telling you about ; let 's give him three cheers." 
 
 The room rang. Robert did not know what to 
 make of it ; neither did Doctor Warren till Amos 
 Lincoln told how he had seen Mr. Walden at the 
 town pump, knocking down one lobster, throwing an 
 other into the watering-trough, and calmly confront 
 ing the prig of a lieutenant. When Amos finished, 
 all came and shook hands with Robert. 
 
 Mr. John Rowe called the meeting to order. 
 
 " Since our last meeting," he said, " a ship has ar 
 rived bringing the news that the king and ministers 
 are determined to levy an export duty of three pence 
 per pound on tea : that is, all tea exported from Eng 
 land will be taxed to that extent. Of course, we 
 could pay it if we chose, but we shall not so choose." 
 
 The company clapped their hands.
 
 42 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " We have sent round papers for the merchants to 
 sign an agreement that they will not sell any tea 
 imported from England. All have signed it except 
 Hutchinson's two sons, Governor Bernard's son-in- 
 law, Theophilus Lillie, and two others. The agree 
 ment does not prevent the merchants from selling tea 
 imported from Holland. The Tories, of course, will 
 patronize the merchants who have not signed the 
 agreement, and the question for us to consider is how 
 we shall keep out the tea to be imported by the East 
 India Company." 
 
 " We must make it hot for 'em," said Mr. Mackin 
 tosh. 
 
 " The tea, do you mean ? " shouted several. 
 
 There was a ripple of laughter. 
 
 " I don't see but that we shall have to quit drink 
 ing tea," said Doctor Warren. "We drink alto 
 gether too much. It has become a dissipation. We 
 drink it morning, noon, and night. Some of the old 
 ladies of my acquaintance keep the teapot on the 
 coals pretty much all the time. Our wives meet in 
 the afternoon to sip tea and talk gossip. The girls 
 getting ready to be married invite their mates to 
 quiltings and serve them with Old Hyson. We have 
 garden tea-parties on bright afternoons in summer 
 and evening parties in winter. So much tea, such 
 frequent use of an infusion of the herb, upsets our 
 nerves, impairs healthful digestion, and brings on 
 sleeplessness. I have several patients old ladies, 
 and those in middle life whose nerves are so un 
 strung that I am obliged to dose them with opium 
 occasionally, to enable them to sleep."
 
 THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 43 
 
 " Do you think we can induce the ladies to quit 
 drinking it? " Mr. Molineux asked. 
 
 " I am quite sure Mrs. Warren will cheerfully give 
 it up, as will Mrs. Molineux if her husband should 
 set the example," Doctor Warren replied. 
 
 Mr. Molineux said he was ready to banish the tea 
 pot from his table. 
 
 " I believe," continued the doctor, " that the 
 women of America will be ready to give up the grat 
 ification of their appetites to maintain a great prin 
 ciple. They will sacrifice all personal considerations 
 to secure the rights of the Colonies. Parliament 
 proposes to tax this country without our having a 
 voice in the matter. It is a seductive and insidious 
 proposition this export duty. I suppose they think 
 we are simpletons, and will be caught in the trap they 
 are setting. They think we are so fond of tea we 
 shall continue to purchase it, but the time has come 
 when we must let them know there is nothing so 
 precious to us as our rights and liberties ; that we 
 can be resolute in little as well as in great things. I 
 dare say that some of you, like myself, have invita 
 tions to Mrs. Newville's garden party to-morrow after 
 noon. I expect to attend, but it will be the last 
 tea-party for me, if the bill before Parliament becomes 
 a law. Mrs. Newville is an estimable lady, a hospi 
 table hostess ; having accepted an invitation to be 
 present, it would be discourteous for me to inform 
 her I could not drink a cup of tea from her hand, 
 but I have made up my mind henceforth to stand 
 resolutely for maintaining the principle underlying 
 it all, a great fundamental, political principle, 
 our freedom."
 
 44 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 The room rang with applause. , 
 
 " Sometimes, as some of you know, I try my hand 
 at verse-making. I will read a few" lines." 
 
 FREE AMERICA. 
 
 That seat of Science, Athens, 
 
 And earth's proud mistress, Rome : 
 Where now are all their glories ? 
 
 We scarce can find their tomb. 
 Then guard your rights, Americans, 
 
 Nor stoop to lawless sway ; 
 Oppose, oppose, oppose, 
 
 For North America. 
 
 We led fair Freedom hither, 
 
 And lo, the desert smiled, 
 A paradise of pleasure 
 
 Was opened in the wild. 
 Your harvest, bold Americans, 
 
 No power shall snatch away. 
 Huzza, huzza, huzza, 
 
 For free America. 
 
 Some future day shall crown us 
 
 The masters of the main ; 
 Our fleets shall speak in thunder 
 
 To England, France, and Spain. 
 And nations over ocean spread 
 
 Shall tremble and obey 
 The sons, the sons, the sons, 
 
 Of brave America. 
 
 Captain Mackintosh sang it, and the hall rang with 
 cheers. 
 
 " It is pitiable," said Mr. Rowe, " that the people 
 of England do not understand us better, but what 
 can we expect when a member of Parliament makes
 
 THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 45 
 
 a speech like that delivered by Mr. Stanley just be 
 fore the last ship sailed. Hear it. 
 
 Mr. Rowe, taking a candle in one hand and snuff 
 ing it with his thumb and finger, read an extract from 
 the speech : " What will become of that insolent 
 town, Boston, when we deprive the inhabitants of the 
 power of sending their molasses to the coast of 
 Africa? The people of that town must be treated 
 as aliens, and the charters of towns in Massachusetts 
 must be changed so as to give the king the appoint 
 ment of the councilors, and give the sheriffs the sole 
 power of returning juries." 
 
 " The ignoramus," continued Mr. Rowe, " does not 
 know that no molasses is made in these Colonies. He 
 confounds this and the other Colonies with Jamaica. 
 One would suppose Lord North would not be quite so 
 bitter, but he said in a recent speech that America 
 must be made to fear the king ; that he should go on 
 with the king's plan until we were prostrate at his feet." 
 
 " Not much will we get down on our knees to 
 him," said Peter Bushwick. " Since the war with 
 France, to carry on which the Colonies contributed 
 their full share, the throne isn't feared quite as 
 much as it was. Americans are not in the habit of 
 prostrating themselves." 
 
 Captain Mackintosh once more broke into a song. 
 
 " Come join hand in hand, Americans all ; 
 By uniting we stand, dividing we fall. 
 To die we can bear, but to serve we disdain, 
 For shame is to freedom more dreadful than pain. 
 In freedom we 're born, in freedom we '11 live. 
 Our purses are ready : steady, boys, steady, 
 Not as slaves but as freemen our money we '11 give."
 
 46 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 The Sons again clapped their hands and resolved 
 that they would drink no more tea. The formal 
 business of the evening being ended, they broke into 
 groups, helped themselves to crackers and cheese, and 
 lighted their pipes. 
 
 A young man about Robert's age came and shook 
 hands with him. 
 
 " Did I understand correctly that you are Robert 
 Walden from Rumford ? " he asked. 
 
 " That is my name, and I am from Rumford." 
 
 " Then we are cousins ; I am Tom Brandon." 
 
 " I was intending to call upon you to-morrow." 
 
 "You must go with me to-night. Father and 
 mother never would forgive me if I did not take you 
 along, especially when I tell them how you rubbed it 
 into the king's lobsters." 
 
 The bells were ringing for nine o'clock the hour 
 when everybody in Boston made preparations for go 
 ing to bed. All the Sons of Liberty came and shook 
 hands with Robert. 
 
 " It is the most wholesome lesson the villains have 
 had since they landed at Long Wharf," said Doctor 
 Warren, who hoped to have the pleasure of seeing 
 more of Mr. Walden. 
 
 " We must rely upon such as you in the struggle 
 which we are yet to have to maintain our liberties," 
 said Mr. Molineux. 
 
 Tom Brandon took Robert with him to his home 
 on Copp's Hill. Robert could see by the light of the 
 moon that it was a large wooden house with a hipped 
 roof, surmounted by a balustrade, fronting the burial 
 ground and overlooking the harbor and a wide reach 
 of surrounding country.
 
 THE SONS OF LIBERTY. 47 
 
 " Why, Robert Walden ! where did you come 
 from ? " Mr. Brandon exclaimed as Tom ushered him 
 into the sitting-room. 
 
 "What! stopping at the Green Dragon! Why 
 didn't you come right here, you naughty boy?" 
 
 He tinkled a bell and a negro entered the room. 
 
 "Mark Antony, go up to the Green Dragon and 
 get this gentleman's trunk. Tell the landlord I sent 
 you. Hold on a moment : it is after nine o'clock, and 
 the watchman may overhaul you and want to know 
 what you are doing. You must have an order." 
 
 Mr. Brandon stepped to a writing-desk and wrote 
 an order, receiving which Mark Antony bowed and 
 took his departure. 
 
 Mr. Brandon was in the prime of life, hale, hearty, 
 vigorous, a former ship captain, who had been to 
 London many times, also through the Straits of 
 Gibraltar, to Madeira, Jamaica, and round Cape of 
 Good Hope to China. He had seen enough of ocean 
 life and had become a builder of ships. He was ac 
 customed to give orders, manage men, and was quick 
 to act. He had accumulated wealth, and was living 
 in a spacious mansion on the summit of the hill. On 
 calm summer evenings he smoked his pipe upon the 
 platform on the roof of his house, looking through a 
 telescope at vessels making the harbor, reading the 
 signals flying at the masthead, and saying to himself 
 and friends that the approaching vessel was from Lon 
 don or the West Indias. 
 
 Robert admired the homelike residence, the pan 
 eled wainscoting, the fluted pilasters, elaborately 
 carved mantel, glazed tiles, mahogany centre-table,
 
 48 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 armchairs, the beautifully carved writing-desk, the 
 pictures on the walls of ships under full sail weather 
 ing rocky headlands. 
 
 Mrs. Brandon and her daughter Berinthia entered 
 the room. Mrs. Brandon was very fair for a woman 
 in middle life. Berinthia had light blue eyes, cherry 
 ripe lips, and rosy cheeks. 
 
 " I have heard father speak of you often, and he is 
 always holding up cousin Rachel as a model for me," 
 said Berinthia, shaking hands with him. 
 
 Tom told of what had happened at the town pump. 
 
 " The soldiers are a vile set," said Mrs. Brandon. 
 
 " They are becoming very insolent, and I fear we 
 shall have trouble with them," said Mr. Brandon. 
 
 Mark Antony came with the trunk, and Tom lighted 
 a candle to show Robert to his chamber. Berinthia 
 walked with him to the foot of the stairs. 
 
 " Good-night, cousin," she said ; " I want to thank 
 you in behalf of all the girls in Boston for throwing 
 that villain into the watering-trough."
 
 IV. 
 
 AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS. 
 
 " How beautiful ! " Robert exclaimed, as he beheld 
 the harbor, the town, and the surrounding country 
 from the top of the house the following morning. 
 Berinthia pointed out the localities. At their feet 
 
 Copp's Hill Burial Ground. 
 
 was Copp's Hill burial ground with its rows of head 
 stones and grass-grown mounds. Across the river, 
 northward, was Charlestown village nestling at the 
 foot of Bunker Hill. Ferryboats were crossing the
 
 50 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 stream. Farther away beyond fields, pastures, and 
 marsh lands were the rocky bluffs of Maiden, the 
 wood-crowned heights russet and crimson with the 
 first tinges of autumn. Eastward was the harbor 
 with its wave-washed islands, and the blue ocean 
 sparkling in the sunlight. White sails were fading 
 and vanishing on the far distant horizon. Ships were 
 riding at anchor between the town and castle. South 
 ward were dwellings, stores, shops, and the spires of 
 meetinghouses. Beyond the town were the Roxbury, 
 Dorchester, and Milton hills fields, pastures, or 
 chards, and farmhouses. Westward rose Beacon 
 Hill, its sunny slopes dotted with houses and gardens ; 
 farther away, across Charles River, he could see the 
 steeple of Cambridge meetinghouse and the roof of 
 the college. 
 
 " This is Christ Church," said Berinthia, pointing 
 to the nearest steeple. " That beyond is the Old 
 North Meetinghouse where Cotton Mather preached. 1 
 Of course you have heard of him." 
 
 Robert replied that the name seemed familiar. 
 
 " He was one of the ministers first settled," said 
 Berinthia, " and wrote a curious book, the ' Magnalia.' 
 When he was a boy he picked up Latin so quickly 
 that when twelve years old he was able to enter col 
 lege, graduating four years later.- That stately mansion 
 
 1 Historical writers have made a mistake in speaking of Christ 
 Church as the Old North Meetinghouse. They were distinct edifices 
 Christ Church standing in Salem Street, the Old North fronting 
 North Square. Christ Church is the historic edifice from whose 
 steeple Robert Newman hung the lantern to give notice of the move 
 ment of the king's troops, April, 1775. The Old North was torn 
 down during the siege of Boston.
 
 AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS. 51 
 
 near the meetinghouse was the home of Lieutenant- 
 Goveriior Hutchinson. A mob smashed the windows 
 in connection with the attempt to enforce the Stamp 
 Act ; and it was that which induced the king to send 
 the two regiments of soldiers to Boston. The house 
 adjoining is the home of Lady Agnes Frankland." 
 
 She told the romantic story of Lady Frankland's 
 life ; how Sir Henry, when a young man, came from 
 England to be the king's collector of customs. One 
 day he went to Marblehead, and while at the tavern 
 saw a girl scrubbing the floor. She was barefooted, 
 but had a beautiful face. He thought that so pretty 
 a girl ought not to go barefooted, and gave her money 
 to buy a pair of shoes. A few weeks passed, and 
 again he saw her barefooted, still scrubbing the floor. 
 She had purchased the shoes, but was keeping them 
 for Sunday. Sir Henry was so pleased with her that 
 he offered to give her an education. A good minister 
 took her into his family and she learned very rapidly. 
 She in return gave him her love, and after leaving 
 school went to live with him. He not only owned 
 the house in town, but a great estate in the coun 
 try. He kept horses and hounds, and had good wines. 
 After a while he took Agnes to England with him, 
 and from thence to Portugal. He was in Lisbon in 
 1755, at the time of the great earthquake, and was 
 riding in his carriage when suddenly the earth began 
 to heave and tremble, and houses, churches, all came 
 tumbling down, burying thirty thousand people. Sir 
 Henry's horses and himself and carriage were beneath 
 the bricks and mortar. Agnes was not with him at 
 the moment, but showed her love by running as fast
 
 52 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 as she could and digging away the bricks with her 
 own hands, finding him badly mangled but alive. He 
 thought he was going to die, and made a vow that if 
 his life was spared Agnes should be his lawfully 
 wedded wife. His wounds healed and he kept his 
 word, making her Lady Frankland. They came once 
 more to Boston, bought the house next to Chief Justice 
 Hutchinson, and lived very happily." 
 
 " We will go down to father's shipyard," said Tom, 
 " and you can see the carpenters at work building a 
 ship." 
 
 They descended the hill and entered the yard. 
 Robert hardly knew what to think as he listened to 
 the clattering of axes and mallets. Some of the work 
 men were hewing timber and putting up the ribs of 
 the vessel; others were .bolting planks to the ribs. 
 The size of the ship amazed him ; it was larger than 
 his father's barn. In a few weeks the hull would be 
 finished, the masts put in, the rigging rove, and then 
 the ship would be launched. 
 
 " Father is going to name her for me, and I am to 
 be the figurehead ; come to the carver's shop and see 
 me," said Berinthia with sparkling eyes and merry 
 laugh. 
 
 They went into a little shop where a good-looking 
 young man, with chisels, gouges, and mallet, was fash 
 ioning the bust of a woman. Tom introduced him 
 as Abraham Duncan. Robert noticed a lighting up 
 of Mr. Duncan's eyes as he greeted Berinthia. 
 
 " Mr. Duncan is one of us. As for that matter, 
 every man in the yard is a Son of Liberty," Tom said. 
 
 " That is me," said Berinthia, pointing to the figure-
 
 AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS. 53 
 
 In the Shipyard. 
 
 head. " 1 am to be perched beneath the bowsprit to 
 look out upon the ocean and see which way the ship 
 ought to go. The waves will wet my hair, and the 
 tears will run down my cheeks when the storms are 
 on. My eyes will behold strange things. I shall see 
 the whales spout and the porpoises play, and poke my 
 nose into foreign parts," she said playfully. 
 
 Robert saw that the carver had fashioned the face
 
 54 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 to look like her. She had been down to the shop 
 several times, that he might study her features. On 
 Saturday evenings after work for the week was over 
 he put on his best coat and called at the Brandon 
 house to look at her as she sat by the fireside with the 
 light from the hearth illumining her face. Although 
 Mr. Duncan usually went to hear Reverend Mr. 
 Checkley preach, he sometimes strayed away to Rever 
 end Doctor Cooper's meetinghouse in Brattle Street, 
 and took a seat where he could see Berinthia's fea 
 tures in repose, as she listened to the sermon. Al 
 though the minister was very eloquent, Mr. Duncan 
 was more interested in looking at her than hearing 
 what was said in the pulpit. Robert noticed that she 
 seemed to enjoy talking with the carver, and when he 
 went to the other side of the building to get a port 
 folio of drawings to show her how the cabin was to be 
 ornamented her eyes followed him. 
 
 " Father says Mr. Duncan is a very talented young 
 man, and one of the best artists in town," she said, as 
 they walked back to the house. 
 
 After dinner, Robert went to the Green Dragon, 
 obtained a chaise, harnessed Jenny, took in Berinthia, 
 and crossed the ferry to Charlestown, for a ride in the 
 country. They drove along a wide street at the foot 
 of Bunker Hill, and came to a narrow neck of land 
 between Charles River on the south and Mystic River 
 on the north. The tide was flowing in and covering 
 the marsh lands. They gained the summit of Winter 
 Hill, gazed upon the beautiful landscape, then turned 
 southward toward Cambridge. Reaching the college, 
 they entered the library and the room containing the
 
 AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS. 55 
 
 philosophical instruments. Robert rubbed his knife 
 on a magnet so he could pick up a needle by touching 
 it with the blade. They had little time to spare, for 
 they were to take supper with Mr. Samuel Adams. 
 Berinthia informed him that Mr. Adams was not 
 rich, that he was very kind-hearted, and had lost his 
 property through kindness to a friend. 
 
 " He lives very plainly," she said as they rode home 
 ward. " We shall find simple fare, but he will give 
 you a hearty shake of the hand. People have faith in 
 him because he is true to his convictions." 
 
 It was supper time when they reached Mr. Adams's 
 house. 
 
 " I am pleased to see you, and am glad to have an 
 opportunity for a little talk," said Mr. Adams, wel 
 coming them. 
 
 " We have very simple fare, only mush and milk, 
 pandowdy, 1 and some Rumford cheese which is very 
 delicious," said Mrs. Adams as she invited them to 
 the supper table. They stood by their chairs while 
 Mr. Adams asked a blessing, then took their seats. 
 
 " We have abolished tea from our table," he said. 
 " I see no better way of thwarting the designs of the 
 king and the ministry to overthrow the liberties of 
 the Colonies than for the people to quit using it." 
 
 " Do you think the people will deny themselves for 
 a principle ? " Robert asked. 
 
 " Yes ; I have unbounded faith in the virtue of the 
 American people. I do not know that we naturally 
 
 1 Pandowdy was a compote of apples, with several layers of pastry 
 made from rye meal, baked in a deep earthen dish and eaten with 
 milk.
 
 56 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 are more virtuous than the people of other lands, but 
 the course pursued by England ever since Cromwell's 
 time has been one of oppression. Now tyranny, 
 when exercised towards a free and intelligent people, 
 is a process of education. Away back when Cromwell 
 was administering the affairs of the nation a law was 
 passed, the design of which was to build up the com 
 merce of England. At that time Spain and Holland 
 were great maritime countries. The ships of Spain 
 were bringing gold from Cuba, Mexico, and South 
 America to that country. The ships of Holland were 
 bringing silks and tea from India and China. Those 
 countries were doing pretty much all the carrying on 
 the ocean. Cromwell, one of the greatest and most 
 far-sighted of all England's rulers, determined that 
 England should have her share of the trade. The 
 law which was passed provided that no goods should 
 be imported into that country or exported from it 
 except in English vessels, and the master of every ship 
 and three fourths of the crew must be Englishmen, 
 under penalty of forfeiture of the ship and cargo. 
 The act was passed in 1651. In a very short time 
 the commerce of England was twice what it had been. 
 The law was not designed to work any injury to the 
 Colonies, but for their benefit. The great abundance 
 of timber in America, so much that farmers were 
 slashing down hundreds of acres and burning it, en 
 abled the colonists to build ships very cheaply, and so 
 there was a swinging of axes in all our seaport towns. 
 When Charles II. came to the throne the royalists 
 determined there should be nothing left to remind the 
 people that a Commonwealth had ever existed. All
 
 AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS. 57 
 
 the laws enacted during the period were repealed. 
 Their hatred was so great they could not let Crom 
 well's bones rest in peace, but dug them up, dragged 
 them through the streets of London, and set his skull 
 on Temple Bar. Well, that did not hurt Cromwell, 
 but it did hurt Charles II. and monarchy. I do not 
 imagine anybody in coming years will erect a statue to 
 the memory of that voluptuous king or hold him in 
 reverence, but the time will come when Oliver Crom 
 well will be held in grateful remembrance." 
 
 Mr. Adams passed his bowl for more pandowdy, 
 and then went on with the conversation. 
 
 "The meanness of human nature," he said, " is seen 
 in the action of Parliament immediately after Charles 
 II. came to the throne in repealing every law enacted 
 during the period of the Commonwealth. Having 
 wiped out every statute, what do you suppose Parlia 
 ment did ? " 
 
 Robert replied that he had not the remotest idea. 
 
 " Well, they reenacted them put them right back 
 on the statute book. They were good laws, but the 
 Cromwellians had enacted them and they must be ex 
 punged ; having blotted them out, they must be put 
 back again because they were good laws." 
 
 Mr. Adams leaned back in his chair and laughed 
 heartily. 
 
 " Now we come to the iniquity of Parliament," he 
 continued. " Under the Commonwealth the Colonies 
 were kindly treated. Cromwell, at one time, together 
 with John Hampden, thought of emigrating to Amer 
 ica, but he did not, and by staying in England ren 
 dered inestimable service to his fellow-men. The
 
 58 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 iniquity was this: Parliament enacted a law which 
 made each of these Colonies a distinct country, so far 
 as commerce was concerned. Greed and selfishness 
 prompted the passage of this act, which aimed to 
 make England the distributor of all commerce, not 
 only between the Colonies and other countries, but 
 between this country and England, and, to cap the cli 
 max, England was to control the trade between the 
 Colonies ; that is, Massachusetts could not trade with 
 New Hampshire, or New York with Connecticut, ex 
 cept by paying tribute to England. The people were 
 no longer Englishmen, with the privileges of English 
 men, but outsiders, foreigners, so far as trade was con 
 cerned. If a Dutchman of Amsterdam wanted to find 
 a market here in Boston he could not send his ship 
 across the Atlantic, but only to England, that the 
 goods might be taken across the ocean in an English 
 ship. The merchants here in Boston who had anything 
 to sell in Holland, France, Spain, or anywhere else, 
 could not send it to those countries, but must ship it to 
 England. The fishermen of Gloucester and Marble- 
 head could not ship the codfish they had caught to 
 Spain or Cuba. The people in Catholic countries can 
 not eat meat on Friday, but may eat fish. Spain and 
 Cuba were good customers, but the fishermen must sell 
 their fish to merchants in London or Bristol, instead 
 of trading directly with the people of those countries. 
 You see, Mr. Walden, that it was a cunningly devised 
 plan to enrich England at our expense." 
 
 " It was unrighteous and wicked," Robert exclaimed. 
 
 " I do not wonder that it seems so to you, as it 
 must to every one who believes in justice and fair deal-
 
 AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS. 59 
 
 ing," Mr. Adams continued; "but human nature is 
 apt to be selfish. In 1696 Parliament passed an act 
 establishing the Lords of Trade, giving seven men, 
 selected by the king, authority to control and regu 
 late commerce. 1 The governors of the Colonies were 
 to carry out the provisions of the act, which forbade 
 all traffic between Ireland and the Colonies, and which 
 repealed all the laws enacted by the colonial legisla 
 tures relating to trade and manufactures." 
 
 " Did not the people protest against such a law ? " 
 Robert asked. 
 
 " Yes, the Great and General Court sent a protest 
 to London, but they might as well have whistled to 
 the wind." 
 
 Mr. Adams turned partly round in his chair and 
 took a paper from his desk. 
 
 " This is a copy," he continued, " of the protest. 
 It represents that the people were already much 
 cramped in their liberties and would be fools to con 
 sent to have their freedom further abridged. They 
 were not bound to obey those laws, because they had 
 no voice in making them. They stood on their natu 
 ral rights. It would take many hours to tell you, Mr. 
 Walden, the full story of oppression on the part of 
 Parliament towards the Colonies, or to picture the 
 greed of the merchants and manufacturers of Eng 
 land, who could not then, and who cannot now, bear 
 to think of a spinning-wheel whirling or a shuttle fly 
 ing anywhere outside of England, or of anybody sell 
 ing anything unless for the benefit of the men who 
 
 1 " The causes which brought about the American Revolution will 
 be found in the acts of the Board of Trade." JOHN ADAMS.
 
 60 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 keep shop in the vicinity of Threadneedle Street or 
 Amen Corner. 1 The course of England in selfish 
 ness and greed is like the prayer of the man who 
 
 said, 
 
 " ' O Lord, bless my wife and me, 
 Son John and his she, 
 We four, 
 No more.' " 
 
 Robert, Berinthia, and Mrs. Adams laughed heart 
 ily. Mr. Adams finished his mush and milk, and while 
 Mrs. Adams was serving the pandowdy he went on : 
 
 " Memory goes back to my boyhood. When I was 
 ten years old or thereabouts, there were no less than 
 sixteen hat makers and possibly more in this one 
 town. I used to pass several of the shops on my way 
 to school. Beavers were plenty on all the streams in 
 New Hampshire and western Massachusetts, and the 
 hatters were doing a thriving business, sending their 
 hats to the West Indies and Holland. One of the 
 merchants sent some to England. The makers of felt 
 hats over there could not tolerate such a transaction. 
 There was a buzzing around the Lords of Trade ; a 
 complaint that the f elters were being impoverished by 
 the hatters of America. Parliament thereupon passed 
 a law to suppress the manufacture of hats. Here is 
 the law." 
 
 Mr. Adams read from the paper : 
 
 " No hats or felts, dyed or undyed, finished or un 
 finished, shall be put on board any vessel in any place 
 within any British plantations, nor be laden upon any 
 
 1 Threadneedle Street and Amen Corner noted localities in Lon 
 don.
 
 AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS. 61 
 
 horse or other carriage to the intent to be exported 
 from thence to any other plantation, or to any other 
 place, upon forfeiture thereof, and the offender shall 
 likewise pay five hundred pounds for every such 
 offense. Every person knowing thereof, and will 
 ingly aiding therein, shall forfeit forty pounds." 
 
 " That is diabolical," said Robert, his blood begin 
 ning to boil. 
 
 Mr. Adams saw the flush upon his cheek and smiled. 
 
 " I see that it stirs you up, as it does every lover of 
 liberty. But I have not given you the full text of the 
 iniquitous act : the law forbade any one from making 
 a hat who had not served as an apprentice seven years, 
 nor could a man employ more than two apprentices. 
 Under that law no hatter up in Portsmouth could 
 paddle across the Piscataqua and sell a hat to his 
 neighbor in Kittery because the hat was made in New 
 Hampshire. The hatter who had a shop in Provi 
 dence could not carry a hat to his neighbor just over 
 the line in Swansey, one town being in Rhode Island 
 and the other in Massachusetts. The law, you see, 
 was designed to crush out the manufacture of hats. 
 The law applied to almost everything." 
 
 " I had no idea that such laws had been passed ; 
 they are abominable ! " Robert replied with a vigor 
 that brought a smile to Mr. Adams's face, who took a 
 bit of cheese and smacked his lips. 
 
 " Every time I taste it I think of you and your fa 
 ther, mother, and sister who made it," he said. 
 
 "I hope to see them sometime," said Mrs. Adams. 
 
 " I am not quite through with the iniquity," con 
 tinued Mr. Adams. " About forty years ago it was
 
 62 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 in 1737, 1 think Parliament passed what is called the 
 Sugar Act, which imposed a duty on sugar and mo 
 lasses, if imported from any of the West India Islands 
 other than those owned by Great Britain. Cuba, as 
 you know, is a dependency of Spain and St. Domingo 
 of France. The sugar plantations of Jamaica and 
 Guinea are owned by Englishmen, and the law was 
 passed to compel the Colonies to trade solely with the 
 Jamaica planters. The Great and General Court 
 protested that the act was a violation of the rights of 
 the Colonies, but no notice was taken of the protest 
 it was thrown into the basket for waste paper. Since 
 the time of Charles II. not less than twenty-nine acts 
 have been passed, which, in one way or another, re 
 strict trade and invade the rights of the Colonies. I 
 suppose, Mr. Walden, you leach the ashes, which you 
 scrape up from your fireplace ? " 
 
 " Oh yes," Robert replied ; " not only what we take 
 from the hearth in the kitchen, but when we have a 
 burning of a ten-acre lot, as we had a few weeks ago, 
 we scoop up several cart-loads of ashes which we leach, 
 and boil the lye to potash." 1 
 
 " And what do you do with the potash ? " 
 
 " We shall probably bring it to Boston and sell it 
 to Mr. Hancock or some other merchant." 
 
 " Oh no, you can't do that legally, because you live 
 in New Hampshire, and the law prohibits trade of that 
 sort between the Colonies. You can take the potash 
 to Portsmouth, and if there is an English vessel in the 
 
 1 The leaching of ashes and manufacture of potash was a large in 
 dustry during the Colonial period. In some sections of the country 
 the article was known as " black salts." There was one or more 
 potashery in every town.
 
 AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS. 63 
 
 Piscataqua you can send it to England and have it 
 shipped back to Boston ; but it must be in an English 
 ship, not in one owned by my good friend John 
 Langdon, merchant in Portsmouth, who is ready to 
 stand resolutely against all oppression ; or you may 
 pay the custom-house officer what it will cost to 
 transport it to England and back to Boston, and he 
 will give you permission to ship it direct to Boston. 
 That is the law ; but it has been inoperative for sev 
 eral reasons one, because it could not be enforced, 
 and another, because Great Britain has been com 
 pelled to rely upon the Colonies to aid in driving the 
 French from Canada. That has been accomplished, 
 and now King George, who is not remarkably intelli 
 gent, but pig-headed, and his short-sighted ministers 
 are determined to carry out measures, not only to 
 obtain revenue from the Colonies, but to repress 
 manufactures here for the benefit of the manufac 
 tures of England. Thanks to our spinning-school, a 
 stimulus has been given to our home manufactures 
 which will enable us to spin and weave a goodly 
 amount of plain cloth. Perhaps, Mr. Walden, you 
 may have noticed the spinning-school building in 
 Long Acre, 1 near the Common a large brick build 
 ing with the figure of a woman holding a distaff." 
 
 "Yes, I saw it yesterday, and wondered what it 
 might mean." 
 
 " Well, quite a number of years ago, the Great and 
 General Court passed a law for the encouragement of 
 
 1 Long Acre extended from School Street to the Common, and 
 was sometimes called Common Street, now a section of Tremont 
 
 Street.
 
 64 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 spinning, levying a tax on carriages and other luxu 
 ries for the establishment of the school. Its opening 
 was celebrated on the Common. About one hundred 
 women and girls came with their spinning-wheels and 
 set them to humming beneath the trees. The court 
 gave prizes for the best work. At present we buy 
 our broadcloths and velvets in England, but the time 
 will come when we shall make them this side of the 
 Atlantic." 
 
 " The spinning-wheel and loom are going in our 
 house from morning till night," Robert said. 
 
 " I am glad to hear it ; the road to independence 
 of the mother country lies in that direction. Indus 
 try will bring it about by and by, but I apprehend 
 that other repressive and tyrannical measures will be 
 passed. These arbitrary acts of Parliament have had 
 one lamentable result, they have made the people of 
 the Colonies a community of smugglers. I am pained 
 to say that we are losing all correct sense of moral 
 obligation in matters pertaining to the government. 
 No one thinks it disreputable to smuggle goods into 
 the country because everybody feels that the laws are 
 unjust. The ministry undertook to enforce the laws 
 against smuggling not long since, by issuing Writs of 
 Assistance, as they were called. That attempt was 
 more unjust than any of the laws that had been 
 passed regulating trade. It gave the custom-house 
 officers authority to enter not only stores, but private 
 dwellings, break open chests, boxes, and closets in 
 search of smuggled goods. Now if there is anything 
 that Englishmen prize, it is the liberty secured by 
 Magna Charta. Every man's house is his castle.
 
 AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS. 65 
 
 Writs of Assistance violated the fundamental prin 
 ciple of English liberty. Our great lawyer, Mr. 
 James Otis, has immortalized his name by his mas 
 terly oration in opposition to the measure. The 
 writs have not prevented smuggling ; on the contrary, 
 it is regarded as almost a virtue and a duty to circum 
 vent a government which enacts unrighteous laws. 
 For instance, a little more than a year ago, John 
 Hancock's sloop, Liberty, arrived from Madeira with 
 a cargo of wine. The custom-house officer went on 
 board. He was followed by half a dozen seaman be 
 longing to one of Hancock's other vessels, who locked 
 the officer into the cabin, unloaded the vessel, all ex 
 cept a few pipes of wine, and carted the cargo away. 
 The next morning the captain of the vessel made oath 
 that half a dozen casks was all the wine he had to 
 deliver for payment of duty. The collector, Mr. 
 Harrison, and the comptroller, Mr. Hallowell, re 
 solved to seize the Liberty. Admiral Montague sent 
 a company of marines, who took possession of the 
 sloop and anchored her under the guns of the Rom- 
 ney. That incensed the people, who smashed in the 
 windows of the office, seized the collector's boat, car 
 ried it to the Common, and burned it. The revenue 
 officers, fearing for their safety, fled to the Castle, 
 where they remained till the troops arrived last Octo 
 ber. Tyranny begets resistance on the part of the 
 people." 
 
 " What is to be the outcome of all this ? " Robert 
 asked. 
 
 " I do not know," Mr. Adams replied thoughtfully, 
 " just what will come of it, but of one thing I am
 
 66 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 sure, the people of America never will be slaves. At 
 present, we have an insolent soldiery walking our 
 streets, challenging and provoking the people. We 
 are treated as if under military law. The quiet of 
 the Sabbath is broken by the rattling of drums and 
 the shrill notes of the fife. The soldiers become in 
 toxicated, and are ready to pick a quarrel with the 
 town's-people. No lady can appear on the street 
 unaccompanied by a gentleman without danger of 
 being insulted. I expect that collisions will occur 
 between the troops and people, and that sooner or 
 later blood will be shed. You can say to your father 
 that I have just received a letter from Colonel George 
 Washington of Virginia, who took command of the 
 troops after the wounding of General Braddock in the 
 battle near Fort Du Quesne. He agrees with me that 
 there must be united action on the part of the Color 
 nies, and that we shall be warranted in using arms if 
 we cannot secure our liberties in any other way. Of 
 course, we shall not bring every one to stand up for 
 the rights and liberties of the Colonies. Those who 
 in any way are connected with the crown the cus 
 tom-house officials and their friends who are in re 
 ceipt of salaries and perquisites will support what 
 ever measures the ministry may propose. Then there 
 are many gentlemen who naturally will maintain their 
 allegiance to the king, who think that an existing 
 government, no matter how unjust and tyrannical it 
 may be, stands for law and order, and that to resist it 
 in any way leads to revolution. Some of my old-time 
 friends are siding with the ministry. They think 
 we ought not to complain of so small a matter as
 
 AN EVENING WITH SAM ADAMS. 67 
 
 paying a tax of three pence per pound on tea. They 
 lose sight of the great principle that taxation in any 
 form without representation in Parliament is tyranny. 
 We might willingly consent to pay it had we a voice 
 in making it, but we will not consent to be taxed with 
 out such a voice. I am pleased, Mr. Walden, to have 
 had this little conversation with you. I rely upon the 
 young men of the country to stand resolutely for what 
 is just and right, and I am equally sure," he said, 
 turning to Berinthia, "that the young women will 
 give all their influence to sustain the young men. 
 Mrs. Adams is just as ready as I am to quit drinking 
 tea, because by so doing she manifests her fealty to 
 a great principle ; if the mothers are ready to make 
 sacrifices, I am sure the daughters will be equally 
 ready." 
 
 The conversation of Mr. Adams was very attractive, 
 he was so earnest, sincere, and truthful. Gladly 
 would Robert have listened through the evening, but 
 he reflected that such a man must have many letters 
 to write, and he must not trespass upon his time. 
 
 " I am glad to have made your acquaintance, Mr. 
 Walden ; you must always come and see me when 
 you are in town. I am sure you will do what you can 
 to stir up the young men of Rumford to resist the 
 aggressions of the king and his ministers. That there 
 are lively times before us I do not doubt, but we 
 shall maintain our liberties, cost what it may," he 
 said, accompanying them to the door and bidding 
 them good-by. 
 
 " I am invited to a garden tea-party to-morrow after 
 noon," said Berinthia, as they walked home. " Is n't
 
 68 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 it curious that while Mr. Adams wants us girls to 
 leave off drinking tea for the sake of a great princi 
 ple, I want you for my escort to the tea-party. It 
 will be a grand affair and you will have a chance to 
 see the best people of the town." 
 
 " I am at your service, and will do the best I can," 
 Robert replied.
 
 V. 
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 
 
 . THE king's commissioner of imposts, Theodore 
 Newville, had authority to collect for the crown three 
 shillings per ton on all vessels of not more than two 
 hundred tons burden, and four shillings per ton on ves 
 sels of larger dimensions. He also had authority to 
 reserve the tallest, straightest, and largest pine-trees 
 growing in the forests for the use of the royal navy. 
 When the king's arrow was blazed upon a tree, 1 no 
 man, not even the owner of the soil, could fell it to the 
 ground. Every year, and at times as often as every 
 six months, a ship arrived upon the New England 
 coast for masts and spars. 
 
 Mr. Newville was provided with an office in the Cus 
 tom House, but his home was on the sunny slope of 
 Beacon Hill, a commodious mansion, with spacious 
 rooms and ample hall. The fluted pilasters with Cor 
 inthians capitals, the modillions along the cornice, the 
 semicircular balcony, were fitting adornments. The 
 surrounding lawn was smoothly shaven. In the orchard 
 were apples, pears, and melocotoons ; 2 in the garden, 
 roses, pinks, primroses, daffodils, bachelor's-buttons, 
 and asters of every hue. The morning sun streaming 
 
 1 The arrow was the sign of royal authority and ownership. 
 
 2 The melocotoon was a variety of peach. The fruit was very large, 
 beautifully colored, and of rich flavor.
 
 70 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 into the dining-room illumined the richly cut decanters 
 upon the shelves of the buffet. Very attractive, sug 
 gestive of ease, comfort, and culture, was the library, 
 with its books and several portraits in gilded frames. 
 The sun of the afternoon filled the richly furnished 
 parlor with its mellow light. The front door opened 
 to a wide hall and stairway, with carved baluster and 
 polished mahogany rail. A clock stood upon the land 
 ing soberly counting the hours. Having inherited 
 wealth, with a yearly stipend and many perquisites of 
 office, Mr. Newville was abundantly able to live in a 
 style befitting an officer of the crown. The knocker 
 on the front door was so bright that Pompey could 
 see his own white teeth and rolling eyeballs reflected 
 from the shining brass. When through with the 
 knocker he rubbed the fender, andirons, shovels, tongs, 
 nozzle of the bellows, the hooks by the jams, candle 
 sticks, snuffer, extinguisher, trays, and tinder-box, and 
 wiped the dust from the glazed tiles of the hearth. It 
 was the routine of every morning. Equally bright 
 were the brass pots and pans in Phillis's realm. Pom 
 pey and Phillis were bondservants under the mild 
 existing paternal form of slavery. 
 
 The king's commissioner of imposts perhaps would 
 not have admitted he was passing the prime of life, 
 but the crow's-feet were gathering in the corners of 
 his eyes. His gray tie wig was in keeping with the 
 white hairs upon his brow. He had a mild, blue eye, 
 amiable countenance, and dignified deportment, as 
 became an officer of the crown. 
 
 Time was in like manner beginning to turn its 
 furrows upon the brow of the lady who sat opposite
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 71 
 
 him at the table, but she was still very fair, as many a 
 visitor had noticed while partaking of her hospitality. 
 
 When breakfast was finished Mr. Newville took his 
 gold-headed cane from its place in the hall, adjusted 
 his wig at the mirror under the sconce, put on his 
 gold-laced hat and walked leisurely, as became his ma 
 jesty's commissioner of imposts, along Tremont Street 
 to Queen, thence past the jail, the Town House, the 
 pillory and the stocks, to his office in the Custom 
 House. 
 
 Mrs. Neville modeled her housekeeping on the last 
 chapter of the Book of Proverbs. She began each 
 morning with instructions to Phillis and Pompey. 
 After breakfast, she walked to the market followed by 
 Pompey at a respectful distance, with a basket to 
 bring home the marketing. She was fastidious in her 
 selection of meats ; it must be a loin of beef, very ten 
 der, a chicken or duck, plump and fat ; the freshest of 
 eggs, and choicest butter. She found great pleasure in 
 dispensing gracious hospitality, inviting the governor 
 and lieutenant-governor of the Province, the justices, 
 councilors, officers of the army and navy, strangers 
 of distinction from other Provinces or from the other 
 side of the sea; reverend doctors of divinity, lawyers, 
 physicians, citizens of standing. She gave garden par 
 ties on summer afternoons, the guests sipping tea amid 
 the flowers. 
 
 To such an entertainment Berinthia Brandon desired 
 Robert's company. The barber on the corner of the 
 street trimmed and powdered his hair, Mark Antony 
 smoothed the wrinkles from his coat, and Berinthia 
 fixed new ribbons in his knee-buckles.
 
 72 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I am afraid I shall be so stiff and awkward you 
 will be ashamed of me," he said, as she adjusted his 
 ruffles. 
 
 " Oh no, I am sure your common sense will come to 
 your aid." 
 
 " I shall not know anybody, and shall feel like a 
 cat in a strange garret." 
 
 " But I will introduce you to some charming people." 
 
 " I shall make a fool of myself. I have never been 
 in such society, and shall not know what to talk about. 
 If it was like a quilting, such as we have at Kumford, 
 I might get on, but I know I shall be the laughing 
 stock of the ladies." 
 
 " I am not afraid of it. Just be yourself, that 's 
 all." 
 
 The clock on the Old Brick Meetinghouse was 
 striking three when they passed it on their way to the 
 Newville mansion. 
 
 "You will find Mr. Newville a courtly, well-in 
 formed gentleman," said Berinthia. "'Perhaps I 
 ought to tell you that he is a Tory, which is quite nat 
 ural, when we consider that he holds an office under 
 the crown. He is very discreet, however, and is care 
 ful not to say or do anything offensive to the Sons of 
 Liberty. Of course, political questions are not men 
 tioned at these enjoyable gatherings. We say nothing 
 about the Stamp Act ; give all like topics the go-by, 
 and just enjoy ourselves socially. You will find Mrs. 
 Newville a delightful lady, and I know you will be 
 charmed by Miss Ruth, a lovely girl, with gracious 
 ways and a character all her own. I cannot describe 
 her. Only intimate friends can know her goodness.
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 
 
 73 
 
 Few young ladies in Boston are more accomplished. 
 Master Lovell 1 is her tutor, visiting her after school 
 hours, to direct her course of study. She has been 
 through the arithmetic, while most of us never have 
 been beyond proportion. Having finished the acci 
 dence she has begun Latin ; she can tambour, make 
 
 Master Lovell. 
 
 embroidery, draw, paint, play the harpsichord, and 
 sing so charmingly that people passing along the street 
 stop to listen to the enchanting music." 
 
 " You awaken my curiosity. But what will one 
 who knows so muph think of the awkward fellow keep- 
 
 1 John Lovell was master of the Latin School, in School Street, 
 from 1717 to 1776. He gave his sympathies to the crown, and be 
 came an exile upon the evacuation of Boston. His house was near 
 the schoolhouse.
 
 74 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 ing you company? Will she not regard me as a 
 simpleton ? " 
 
 " No, indeed ; that would not be like Ruth Newville. 
 Be assured, she will do what she can to make it a 
 pleasant occasion to you." 
 
 "What can I say that will interest her, what talk 
 about ? " 
 
 " She will enable you to find your tongue. The 
 chances are that you will fall in love with her just as 
 everybody else does, colonels, majors, captains, lieu 
 tenants of the army and navy, besides widowers and 
 bachelors ; but Ruth is too sensible a girl to throw 
 herself away. Her mother would like her to marry 
 some nobleman, or lord of ancient family. Ruth 
 does not care much for coats-of-arms or titles, but 
 would rather be sure of what a man is, rather than 
 who were his ancestors. But we are almost there." 
 
 Many guests had already arrived. Ladies and gen 
 tlemen were strolling beneath the trees in the orchard, 
 and along the garden paths. Pompey showing his 
 white teeth, his dusky countenance beaming with 
 pleasure, bowed very courteously as they entered the 
 mansion. 
 
 " Massa and Missus Newville will welcome de ladies 
 and genmens in de garding," he said. 
 
 Berinthia led the way and introduced Robert as her 
 relative from New Hampshire. 
 
 " And so you are from that dependency of the 
 crown ? What news do you bring from that Prov 
 ince?" Mr. Newville asked. 
 
 " I do not know that there is anything particularly 
 new or interesting. Not much is going on there. We
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 75 
 
 have had a good crop of hay, the corn looks middling 
 well ; the rye is not much rusted. I think we shall 
 not want for bread," Robert replied. 
 
 " It is excellent news. Bread is the staff of life, 
 and I trust the people will be grateful for the boun 
 ties of Providence, and rest in peace and quiet under 
 the rule of our gracious sovereign, King George." 
 
 " I hope we shall be truly thankful for all that is 
 good," Robert replied. 
 
 " It is very kind in you to accompany our friend 
 Miss Brandon to our entertainment this afternoon ; 
 we gladly welcome you, Mr. Walden," said Mrs. New- 
 ville, who ran her eyes over him, and, so far as Robert 
 could judge, rather liking his stalwart form and figure, 
 while saying to herself that he was no hawk or eagle 
 to bear off her chicken. 
 
 " Ruth, daughter, this way, please," said Mrs. New- 
 ville. 
 
 Robert saw a young lady wearing a white muslin 
 dress turn towards them from a group of ladies and 
 gentlemen ; but it was not the snowy whiteness of the 
 garment, neither her dark brown unpowdered hair in 
 contrast to that of the ladies around her, that attracted 
 his attention, but the hazel eyes and the lips that had 
 said, " I never shall forget your kindness, sir." 
 
 " Mr. Walden, allow me to introduce my daughter," 
 said Mrs. Newville. 
 
 There was a startled, wondering look in the hazel 
 eyes. She courtesied, with the fresh blood suffusing 
 her cheeks. 
 
 " I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. 
 Walden," she said.
 
 76 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I took the liberty of bringing him," said Berin- 
 thia. " I was sure you would extend to him the same 
 cordial welcome you give to everybody." 
 
 " Certainly, anybody whom you may invite will 
 always be welcome. Mr. Walden, shall I serve you 
 with a cup of tea ? What kind will you take 
 shall it be Old Hyson, Bohea, or Twankey ? " 
 
 She stood with a salver ready to serve him. 
 
 " I will take Old Hyson, if you please," he said. 
 
 The pink slippers tripped across the lawn to a 
 table where Phillis in white apron and cap, with 
 smiling countenance, was pouring tea from silver urns 
 into dainty cups. So this was the young lady whom 
 he had rescued from the clutches of the villains. 
 What should he say to her? By no word or look 
 must she know that he was conscious of having be 
 friended her. 
 
 The sun was shining through the branches of the 
 melocotoon tree beneath which she was standing. It 
 seemed to him that the rich bloom of the ripening 
 fruit by some subtle process of nature was being 
 transmuted to her face. He recalled the description 
 of the pure-hearted damsel that welcomed the Pilgrim 
 of Bunyan's allegory to the beautiful palace in the 
 land of Beulah. She soon returned bringing with 
 steady hand the salver with the tea, sugar-bowl, and 
 pitcher of cream. 
 
 " Shall I serve you with the sugar and cream, Mr. 
 Walden?" 
 
 He could but notice the gracef ul movement of her 
 deft fingers as she picked the sugar from the bowl 
 with the silver tongs, and poured the cream.
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 11 
 
 " I will bring you some confections," she said, and 
 tripped away once more, returning with a plate of 
 cake and bonbons. 
 
 " I hope you find the tea to your taste ? " she 
 said. 
 
 " It could not be better," he replied. 
 
 He could see she was scanning his face with an 
 inquiring look, as if endeavoring to solve a per 
 plexing question whether the stranger in working 
 clothes who rescued her from the arms of the assault 
 ing soldiers and this gentleman in fitting costume 
 for genteel society were one and the same. " Can it 
 be he ? " was the question revolving in her thoughts. 
 The countryman was tall, stout, and broad-shoul 
 dered ; so was Mr. Walden. She saw resolution 
 and indignation in the face of the stranger. Could 
 not the face before her exhibit like qualities under 
 like provocation? She must find out during the 
 afternoon, if possible, whether or not Mr. Walden was 
 her belief actor. If so, what should she say to him 
 how make known her gratitude ? 
 
 " And so you are from New Hampshire, Mr. Wal 
 den ? " she said inquiringly. 
 
 " Yes, and this is my first visit to Boston." 
 
 " I dare say you find things somewhat different 
 here from what they are there." 
 
 " Oh yes. In Rumford the houses are scattered ; 
 but here they are as thick as spatter. There isn't 
 near so many things going on there as here." 
 
 " I think it must be delightful to live in the coun 
 try, among the green fields and pastures, and have 
 chickens and gosliiis, and see the lambs play."
 
 78 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Yes ; but we have to look sharp, to see that the 
 foxes, and hawks, and weasels don't get 'em." 
 
 Their conversation was interrupted by Berinthia, 
 who introduced him to Miss Lucy Flucker, 1 daughter 
 of the secretary of the Province, Miss Dorothy 
 Quincy, Miss Mary Shrimpton, and to Isaac and 
 John Coffin, 2 sons of his majesty's receiver-general. 
 
 "Do you have garden tea-parties in Rumford?" 
 Miss Flucker asked. 
 
 " No, not garden parties, but the ladies get to 
 gether in a parlor, sip their tea, take pinches of snuff 
 from each other's boxes, talk about the number of 
 cheeses they have made, how much salt they put into 
 the curd, how much yarn they have spun, how many 
 yards of linen they have woven." 
 
 1 Miss Flucker received the attentions of Henry Knox the book 
 seller, and became his wife. While her father remained loyal to 
 the king, she became an ardent patriot, and married the man of her 
 choice. Soon after the battle of Lexington and Concord, Mr. Knox 
 escaped from Boston. Mrs. Knox received a permit to join him, from 
 General Gage, who had issued an order prohibiting any one from tak 
 ing arms from the town. The patriotic wife concealed her husband's 
 sword in her underskirts, and successfully eluded the vigilance of the 
 sentinels. 
 
 2 Isaac Coffin obtained an appointment in his majesty's navy in 1773. 
 Upon the outbreak of the war he proffered his resignation, not being 
 willing to fight against his countrymen, but being assured he would 
 not be sent to North America remained in the service of the king, 
 rising by merit to the position of rear-admiral. He retained through 
 life a deep affection for his countrymen, and endowed a school on the 
 island of Nantucket. 
 
 His younger brother John, from the outset, sided with the king. 
 He joined the British forces, became captain of a company of loyal 
 ists, served under Colonel Tarleton in South Carolina, becoming 
 major, colonel, and after the war a major-general. He received a 
 grant of several thousand acres of land in Nova Scotia. Though 
 maintaining allegiance to the king, he had great respect and admira 
 tion for those who espoused the patriotic cause.
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 79 
 
 " Such a party must be very enjoyable," said Miss 
 Quincy. 
 
 "Yes, I think they like to find out what every 
 body else is doing, and how they do it. Their 
 tongues wag lively when they get to talking about 
 what has happened and what they expect will hap 
 pen ; who was cried the Sunday before, and who 
 probably will be the next Sunday." 
 
 The ladies smiled at Robert's vivacious conver 
 sation. 
 
 " Does the town clerk cry the proposed mar 
 riages ? " Miss Shrimpton asked. 
 
 " Yes. The moment the minister finishes the ben 
 ediction Sunday afternoon, Squire Fellows breaks in, 
 shouting that marriage is intended between Hezekiah 
 and Mehitable. Of course there are blushes on Me- 
 hitable's face, while Hezekiah looks kinder sheepish." 
 
 Again the ladies laughed. 
 
 " Do aU the ladies take snuff ? " 
 
 Miss Flucker asked the question. 
 
 " Nearly all the old ladies carry their snuff-boxes 
 in their pockets or work-bags. There 's one lady, 
 however, who does not Aunt Hipsy Jenkins. Per 
 haps I ought to say she is well along in years, and 
 that the town clerk never has cried her. She carries 
 her nose as she pleases. She says if the Lord had 
 intended it for a dust-hole, he would have put it on 
 the other end up." 
 
 A merry peal of laughter rang through the gar 
 den so joyful that several ladies and gentlemen 
 joined the group, to hear what the young man from 
 the country was saying.
 
 80 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 "Her name," said Robert, by way of explanation, 
 " is Hepsibah, but everybody calls her Hipsy." 
 
 " Evidently," said Isaac Coffin, " she is a lady who 
 is up to snuff." 
 
 Again the company laughed. 
 
 " You may be sure she never minces things, but 
 speaks her mind, whether anybody likes it or not," 
 Robert replied. 
 
 " Are the gentlemen invited to the tea-parties ? " 
 John Coffin asked. 
 
 " Not to the afternoon parties, neither are the 
 young ladies ; the old ladies like to be by themselves 
 while sipping their tea. Perhaps they think it would 
 not be dignified on the part of the gentlemen to de 
 vote the afternoons to gossip," Robert replied. 
 
 " Do not the young ladies meet ? " Miss Shrimpton 
 asked. 
 
 "Not as do our mothers, but they have their own 
 good times, their quilting parties. In the country 
 every girl as soon as she can sew begins to make 
 patchwork. When they get enough for a quilt, they 
 invite their acquaintances to the quilting, and spend 
 the afternoon in talking about well, I can't exactly 
 say what they do talk about. Perhaps you ladies can 
 tell better than I." 
 
 The ladies smiled at his pleasant way of indicat 
 ing what was uppermost in the thoughts of young 
 maidens on such delightful occasions. 
 
 " Do not the gentlemen participate in some way ? " 
 Miss Quincy inquired. 
 
 " Oh yes ; we join them in the evening, after they 
 are through with the quilting, and try to make things
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 81 
 
 lively. We play blindman's-buff, hide the handker 
 chief, roast beef behind your back, come Philander, 
 stage-coach, and other games, and have a jolly time. 
 The ladies serve us with bread and butter, doughnuts, 
 cookies, tarts, gingerbread, and tea. We guess rid 
 dles and tell ghost stories." 
 
 " How delightful ! " Miss Newville exclaimed. 
 
 " A little later than this we have huskings in the 
 barns, seated around a heap of corn. Husking over, 
 we eat pudding, baked beans, mince, apple, and pump 
 kin pie, and top off with pop-corn, apples, and cider. 
 After supper the girls clear away the dishes ; then we 
 push the table into one corner of the kitchen, Julius 
 Caesar mounts it with his fiddle, and we dance jigs 
 and quicksteps. The girl who first found a red ear 
 while husking, and was kissed before she could throw 
 it into the basket, is privileged to lead the dance." 
 
 " How I should enjoy it," said Miss Shrimpton. 
 
 " Finding the red ear ? " queried Isaac Coffin. 
 
 " Oh no, you know I did n't mean that ; but 
 having such a jolly time with nobody saying it is n't 
 proper," Miss Shrimpton replied with a blush man 
 tling her cheek. 
 
 " Ruth, daughter," - it was Mrs. Newville calling 
 her to meet other guests, and Miss Newville turned 
 regretfully away, for it was a pleasure to talk with 
 Mr. Walden, and she hoped he would drop a word 
 which would enable her to make sure it was he who 
 had befriended her. 
 
 Robert, with Berinthia and the ladies whose ac 
 quaintance he had made, sauntered along the garden 
 walks. The midsummer flowers were gone, but those of
 
 82 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 autumn were in bloom, marigolds, asters, and sun 
 flowers. Picturesque the scene : ladies in paduasoys, 
 taffetas, and brocades, gentlemen in purple, russet, and 
 crimson coats, white satin waistcoats, buff breeches, 
 and silk stockings. Officers of the king's regiments 
 in scarlet with silver-starred epaulets, clergymen in 
 suits of black, lawyers and doctors in white wigs, loi 
 tering along the paths, gathered in groups beneath the 
 trees, young ladies serving them with syllabubs. From 
 the vine-clad arbor the music of the orchestra floated 
 upon the air. 
 
 Robert saw a gentleman and lady shaking hands 
 with Mr. and Mrs. Newville. 
 
 " That is John Adams, one of the smartest lawyers 
 in town," said Berinthia. " That is his wife Abigail ; 
 she is the daughter of Reverend Mr. Smith, the minister 
 of Braintree. She knows Latin and Greek, and is one 
 of the nicest women in town. She writes beautiful let 
 ters, and knows oh, so much ! I '11 introduce you to 
 them. I know you will be charmed with her." 
 
 Mr. Adams courteously greeted Robert, and very 
 gracious was the recognition by Mrs. Adams. She asked 
 him if he had ever been in Boston before ; who was 
 the minister in Rumf ord ; if he had many books to read. 
 So pleasant and agreeable was her conversation, she 
 seemed to Robert to be an old friend. 
 
 Robert was pleased to meet Doctor Warren, and 
 received a cordial greeting. 
 
 " And are you acquainted ? " Miss Newville in 
 quired wonderingly. 
 
 " I am happy to claim Mr. Walden as my friend. 
 I have long known his father," the doctor replied.
 
 ABIGAIL SMITH ADAMS
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 
 
 83 
 
 Robert was pleased, also, to meet Mr. Knox, the 
 bookseller, who was polite and affable to all, particu 
 larly to Miss Flucker. 
 
 When Berinthia and Robert were by themselves 
 she informed him that Mr. Knox was attentive to 
 Miss Flucker ; that her parents opposed the match, 
 Mr. Knox being a Whig and her father a Tory. 
 Berinthia was sure that the more her father opposed 
 the bookseller, the better Miss Lucy liked him. 
 
 Mr. Hancock's House. 
 
 Mr. John Hancock, though living but a short dis 
 tance from Mr. Newville, came in his coach with 
 driver and footmen in blue livery. He bowed politely 
 to Mr. and Mrs. Newville, took a pinch of snuff from
 
 84 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Mr. Newville's gold box, and graciously greeted Miss 
 Dorothy Quincy. Berinthia whispered to Robert that 
 they were engaged to be married. 1 
 
 " If Miss Newville and Miss Brandon will excuse 
 us, Mr. Walden and myself will take a turn through 
 the grounds," said Doctor Warren, locking arms with 
 Robert. 
 
 " I am glad to meet you once more, Mr. Walden. 
 I want to thank you for the good work you did yes 
 terday afternoon. I have heard of it several times ; 
 the people are chuckling over it. But the soldiers of 
 the Twenty-Ninth Regiment are as mad as hornets and 
 threaten retaliation. They are anxious to get hold of 
 that fellow from the country who did it. I thought I 
 would put you on your guard. I wish I knew who 
 the young lady was, but no one can find out. Neither 
 she nor her friends have made complaint to the select 
 men, and of course you could not know." 
 
 Robert thanked him. He said he did not antici 
 pate any trouble ; if attacked he would try and give a 
 good account of himself. 
 
 They had strolled to the farthest part of the 
 grounds. Returning, they saw Miss Newville sur 
 rounded by ladies and gentlemen ; young and old alike 
 were finding pleasure in her society. Major Evelyn, 
 to whom Robert had been introduced, was telling how 
 jolly it was in old England to follow the hounds in a 
 fox hunt, leaping 'ditches, walls, and hedges, running 
 
 1 The Dorothy Quincy who married John Hancock is not to be con 
 founded with the Dorothy Q. of Holmes's poem : 
 
 " Grandmother's mother, her age I guess, 
 Thirteen summers, or something less."
 
 DOROTHY QUIXCY
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 85 
 
 Reynard to cover. Although courteously listening, 
 her eyes glanced towards Robert and Doctor Warren. 
 
 " Pardon me, Major, but I must have a word with 
 my good doctor who gives me pills and powders when 
 I am sick," she said graciously, tripping across the 
 lawn. 
 
 " I have not served you with tea, doctor ; what kind 
 would you prefer?" she said. 
 
 " Well, let it be Old Hyson, if you please." 
 
 " And yours, Mr. Walden : it was the Old you had 
 before. Will you not try a cup of Young Hyson for 
 variety ? " 
 
 " If you please, Miss Newville." 
 
 A few moments and she was with them again. 
 
 "Old Hyson for old friendship, Young, for new 
 acquaintance," said the doctor, as he took the cup 
 from her hand. " You see, Mr. Walden, Miss New 
 ville and I are old friends, and our relations at times 
 are quite intimate. I am privileged to hold her hand, 
 feel her pulse, and look at her tongue." 
 
 " Do you not think, Mr. Walden, that the doctor 
 is very rude to take a young lady's hand when she 
 cannot help herself ? " 
 
 " Of course it is rude, but I apprehend you do not 
 object, under the circumstances," Robert replied. 
 
 " Oh no, she likes it so well that she often asks 
 when I will come again," said the doctor. 
 
 Merry was the laughter. 
 
 " This is delicious tea," he said, sipping the bever 
 age. 
 
 " I am glad you like it." 
 
 " It is all the more delicious, Miss Ruth, because I
 
 86 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 have it from your own gracious hand, and because it 
 is probably the last I shall drink for many months." 
 
 She gazed at him wonderingly. 
 
 "You know I am firm in my convictions as to 
 what is right and just, and I have decided to quit 
 drinking tea as a protest against what the king and 
 Lord North are preparing to do. So this will be a 
 memorial day for me. Pardon me, I did not mean to 
 allude to it." 
 
 " One need not beg pardon for having a conviction 
 of what is right and just. If it is to be your last cup 
 I 'm glad I have the privilege of serving it," she said. 
 
 One by one guests joined them, charmed by her 
 presence, Major Evelyn hovering around her. More 
 than once the eyes of Robert and Miss Newville met. 
 Would she not think him rude ? But how could he 
 help looking at her? 
 
 While Miss Newville was serving other guests, 
 with Berinthia and Miss Shrimpton Robert walked 
 the garden once more, the great shaggy watch-dog 
 trotting in advance, as if they were guests to be hon 
 ored by an escort. 
 
 The afternoon was waning. Guests were leaving, 
 and it was time for Berinthia and Robert to take their 
 departure. 
 
 " Oh, you are not going now. I have not had an 
 opportunity to speak a dozen words with you, Berin 
 thia, and I have shamefully neglected Mr. Walden. 
 I have not had a chance to drink a cup of tea with 
 him. I am sure you will excuse me, Major Evelyn, 
 while I redeem myself. You will find Miss Brandon 
 delightful company," said Miss Newville.
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 87 
 
 Major Evelyn, being thus politely waved one side, 
 could but acquiesce. 
 
 " Shall we sit, Mr. Walden ? " she asked, leading the 
 way to seats and bringing tea and cake. 
 
 " I enjoyed your description of life in the country, 
 and the young ladies were delighted," she said. 
 
 "We have pretty good times with the quiltings, 
 huskings, and sleighing parties, when we pile into a 
 double pung, ride in the moonlight, have supper, and 
 a dance." 
 
 "How delightful! Have you brothers and sis 
 ters?" 
 
 " Only a sister, Rachel, two years younger than I." 
 
 " Does she love flowers ? " 
 
 "Yes, she is very fond of them. I make up beds 
 in the garden for her and she sows bachelor's-buttons, 
 flytraps, pansies, marigolds, hollyhocks, and has morn 
 ing-glories running over strings around the sitting- 
 room window." 
 
 "They must make your home very pleasant in 
 summer." 
 
 " Yes, and she has asters and sweet peas. I try to 
 keep the weeds down for her as she has so many 
 things to look after, the chickens, goslins, young 
 turkeys, besides washing dishes, spinning, and wet 
 ting the cloth bleaching on the grass. I help a little 
 by drawing the water." 
 
 " It must be very beautiful in the country these 
 September days." 
 
 " It is not quite late enough for the woods to put 
 on their brightest colors ; that will be in October." 
 
 "Which season do you like best?"
 
 88 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I hardly know. Sometimes, when the country is 
 covered with snow and the air is fresh and keen and 
 healthful, I think there is no part of the year more 
 enjoyable than winter; then when spring comes, and 
 the buds start and the leaves are growing, I feel like 
 a young colt ready to caper and kick up my heels. 
 When the flowers are in bloom and the birds are sing 
 ing I think there is no season like summer. At this 
 time of the year, when we are gathering the harvests 
 and the woods are more beautiful than our Queen 
 Charlotte in her coronation robes, I think there is no 
 period of the year so delightful as autumn." 
 
 " Living in the town," Miss Newville said, " I lose 
 much that I should enjoy in the country. Sometimes 
 I ride with my father to Roxbury, Dorchester, and 
 Cambridge. He sits in his chaise while I pick the 
 flowers by the roadside. A few weeks ago we went 
 sailing down the harbor, and saw the waves rolling 
 on the beach at Nantasket and breaking on the rocks 
 around the lighthouse. Oh, it was beautiful ! " 
 
 " I do not doubt it. As you love the country 
 so much, I am sure you would be charmed with the 
 view from our home, Miss Newville, especially at this 
 season of the year." 
 
 " Please tell me about it. I am sure from your 
 description I shall be able to picture the scene." 
 
 "You would see a broad valley, fields, pastures, 
 meadows, uplands, the river flowing between banks 
 fringed with elms and willows, hills farther away, and 
 in the distance blue mountains ; the forest all scarlet, 
 russet, yellow, and crimson. That would be the view. 
 You would hear the crickets chirping, crows cawing, 
 and squirrels barking in the woods."
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 89 
 
 " How delightful ! I know I should revel in such 
 beauty." 
 
 "You asked me, Miss Newville, which season I 
 liked best. I think, all things considered, I enjoy au 
 tumn more than any other portion of the year." 
 
 " May I ask why you like it best ? " 
 
 " Because it is the harvest-time, when we gather 
 the gifts of Providence ; and it sets me to thinking I 
 ought to be doing something for somebody in return 
 for what Providence is doing for me." 
 
 Her eyes were watching his lips. 
 
 " Oh, go on, please, Mr. Walden, and tell me what 
 the seasons say to you." 
 
 " I hardly know what they say, but the change 
 from the brightness of summer to the russet of au 
 tumn, the falling leaves, ripening fruits, fading flow 
 ers, shortening days, the going of the birds are like a 
 sermon to me." 
 
 " And why are they like a sermon? " she asked. 
 
 " Because the birds will come, the flowers bloom 
 again, but the summer that has gone never will re 
 turn ; the opportunities of to-day will not be here to 
 morrow. I must make the most of the present, not 
 only for myself but for others. Providence bestows 
 rich gifts ; I must give to others." 
 
 " Thank you, Mr. Walden." 
 
 She was silent. None of the officers, not Major 
 Evelyn or any of the captains of his majesty's troops, 
 ever had uttered such words in her presence. Oh, 
 could she but know if he were the one who rescued her 
 from the hands of the miscreants ! She must know. 
 
 " Mr. Walden, may I ask if we have not met be 
 fore?"
 
 90 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I think we have, Miss Newville." 
 
 " I thought so, but was not sure. May I say I can 
 not tell you how grateful I am for the service you ren 
 dered me yesterday. I never shall forget it. I have 
 not mentioned it, not even to my parents, for I would 
 not have them concerned in the future for my welfare." 
 
 " I can understand how anxious they might be, and 
 I appreciate your prudence. The incident, I under 
 stand, is making some stir in town, especially among 
 the soldiers. Doctor Warren has just informed me 
 of it, and was kind enough to say it would be well for 
 me to be on my guard, as the soldiers threaten retalia 
 tion. I learn, also, that no one as yet has been able 
 to discover who the young lady was. People are won 
 dering that no complaint has been made to the proper 
 authorities by her or her friends." 
 
 "' Oh, I am so glad that no one knows it except our 
 selves. May I not ask that it shall be our secret, and 
 ours only ? " 
 
 " Most certainly, Miss Newville." 
 
 " I cannot express my obligation to you, Mr. Wai- 
 den. It is very honorable in you, and you will not let 
 the soldiers injure you ? " she said inquiringly. 
 
 " I do not think they will molest me. I shall not 
 put myself in their way, neither shall I avoid them. 
 I am a free citizen ; this is my country. I know my 
 rights, and I trust I shall ever be enough of a man 
 to resent an insidt to myself, and most certainly to a 
 lady." 
 
 " Do you remain long in town ? " she asked. 
 
 " No ; only a day or two over Sunday. I shall 
 start from the Green Dragon for home next Monday 
 morning."
 
 A GARDEN TEA-PARTY. 91 
 
 " Do you have melocotoons in Rumford ? " she asked, 
 looking up to the luscious fruit, ripening above them. 
 
 " Not yet ; we have some young trees, but they are 
 not in bearing." 
 
 " I should like to send a basket of fruit to your sis 
 ter, if agreeable to you. Pompey will take it to the 
 tavern Monday morning." 
 
 " You are very kind. I will take it with pleasure, 
 and you may be sure Rachel will appreciate your good 
 ness." 
 
 He comprehended her proposition, that it was her 
 delicate way of giving emphasis to her thanks for what 
 he had done. 
 
 " Mr. Walden, I shall always be pleased to see you. 
 I would like to hear more about what you see in na 
 ture, and the sermons that are preached to you." 
 
 Berinthia and Major Evelyn joined them. The 
 band had ceased playing, and the last of the guests 
 were departing. 
 
 "I hope you have had an enjoyable afternoon," 
 said Mr. Newville. 
 
 " I have enjoyed myself very much, and cannot ex 
 press my thanks for your hospitality," Robert replied. 
 
 " It was very kind in you to honor us with your 
 company," said Mrs. Newville with a charming grace 
 and dignity. 
 
 Miss Newville went with them to the gate, Major 
 Evelyn improving the opportunity to walk by her side. 
 Robert thought there was a shade of vexation on her 
 face. 
 
 "Excuse me, gentlemen, while I talk with Miss 
 Brandon a moment," she said, dropping behind.
 
 92 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Robert walked on a few steps and waited for Berin- 
 thia. Major Evelyn lingered a moment as if to have 
 a last word with Miss Newville, but politeness would 
 not admit his further tarrying ; he lifted his hat and 
 walked away. 
 
 " Oh, Mr. Walden, what do you think your good 
 cousin has been saying? " said Miss Newville, calling 
 him once more to the gate. 
 
 " Possibly that she has had an agreeable chat with 
 one of his majesty's brilliant officers," Robert re 
 plied. 
 
 " Instead of being brilliant, he was positively stupid. 
 I don't like epaulets," said Berinthia. 
 
 " Not those sent to protect us ? " Miss Newville 
 asked. 
 
 No." 
 
 " Neither do I." 
 
 The words were spoken firmly, with an emphasis 
 which Robert alone could understand. 
 
 Miss Newville locked her arm in Berinthia's as if 
 loath to have her go. They lingered by the gate, how 
 long Robert could not say. Just what was said he 
 could not recall. He only knew it was delightful to 
 stand there, to hear her voice, to see the smiles rippling 
 upon her face, and the loving eyes that turned towards 
 him at times. When at last the good-night was 
 spoken, when himself and Berinthia were quite a dis 
 tance, looking backward he saw her white handker 
 chief waving them farewell.
 
 VI. 
 
 CHRIST CHURCH CHIMES. 
 
 CALM and peaceful was the Sabbath morning in 
 Rumf ord, where the stillness was broken only by lowing 
 cattle and singing birds, but in Boston Robert heard 
 the rattling of drums, a prolonged roll, as if the 
 drummers found special pleasure in disturbing the 
 slumbers of the people. It was the reveille arousing the 
 troops. Mr. Brandon said the officers of the king's 
 regiments seemed to take delight in having extra drills 
 on Sunday for the purpose of annoying the people. A 
 few of the officers, he said, were gentlemen, but others 
 were vile, and not to be admitted into decent society. 
 
 The drums ceased and there was a period of quiet ; 
 then suddenly the air was melodious with the music of 
 bells. Berinthia saw the wonder on Robert's face. 
 
 " It is Christ Church chimes," she said. 
 
 He heard " Old Hundred," sweet and enchanting. 
 
 " If you would like, we will go to Christ Church 
 this morning." 
 
 Robert replied he would gladly go with her. 
 
 " The sexton is a Son of Liberty, Robert Newman ; 
 you saw him the other night at the Green Dragon ; 
 his brother plays the organ," said Tom. 
 
 The sexton welcomed them and gave them seats. 
 Robert gazed in wonder at the fluted columns, the
 
 94 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 high arched ceiling, the pillars supporting the gal 
 leries, the great windows, the recess behind the pulpit, 
 the painting of the Last Supper. He read the words, 
 " This is none other than the House of God ; this is 
 the Gate of Heaven." 
 
 The bells ceased their pealing, but suddenly delight 
 ful music filled the church. 
 
 Christ Church. 
 
 " That is John Newman at the organ," Berinthia 
 whispered. 
 
 It began soft and faint, as if far away a flute, 
 then a clarinet, a trumpet, growing louder, nearer,
 
 CHRIST CHURCH CHIMES. 95 
 
 deeper, heavier, the loud notes rolling like far-off 
 thunder, then dying into melody as sweet as the song 
 of a bird. Never had Robert heard any music so 
 delightful. Looking towards the loft, he saw the 
 gilded pipes of the instrument. Upon the railing 
 around it were figures of angels with trumpets. 
 
 " They were captured from a French ship in 1746 
 by Captain Grushea of the Queen of Hungary priva 
 teer," Tom whispered. " They were designed for a 
 Romish church in Canada, but the captain brought 
 them to Boston and presented them to the wardens of 
 this church." 
 
 Berinthia said the Bible and prayer-book were 
 given by King George II. at the request of Governor 
 Belcher. She found the places in the prayer-book 
 for him. He thought the prayers very beautiful, but 
 could not quite see the need of getting up and sitting 
 down so often. He never had taken part in meeting 
 before, but when all the others read felt he too must 
 let his voice be heard, otherwise the people would 
 think he did not know how to read. He was startled 
 at the sound of his own voice, but soon got over it, 
 and rather liked the idea of the people taking some 
 part in the service instead of having it all done by 
 the minister. It was very delightful when the choir 
 came in with the organ, in contrast to the singing in 
 Rumford meetinghouse where the deacon lined the 
 Psalms, two lines at a time, and set the tune with 
 his pitch-pipe. 
 
 When the service was over and the people were go 
 ing out, the organ began to play. The sexton took them 
 upstairs to see his brother John handle it. Robert
 
 96 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 was surprised to see him using his feet as well as his 
 hands, fingering two sets of keys, pushing in and pull 
 ing out what Tom said were " stops." When through 
 with the piece, the organist explained the mechanism 
 of the instrument, playing softly and then making the 
 windows rattle. 
 
 An hour at noon, and then the meetinghouse bells 
 were tolling for the afternoon service. 
 
 " We will go to our own meeting ; I want you to 
 hear Reverend Doctor Cooper," l said Berinthia. The 
 meetinghouse was in Brattle Street, close by the bar 
 racks. The soldiers were lounging around the build 
 ing staring at the people, laughing, smoking their 
 pipes, and making rude remarks. When meeting was 
 over the soldiers gathered around the door and leered 
 at the girls. Robert clenched his fist and felt his 
 blood grow hot. A lieutenant started to walk beside 
 Berinthia. 
 
 " My cousin will not need your escort, sir," said 
 Robert touching his elbow. 
 
 The officer grew red in the face and disappeared in 
 the barracks. 
 
 On Monday morning Robert bade his friends 
 good-by. Peter Augustus had something for him at 
 the Green Dragon : a basket filled with fruit melo- 
 cotoons, pears, and plums and a neatly written note. 
 
 1 The meetinghouse in Brattle Street at the time of the opening of 
 this story was a large unpainted wooden structure which was torn 
 down in 1772, and replaced by an elegant edifice of brick with quoins 
 of freestone. John Hancock gave one thousand pounds and a bell. 
 The pastor, Reverend Samuel Cooper, was an earnest advocate for the 
 rights of the Colonies, and without doubt his influence, combined with 
 that of Samuel Adams, had much to do in attaching Hancock to the 
 patriots' side.
 
 CHRIST CHURCH CHIMES. 97 
 
 " Will Mr. Waldeii kindly take a basket of fruit to 
 his sister, Miss Rachel, from Ruth Newville." 
 
 That was all. What a surprise it would be to 
 Rachel! Why was Miss Newville sending it? She 
 never had met Rachel ; knew nothing of her, except 
 what little he had said, yet the gift ! 
 
 The sun was going down the following evening 
 when he reached the turn of the road bringing him in 
 sight of home. He was yet half a mile away, but 
 Rachel was standing in the doorway waving her 
 apron. She could not wait for Jenny to trot home, 
 but came down the road bareheaded, climbed into the 
 wagon, put her arms around his neck, and gave him a 
 hug and a kiss. There was a look of wonder on her 
 face when he uncovered the basket of fruit and told 
 her who had sent it, a beautiful girl, one of Berin- 
 thia's friends, whom he had rescued from the king's 
 soldiers. There were tears in Rachel's eyes when he 
 put the beads around her neck. 
 
 " Oh, Rob ! how good you are ! " 
 
 It was all she could say. 
 
 November came, and Berinthia Brandon was sitting 
 in her chamber. From its eastern window she looked 
 across the burial ground with its rows of headstones. 
 The leafless trees were swaying in the breeze. She 
 was thinking of what Samuel Adams had said to her, 
 that life is worth living just in proportion to the ser 
 vice we can render to others. What had she ever 
 done for anybody? Not much. A feeling of sadness 
 came over her. The afternoon sun was lengthening 
 the shadows of the headstones across the grass-grown
 
 98 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 mounds. The first snow of approaching winter was 
 lying white and pure above the sleeping forms of those 
 who had finished their earthly work. Beyond the 
 burial ground she beheld the harbor. The tide had 
 been at its flood, and was sweeping towards the sea. 
 A ship was sailing down the roadstead to begin its 
 adventurous voyage to a distant land. 
 
 " Why can I not do something for somebody in 
 stead of idling my time away ? " she said to herself, 
 recalling what Mr. Adams had said that it was the 
 duty of every woman to forego personal comfort and 
 pleasure for the promotion of the public good ; that 
 everybody should leave off using tea to let the king, 
 the ministry, and the people of England know that 
 the men and women of the Colonies could stand reso 
 lutely and unflinchingly for a great principle. With 
 her father, mother, and Tom she had quit drinking 
 tea ; why should she not persuade others to banish it 
 from their tables ? A thought came to her, and she 
 opened her writing-desk, a gift from her father, 
 beautifully inlaid with ivory, which he had obtained 
 in a foreign country. She dipped her pen into the 
 ink, reflected a moment, and then wrote her thought : 
 " We, the daughters of patriots, who have stood and 
 do now stand for the public interest, with pleasure 
 engage with them in denying ourselves the drinking 
 of foreign tea, in hope to frustrate a plan that tends 
 to deprive the community of its rights" 
 
 In her enthusiasm she walked the floor, thinking of 
 those whom she would ask to sign it. She would not 
 
 1 The agreement signed by the mothers and daughters may be 
 found in the Boston News-Letter, February 15, 1770.
 
 CHRIST CHURCH CHIMES. 99 
 
 subject herself to ridicule by calling upon those who 
 sided with the king, but upon those whom she knew 
 were ready to make sacrifices for justice and right. 
 
 "I am glad you have written it, daughter," Mr. 
 Brandon said when she informed him of what she had 
 done and was intending to do ; "I see no reason, wife, 
 why you should not do what you can in the same way 
 among the women, to let people on the other side of 
 the sea understand the Colonies are in earnest. Al 
 ready there has been a great falling off in trade be 
 tween the Colonies and England, and if we can stop 
 this tea trade it will not be long before the merchants 
 will be swarming around Parliament demanding some 
 thing to be done. We must arouse public sentiment 
 on this question, and you, daughter, are just the girl to 
 begin it." 
 
 Mr. Brandon reached out his hand and took Be- 
 rinthia's and gave it a squeeze to let her know he had 
 faith in her. 
 
 " I will do what I can to persuade others," she 
 said, returning the pressure. 
 
 Through the night Berinthia was thinking over 
 what she had started to accomplish, and what argu 
 ments she should use to influence those whom she 
 would ask to sign the agreement. The great idea, 
 with a moral principle behind it, took possession of her 
 mind and drove sleep from her eyes and aroused the 
 energies of the soul. Why undertake the arduous 
 task alone ? Why not ask Doctor Cooper to preach 
 about it ? If she could but get the ministers enlisted, 
 they could awaken public sentiment. 
 
 " Ah ! I have it. Week after next is Thanksgiv-
 
 100 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 ing, and I will get them to preach sermons that will 
 stir up the people," she said to herself. 
 
 Thanksgiving Day came. Very eloquent were the 
 words spoken for Justice, Right, and Liberty by Rev 
 erend Doctor Cooper, Reverend Doctor Eliot, Rever 
 end Doctor Checkley, and nearly all the other minis 
 ters, excepting Reverend Mr. Coner, rector of King's 
 Chapel, and Reverend Mather Byles of Christ Church, 
 whose sympathies were with the king. 1 
 
 In every household fathers and mothers, sons and 
 daughters and grandchildren, gathered in the old home, 
 and had a great deal to say, while partaking of the 
 roast turkey and plum-pudding, of the sermons they 
 had heard in the different meetinghouses. All the 
 ministers preached about the proposal of Parliament 
 to levy a tax upon tea, and that if it could not be de 
 feated in any other way it was the patriotic duty of 
 the people to quit using the herb. They must deny 
 themselves the luxury, that they might maintain 
 their freedom. Little did they know that a blue-eyed 
 girl had called upon Doctor Cooper and read to him 
 what she had written, an agreement to drink no more 
 tea ; how his soul had been set on fire and he had gone 
 with her to the houses of other ministers, that they 
 might look into her eyes and see the flashing of a 
 resolute spirit in behalf of justice, righteousness, and 
 liberty. 
 
 1 Reverend Andrew Eliot was pastor of the New North Church, 
 an edifice still standing at the corner of Hanover and Clark streets, 
 and used by the Roman Catholics. Reverend Samuel Checkley was 
 pastor of the New South Church, and Reverend Samuel Blair of the 
 Old South. These pastors were outspoken in denunciation of the 
 offensive measures of the king and his ministers.
 
 CHRIST CHURCH CHIMES. 101 
 
 Although the snow was deep in the streets, the 
 drifts did not deter Berinthia from calling upon her 
 friends. Many of the good ladies were ready to sign 
 an agreement to drink no more tea ; others hesitated. 
 She was warmly welcomed by Mrs. Abigail Adams, 
 who at once saw how great would be the influence of 
 the women upon their husbands. 
 
 " But what shall we drink instead of tea ? " asked 
 Dorothy Quincy. 
 
 "When summer comes, we will go out into the 
 fields and gather strawberry leaves, and call them 
 Hyperion, or some other elegant name. I think it 
 quite as pretty a name as Old Hyson, and I am not 
 sure that they will not be more healthful," Berinthia 
 replied. 
 
 Miss Dorothy laughed heartily. " Yes, and we 
 can, upon a pinch, drink cold water from the town 
 pump and flavor it with peppermint," she said, as 
 she wrote her name. 
 
 After leaving Miss Quincy, Berinthia lifted the 
 knocker of the Newville mansion, not to ask Ruth to 
 sign the agreement ; she could not do that, for Mr. 
 Newville was a Tory, and the signers were daughters 
 of patriots. 
 
 " How good it is to see you once more. It is a very 
 long time since I have looked upon your face," Ruth 
 exclaimed, embracing her. 
 
 " The snow has been so deep and I have had so 
 much to do, I have not found time to call till now, and 
 I don't know as I should be here to-day only I am 
 spinning street-yarn for a particular purpose." 
 
 Ruth was at a loss to understand her.
 
 102 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I am calling on my acquaintances, and I was not 
 quite sure whether I ought to skip you or not." 
 
 " Skip me ! What have I done that you should 
 think of dropping me from your acquaintance ? " 
 
 Berinthia saw a wondering and injured look in the 
 loving eyes. 
 
 " Oh, you have n't done anything ; it is what the 
 king, Lord North, and Parliament are doing. They 
 intend to make us pay taxes against our will, and we 
 girls are signing an agreement not to drink any more 
 tea, and I am calling on my friends for that pur 
 pose." 
 
 The look of wonder and grief disappeared, and 
 Ruth's face brightened once more. She read the 
 agreement and the list of names. 
 
 " I did n't call, dear Ruth, to ask you to sign it. I 
 have no right to do so. It is an agreement to be 
 signed by the daughters of those who are opposed to 
 being taxed in this way. Your father, doubtless, may 
 be willing to pay the tax ; my father is not. You may 
 not think as we do, but that shall not disturb our 
 friendship. I shall love you just as I have ever 
 since we were children." 
 
 " How good you are ! I appreciate your kindness. 
 My father and mother stand for the king, but I have 
 my own opinion. Under the terms of the agreement, 
 I cannot sign it, but I am with you in spirit. I can 
 see the course taken by the king is not right or just, 
 and it will fail. Nothing can succeed in the end that 
 is not right." 
 
 " Oh, Ruth, how you shame me. Here I have been 
 fidgeting over the cutting things some of the girls
 
 CHRIST CHURCH CHIMES. 103 
 
 and their mothers have been saying. One asked if I 
 expected to bankrupt the East India Company. An 
 other wanted to know if I was going to wear trousers 
 and vote in town meeting." 
 
 " So mother's afternoon tea-party stands a chance 
 of being the last, for the present, at least. By the way, 
 do you ever hear from your cousin, Mr. Walden ? " 
 
 " No, I have not heard a word since he left us. I 
 should not be surprised, however, if he were to drop 
 in upon us any day, for I have written him that the 
 ship is to be launched soon. Father intends to make 
 it a grand occasion when the Berinthia Brandon glides 
 into the water. I shall have all my friends present, 
 Ruth Newville chief among them." 
 
 " Count upon me to do whatever I can to make it 
 a happy day," said Ruth.
 
 VII. 
 
 LAUNCHING OF THE BERINTHIA BRANDON. 
 
 THE pigs had been fattening through the winter, 
 and it was quite time to send them to market. 
 
 "You did so well with the cheese, you may see 
 what you can do with the shoats," said Mr. Walden 
 to Robert. " It is good sleighing. You can harness 
 the colt and Jenny, and go with the pung. I want 
 you to take Rachel along. You can stay a couple of 
 weeks and have a good visit." 
 
 There was a glow upon Rachel's face. It would be 
 her first journey. She would see new things, and 
 make new acquaintances. During the evenings she 
 had been knitting a hood and mittens of the finest 
 wool, and would present them to Miss Newville. 
 
 It was a resplendent morning, with the eastern sky 
 like molten gold in the light of the rising sun, and 
 the hoar-frost upon the twigs of the leafless trees 
 changing to glittering diamonds. The colt, sleek and 
 plump, was champing his bit and shaking his head in 
 his impatience to be off. Jenny was staid and sober, 
 but when Robert said, " Now, lad and lady," the colt 
 pranced a few steps, then settled to a steady trot, 
 learning a lesson from Jenny. 
 
 An hour before lunch-time they whirled up to Cap 
 tain Stark' s tavern in Derryfield, and before sunset
 
 THE BERINTHIA BRANDON. 105 
 
 came to a halt in the dooryard of a relative in An- 
 dover. Before noon the next day Rachel was looking 
 with wondering eyes upon the gleaming spires of the 
 meetinghouses and the crooked streets of Boston. 
 
 " You have come just at the right time," said Be- 
 rinthia, welcoming her with a kiss, " for I am to be 
 launched day after to-morrow." 
 
 Seeing by the look of wonder on Rachel's face that 
 she was not understood, Berinthia explained that the 
 ship her father was building was to bear her name, 
 and that everything was ready for the launching. 
 
 " Oh, it will be so delightful to have you here ! " 
 she added. " We will be on the deck, ever so many 
 of us, my friends, papa's and mamma's and Tom's. 
 Ruth Newville will be here ; and Tom's classmate in 
 Harvard College, Roger Stanley, who lives out beyond 
 Lexington, is coming. He 's a real nice young man, 
 and I am sure you will like him. Tom's girl will be 
 here, Mary Shrimpton ; she is out in the kitchen now. 
 She has been helping us make crumpets, crullers, gin 
 gerbread, and cake. Father and mother intend to 
 make it a grand affair, and have invited half of the 
 town, doctors, lawyers, ministers, and their wives ; 
 everybody that is anybody. Tom has invited his 
 friends, and I mine, because the ship is to bear my 
 name." 
 
 Rachel said she was glad she had come to see and 
 enjoy it all. 
 
 " We will have a jolly time while you are here ; it 
 is vacation at college, and I shan't have to study," 
 said Tom. 
 
 A young lady with a pleasant face, light blue eyes,
 
 106 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 and soft brown hair, entered the room and was intro 
 duced as Miss Shrimpton. 
 
 " She has been helping us get ready, and has rolled 
 out a bushel of crullers," said Tom. 
 
 " Not quite so many," said Miss Shrimpton, smiling. 
 
 Robert thought her very attractive and pleasing. 
 
 " I think I will go home now ; father and mother 
 will be expecting me, but I will be round to-morrow," 
 said Miss Shrimpton. 
 
 Tom put on his hat and escorted her. When he 
 returned, and he and Robert were by themselves, he 
 said that she was the best girl in Boston. 
 
 " Her father," he went on, " is a redhot Tory. He 
 lives in a fine house, owns thousands of acres of land 
 out in the country, thinks King George a saint, or 
 dained of God to rule us ; that Sam Adams and Doc 
 tor Warren are tricksters fooling the people for their 
 own benefit. But Mary is just the nicest girl you 
 ever saw. She has no mother, runs the house for her 
 father, keeps everything as neat as a pin, and by and 
 by, after I get through at Harvard and am in posses 
 sion of my sheepskin with A. B. on it, she will be 
 Mrs. Tom Brandon." 
 
 Robert congratulated Tom upon his engagement. 
 
 The next morning saw Robert in the market dis 
 posing of what he had to sell, while Berinthia with 
 Rachel called upon Miss Newville. 
 
 " It was very kind of you to send such a basket of 
 fruit to me, a stranger ; will you please accept a little 
 gift in return ? It is not much, but it will let you 
 know that I appreciate your goodness," said Rachel, 
 placing a bundle in Miss Newville's hands. When
 
 THE BERINTHIA BRANDON. 107 
 
 it was opened Ruth beheld a close-fitting hood of the 
 softest lamb's wool, made beautiful with pink ribbons ; 
 there was also a pair of mittens. 
 
 " Oh, Miss Walden ! How good you are ! How 
 soft and nice ! And they are of your own carding, 
 spinning, and knitting? And you have done it for 
 me, whom you never had seen, and of whom you never 
 heard except through your brother. And is he 
 well ? " Miss Newville asked. 
 
 " Quite well. You will see him to-morrow at the 
 launching." 
 
 " Is n't it delightful that they have come in the nick 
 of time ? " said Berinthia. 
 
 " How fortunate ! And you are to have such a nice 
 party. I will wear the hood and be the envy of every 
 body," said Miss Newville, putting it on, praising its 
 beauty, and calling in her mother to make Rachel's 
 acquaintance and admire the gift. 
 
 The launching of the ship was to be at flood-tide, 
 eleven o'clock in the forenoon. Though in midwinter, 
 the air was mild, as if a warm breath had been wafted 
 landward from the Gulf Stream. There was a fever 
 of excitement and preparation in the Brandon home. 
 Dinah in the kitchen was taking pots of baked beans 
 and loaves of brown bread smoking hot from the oven, 
 filling baskets with crumpets and crullers. Mark An 
 tony was taking them to the shipyard. Mrs. Bran 
 don, Berinthia, Rachel, and Mary Shrimpton were 
 preparing the cakes and pies. Tom and Robert on 
 board the ship were arranging for the collation. 
 
 Never before had Rachel beheld anything so en 
 chanting as the scene in the shipyard, the ship with
 
 108 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 its tall and tapering masts, its spars and yardarms ; 
 the multitudes of ropes like the threads of a spider's 
 web ; flags, streamers, red, white, green, blue, yellow, 
 with devices of lions, unicorns, dragons, eagles, flutter 
 ing from bowsprit to fore-royal mast, from taffrail to 
 mizzen. Beneath the bowsprit was the bust of Berin- 
 thia, the heart and soul of the man who carved it in 
 every feature, for to Abraham Duncan there was no 
 face on earth so beautiful as that of the shipmaster's 
 daughter. 
 
 The guests were assembling on the deck : the com 
 missioner of imposts, Theodore Newville, Mrs. New- 
 ville, and their daughter, Ruth ; his majesty's receiver- 
 general, Nathaniel Coffin, and his two sons, Isaac and 
 John ; Reverend Doctor Samuel Cooper, minister of 
 the church in Brattle Street ; Doctor Warren, physician 
 to the family of the shipmaster ; Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Dalrymple, commanding the king's troops, for Mr. 
 Brandon, though deprecating the presence of the 
 troops in Boston, determined to be courteous to the 
 representatives of his majesty ; Admiral Montague, 
 who came in his gig rowed by six sailors from his flag 
 ship, Romney ; William Molineux l and John Rowe, 
 merchants ; Richard Dana and Edmund Quincy, mag 
 istrates ; John Adams, a young lawyer ; honored citi 
 zens and their wives ; Master Lovell ; and Tom's class 
 mate, Roger Stanley, who had walked from Lexington 
 
 1 William Molineux was a prominent merchant who gave his sym 
 pathies to the cause of the people. He was one of the committee who 
 demanded the removal of the troops after the Massacre of March 5, 
 1770. He was one of the " Indians" composing the "Tea-party." 
 He was also one of the promoters of the spinning-school in Long 
 Acre. He died before the outbreak of hostilities.
 
 THE BERINTHIA BRANDON. 109 
 
 in the early morning. Among the many ladies, most 
 attractive was Ruth Newville, wearing a close-fitting 
 hood of soft lamb's wool, trimmed with bright ribbon, 
 all her friends admiring it. 
 
 Berinthia introduced Rachel and Robert to Mrs. 
 Adams. They found her a very charming lady ; she 
 had brought her little boy, John Quincy, to see the 
 launching of the ship. 
 
 Picturesque the scene : gentlemen wearing white 
 wigs, blue, crimson, and scarlet cloaks, carrying gold- 
 headed canes, taking pinches of snuff from silver- 
 mounted boxes; young gentlemen with handsome 
 figures and manly faces ; ladies with tippets and 
 muffs ; girls in hoods, all congratulating Berinthia, 
 admiring the beauty and tidiness of the ship, and the 
 lovely figure of herself. All praised Abraham Dun 
 can, who blushed like a schoolboy. 
 
 They could hear the clattering of mallets and axes 
 beneath them, and knew the carpenters were knocking 
 away the props. The ways had been slushed with 
 grease. The tide was at the flood. Ruth Newville 
 was to break the bottle of wine. She had shaken 
 hands with Robert Walden, and given expression of her 
 pleasure at meeting him once more. Her eyes had 
 followed him ; even when not looking towards him she 
 had seen him. Once more she thanked Rachel for 
 her gift. Her mates were asking her where she had 
 found a hood so beautiful and becoming. They stood 
 upon the quarter-deck, Berinthia the queen of the hour, 
 Ruth, radiant and lovely, by her side. They heard the 
 bell striking the hour of eleven. A great crowd had 
 assembled to see the launching. Men, women, boys,
 
 110 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 and girls were in the yard, flocking the street, gazing 
 from doors and windows of neighboring houses. 
 " Are you ready there? " 
 
 Launching the Ship. 
 
 It was the builder of the ship, Mr. Brandon, shout 
 ing over the taffrail to those beneath. 
 " Aye, aye, sir." 
 " Then knock it away."
 
 THE BERINTHIA BRANDON. Ill 
 
 They heard a blow from an axe. The stately ship 
 quivered a moment, then glided with increasing speed 
 down the ways. 
 
 Mr. Brandon raised his hand, and a ball of bunting 
 
 7 O 
 
 at the topmast fluttered out into the Cross of St. 
 George. Ruth lifted the bottle of wine, broke it upon 
 the rail, and poured the contents into the river. A 
 huzza rose from the quarter-deck. Handkerchiefs 
 fluttered in the air. The people tossed up their hats. 
 From street, doorway, and window came an answering 
 shout. 
 
 Out from the shore drifted the Berinthia till the 
 anchor dropped from her bow, and she lay a thing of 
 beauty, swinging with the ebbing tide. 
 
 In the cabin the guests were partaking of the boun 
 tiful and appetizing repast. 
 
 "I remember, Miss Newville, that you once gra 
 ciously served me at an afternoon tea ; shall I have 
 the pleasure of waiting upon you ? " Robert asked. 
 
 " I shall be pleased to be served by you. The 
 fresh air has sharpened my appetite, and I will begin 
 with a plate of beans, if you please." 
 
 He brought what she desired, served himself, and 
 took a chair by her side. They talked of the success 
 ful launching, of the beauty of the ship, sitting as 
 gracefully as a swan upon the water, of the almost 
 perfect likeness of the figurehead to Berinthia. 
 
 " Possibly it is so beautiful because the engraver's 
 heart has gone into it," she said with a smile. 
 
 Their eyes met. He thought hers very beautiful 
 at the moment. 
 
 Roger Stanley found equal pleasure in serving
 
 112 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Rachel, and in listening to what she had to say about 
 the launching, her visit to Boston, and of things in 
 Rumford. 
 
 Robert talked with Isaac Coffin, who said he ex 
 pected to have a commission in his majesty's navy. 
 Admiral Montague was very kind, and was using his 
 influence to secure an appointment. His younger 
 brother, John, liked the army better. Robert came 
 to the conclusion that they were not Sons of Liberty, 
 but were inclined to take sides with the ministry, 
 which was very natural, as their father was holding a 
 very important office under the crown. 
 
 There was a merry chattering of voices, a rattling 
 of knives and forks, and changing of plates. Mark 
 Antony was master of ceremonies at the table, giving 
 directions to Caesar and Pompey. 
 
 Although society was divided politically, neighbors 
 still were friends, accepting and giving hospitality, and 
 when meeting socially avoiding all allusion to the 
 proposed bill for taxing the Colonies. All hoped that 
 nothing would be done by Parliament to interrupt 
 friendly relations between the Colonies and the mo 
 ther country. Doctor Warren made himself agree 
 able to bluff Admiral Montague. William Molineux 
 cracked jokes with Colonel Dalrymple. Richard Dana 
 and Nathaniel Coffin were friendly neighbors. Mr. 
 Dana could look out from his front windows near 
 Frog Lane, 1 and see the spacious grounds of his 
 neighbor Coffin's " Fields," as the boys who played 
 
 1 Frog Lane extended from Newbury, now Washington Street, to 
 the Common. It is now a part of Boylston Street. Mr. Dana's house 
 commanded an extensive view across the fields, gardens, and orchards 
 owned by Nathaniel Coffin, south of the present Summer Street.
 
 THE BERINTHIA BRANDON. 113 
 
 ball called it. There was no reason why they should be 
 at odds socially, just because Lord North and the king 
 proposed to levy a tax of three pence a pound on tea. 
 
 With story and jest the company enjoyed the ban 
 quet and then were rowed to the shore, all shaking 
 hands with Berinthia and congratulating her upon the 
 successful launching of the vessel bearing her name. 
 
 " What can we do to round out the day for you, 
 dear?" 
 
 It was Miss Newville addressing Berinthia. 
 
 " I don't know ; what can we ? " was the reply. 
 
 " How would you like a sleigh-ride ? " Robert asked. 
 
 " Delightful ! " exclaimed Miss Newville. 
 
 "Jenny and the colt are rested, and if you don't 
 mind riding in a pung, I shall be pleased to take a 
 little spin out of town." 
 
 " Oh, it will be so charming ! I would rather go 
 in a pung than in a sleigh ; it is more romantic," Miss 
 Newville said. 
 
 It was quickly arranged. Robert went to the 
 Green Dragon, put new straw in the pung, and was 
 soon back with the team. They were eight in num 
 ber and quickly seated themselves. It was natural 
 that Berinthia and Abraham Duncan, who had put 
 his heart into his work while carving her features, 
 should sit side by side, and that Tom Brandon and 
 Mary Shrimpton should desire to be tucked under the 
 same bearskin. It was a pleasure to Roger Stanley 
 to ask Miss Walden to keep him company. 
 
 " They have decided, Mr. Walden, that we shall sit 
 together," Miss Newville said as she stepped into the 
 pung.
 
 114 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I shall regard it an honor to have your company," 
 was the reply. 
 
 When all were ready, the horses set the sleigh-bells 
 jingling. Farmers plodding home from the market 
 gave them the road, and smiled as they listened to the 
 merry laughter. They went at a brisk trot over the 
 Neck leading to Roxbury, and turned to the left, tak 
 ing the Dorchester road. At times the horses came 
 to a walk, but at a chirrup from Robert quickened 
 their pace, the colt throwing snowballs into Miss 
 Newville's face. 
 
 " You must excuse him, Miss Newville ; he is young, 
 and has not learned to be polite," Robert said, apolo 
 gizing for the animal. 
 
 They gained the highlands of Dorchester, from 
 whence they could overlook the harbor and its islands, 
 and see the lighthouse rising from its rocky founda 
 tion, with the white surf breaking around it. A ship 
 which had left Charles River with the ebbing tide 
 had reached Nantasket Roads, and was spreading its 
 sails for a voyage across the sea. 
 
 " So the Berinthia will soon be sailing," said Miss 
 Newville, " and we shall all want to keep track of her ; 
 and whenever we read of her coming and going we 
 shall all recall this delightful day, made so enjoyable 
 for us this morning by Berinthia and so charming this 
 afternoon by your kindness." 
 
 She turned her face towards Robert. The after 
 noon sun was illumining her countenance. He had 
 seen in Mr. Henchman's bookstall a beautiful picture 
 of a Madonna. Mr. Knox told him it was a steel en 
 graving from a picture painted by the great artist
 
 THE BERINTHIA BRANDON. 115 
 
 Raphael, and Robert wondered if the countenance was 
 any more lovely than that which looked up to him at 
 the moment. 
 
 They were riding towards the Milton Hills. The 
 woodman's axe had left untouched the oaks, elms, 
 maples, and birches ; they were leafless in midwinter, 
 but the pines and hemlocks were green and beautifid 
 upon its rocky sides. The purple sky, changing into 
 gold along the western horizon, the white robe of win 
 ter upon hill and dale, the windows of farmhouses 
 reflecting the setting sun, made the view and land 
 scape of marvelous beauty. Descending the hill, they 
 came to the winding Neponset River, and rode along 
 its banks beneath overhanging elms. The bending 
 limbs, though leafless, were beautiful in their outlines 
 against the sky. Turning westward, they reached the 
 great road leading from Boston to Providence. 
 
 " We might go to Dedham, but I think we had 
 better turn back towards Roxbury, let the horses rest 
 a bit at the Greyhound Tavern, and have supper," * 
 said Tom, who was well acquainted with the road. 
 
 The sun had gone down when they whirled up to 
 the tavern, whose swinging sign was ornamented with 
 a rude picture of a" greyhound. A bright fire was 
 blazing in the parlor. They laid aside their outer 
 garments and warmed themselves by its ruddy glow. 
 The keen, fresh air had sharpened their appetites for 
 supper. Chloe and Samson, cook and table-waiter, 
 served them with beefsteak hot from the gridiron, 
 
 1 The Greyhound was a much frequented tavern in Roxbury, with 
 the figure of a greyhound upon its sign. It was in this tavern that the 
 repeal of the Stamp Act was celebrated, 1767. Convivial parties 
 were courteously entertained by the accommodating landlord.
 
 116 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 swimming in butter; potatoes roasted in the ashes; 
 shortcake steaming hot from the Dutch oven. 
 
 " Shall I brew Bohea, Hyson, or Hyperion 1 tea," 
 the landlady asked, beginning with Miss Newville and 
 glancing at each in turn. 
 
 " I will take Hyperion," Miss Newville replied, with 
 a tact and grace that made her dearer than ever to 
 Berinthia, and to them all, knowing as they did that 
 Bohea and Hyson were still served in her own home. 
 
 Supper over, they returned to the parlor, where the 
 bright flame on the hearth was setting their shadows 
 to dancing on the walls. The feet of Mary Shrimp- 
 ton were keeping time to the ticking of the clock. 
 
 " Why can't we have a dance ? " she asked. 
 
 " Why not ? " all responded. 
 
 " I '11 see if we can find Uncle Brutus," said Tom. 
 
 Uncle Brutus was the white-haired old negro who 
 did chores about the tavern. 
 
 " Yes, massa, I can play a jig, quickstep, minuet, 
 and reel. De ladies and genmen say I can play de 
 fiddle right smart," Brutus responded, rolling his eyes 
 and showing his well-preserved white teeth. 
 
 "If de ladies and genmen will wait a little till old 
 Brutus can make himself 'spectable, he'll make de 
 fiddle sing." 
 
 While the old negro was getting ready to entertain 
 them with his violin, they proposed conundrums and 
 riddles and narrated stories. 
 
 There came at length a gentle rap on the door, 
 and Brutus, with high standing collar, wearing a cast- 
 
 1 Strawberry and other domestic teas were called by the high-sound 
 ing name, Hyperion.
 
 THE BERINTHIA BRANDON. 117 
 
 off coat given him by his master, his round-bowed 
 spectacles on the tip of his nose, entered the room, 
 bowing very low. He took his stand in one corner 
 and tuned his violin. The chairs and light-stand were 
 removed to the hall. 
 
 " De ladies and genmen will please choose pardners 
 for de minuet," said Brutus. 
 
 The choosing had been already done ; the partners 
 were as they had been. After the minuet came the 
 reel and quickstep, danced with grace and due de 
 corum. 
 
 The hour quickly flew. The horses had finished 
 their provender and were rested. Once more they 
 were on the road, not riding directly homeward, but 
 turning into cross-roads to Jamaica Pond, where the 
 boys were gliding over the gleaming ice on their 
 skates. They had kindled fires which lighted up the 
 surrounding objects, the dark foliage of pines and 
 hemlocks, and the branches of the leafless elms and 
 maples growing on the banks of the pond. 
 
 The full moon was shining in their faces as they 
 rode homeward. The evening air was crisp, but 
 the hot supper and the merry dance had warmed 
 their blood. The jingling of the sleigh-bells and 
 their joyous laughter made the air resonant with 
 music. 
 
 At times the horses lagged to a walk, and Robert 
 could let the reins lie loose and turn his face toward 
 Miss Newville. Her eyes at times looked up to his. 
 He coidd feel her arm against his own. The violet 
 hood leaned towards him as if to find a resting-place. 
 To Robert Waldeii and to Ruth Newville alike never
 
 118 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 had there been such a night, so full of beauty, so 
 delightful. 
 
 The horses came to a standstill at last by the en 
 trance to the Newville mansion. 
 
 "This has been the most enjoyable day of my life," 
 Miss Newville said, as Robert gave her his hand to 
 assist her from the pung. 
 
 " Good-night, all. Thank you, Mr. Walden, for 
 all your kindness," her parting words.
 
 vin. 
 
 CHRISTOPHER SNIDER. 
 
 THE' night-watchman of the North End of Boston, 
 with overcoat buttoned to the chin and a muffler 
 around his neck, a fur cap drawn down over his ears 
 to exclude the biting frost of midwinter, was going 
 his rounds. He saw no revelers in the streets, nor 
 belated visitors returning to their homes. 
 
 If suitors were calling upon their ladies, the visits 
 were ended long before the clock on the Old Brick 
 struck the midnight hour. No voice broke the stillness 
 of the night. The watchman scarcely heard his own 
 footsteps in the newly fallen snow as he slowly made 
 his way along Middle Street, 1 with his lantern and 
 staff. He was not expecting to encounter a burglar, 
 breaking and entering a shop, store, or residence. He 
 heard the clock strike once more, and was just pursing 
 his lips to cry, " Two o'clock, and all 's well," when 
 he caught a glimpse of a figure in front of Theophilus 
 Lillie's store. 2 Was it a burglar ? The man was 
 standing stock-still, as if scanning the premises. The 
 
 1 The section of the present Hanover Street east of Blackstone 
 Street was called Middle Street. 
 
 2 Mr. Theophilus Lillie was one of the six merchants who refused 
 to sign the association paper not to import goods from England, 
 thereby making himself exceedingly obnoxious to the people. Other 
 merchants had agreed not to make any importation, and had violated 
 the agreement.
 
 120 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 watchman dodged back behind the building on the 
 corner of the street, hid his lantern, and peered slyly 
 at the thief, who was still looking at the store. 
 What was the meaning of such mysterious inaction ? 
 The watchman, instead of waiting to catch the culprit 
 in the act of breaking and entering, stepped softly 
 forward. Grasping his staff with a firm grip, to give 
 a sudden whack, should the villain turn upon him, 
 " What ye 'bout, sir ! " he shouted. 
 
 The -burglar did not reply, neither turn his head. 
 
 " Is the fellow dead, I wonder frozen stiff, this 
 bitter night, and standing still ? " the question that 
 flashed through the watchman's brain. 
 
 " Bless my soul ! It 's Mr. Lillie's head, his nose, 
 mouth, chin. Looks just like him. And the post is 
 set in the ground. I '11 bet that carving is Abe Dun 
 can's work. Nobody can carve like him. But what 
 is it here for? Ah! I see. Lillie has gone back on 
 his agreement not to import tea. The Sons of Lib 
 erty have rigged it up to guy him. Ha, ha ! " 
 
 The watchman laughed to himself as he examined 
 the figure. 
 
 " Well, that 's a cute job," he said reflectively. 
 " The ground is frozen stiff a foot deep. They had to 
 break it with a crowbar, but not a sound did I hear. 
 Shall I say anything about it ? Will not the select 
 men make a fuss if I don't notify 'em at once ? But 
 what 's the use of knocking 'em up at two o'clock in 
 the morning ? The thing 's done. 'T ain't my busi 
 ness to pull it up. The post won't run away. I '11 
 report what time I found it." 
 
 Remembering that he had not cried the hour, he 
 shouted :
 
 CHRISTOPHER SNIDER. 121 
 
 " Two o'clock, all 's well ! " 
 
 He secreted himself in a doorway awhile, to see if 
 any one would appear, but no one came. 
 
 The early risers the milkmen and bakers' ap 
 prentices going their rounds, shop boys on their way 
 to kindle fires in stores all stopped to look at the 
 figure. The news quickly spread. People left their 
 breakfast-tables to see the joke played on Mr. Lillie. 
 Ebenezer Richardson, however, could not see the fun 
 of the thing. The schoolboys called him " Poke Nose " 
 because he was ever ready to poke into other people's 
 affairs. 1 The officers of the custom house employed 
 him to ferret out goods smuggled ashore by merchants, 
 who, regarding the laws as unjust and oppressive, had 
 no scruples in circumventing the customs officers. 
 Richardson hated the Sons of Liberty, and haunted 
 the Green Dragon to spy out their actions. 
 
 " This is their work," he said to those around the 
 figure. " It 's outrageous. Mr. Lillie has just as good 
 a right to sell tea as anything else, without having 
 everybody pointing their fingers at him. It 's an 
 insult. It's disgraceful. Whoever did it ought to 
 be trounced." 
 
 " Charcoal ! Charcoal ! Hard and soft charcoal ! " 
 
 1 The offensive and unjust laws and acts and ordinances of the 
 Board of Trade in enforcing the collection of customs dues had 
 brought about systematic effort to circumvent the custom-house offi 
 cials, who employed spies and informers to ferret out fraudulent 
 transactions. Smuggling was regarded as a virtue, and outwitting the 
 officials a duty rather than an offense. Ebenezer Richardson, by his 
 service to the custom-house officials, made himself obnoxious to the 
 community. An account of the incidents that led to the shooting 
 of Christopher Snider may be found in the newspapers of March, 
 1770.
 
 122 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 It was the cry of the charcoal-man, turning from 
 Union into Middle Street. 
 
 " I '11 get him to run his sled against it and knock 
 it over," said Mr. Richardson to himself. 
 
 Slowly the charcoal vender advanced. 
 
 Seeing the post and the group of people around it, 
 he reined in his old horse and looked at the figure. 
 
 " See here," said Mr. Richardson. " Just gee a 
 little and run the nose of your sled agin it and knock 
 it over, will ye ? It 's a tarnal fiendish outrage to set 
 up such a thing in front of a gentleman's store." 
 
 " Do you own the figger ? " 
 
 "No." 
 
 " Do you own the store ? " 
 
 "No." 
 
 " Anybody ax ye to get it knocked down ? " 
 
 " No ; but it 's an outrage which honest citizens 
 ought to resent." 
 
 "Think so, do ye?" 
 
 " Yes, I do ; and everybody else ought to, instead 
 of laughing and chuckling over it." 
 
 " That may be, mister, but ye see you don't own it, 
 and may be I 'd get myself into trouble if I were 
 to run my sled agin it purposely. Should like to 
 oblege ye, neighbor, but guess I 'd better not. Char 
 coal ! Charcoal ! Hard and soft charcoal ! " he 
 shouted, jerking the reins for the old horse to move 
 on. 
 
 " Gee, Buck ! Haw, Barry ! " 
 
 It was a farmer driving his oxen drawing a load of 
 wood, swinging his goad-stick, who shouted it. The 
 team came to a standstill by the figure.
 
 CHRISTOPHER SNIDER. 123 
 
 " What 's up ? " the farmer inquired. 
 
 " The Sons of Liberty have perpetrated a rascally 
 trick, by setting this effigy in front of this gentle 
 man's store," said Mr. Richardson. 
 
 " What 'd they do that for ? " 
 
 " 'Cause he agreed not to sell tea, and then, finding 
 he 'd made a bad bargain, backed out of it ; and now 
 I 'd like to have ye hitch yer oxen to the thing and 
 snake it to Jericho." 
 
 " Traid I can't 'commodate ye ; got to go down to 
 widow Jenkins's with my wood. Gee, Buck ! Haw, 
 Barry ! " said the farmer, as he started on. 
 
 " Rich, why don't ye pull it up yourself," said an 
 apprentice. 
 
 " Better get an axe and chop it down, if it 's such 
 an eyesore to ye," said another. 
 
 " Get a crowbar and dig it up. A little exercise 
 will be good for ye," said a third. 
 
 " Has Lillie engaged ye to get rid of the thing ? " 
 another asked. 
 
 " Did the Sons of Liberty smuggle it ashore during 
 the night ? " 
 
 Tom Brandon asked the question, which nettled 
 Mr. Richardson exceedingly. Possibly the informer 
 could not have said why he was so zealous for the 
 removal of the effigy. He would not have been will 
 ing to admit that he was seeking to advance himself 
 in the estimation of Hon. Theodore Newville, com 
 missioner of imposts, and Hon. Nathaniel Coffin, his 
 majesty's receiver-general. Quite likely he could 
 not have given any very satisfactory reason for his 
 activity in attempting to remove the figure. He
 
 124 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 knew that the selectmen would be obliged to clear the 
 street of the obstruction, but a display of loyalty to 
 the king might possibly inure to his benefit. Boys 
 on their way to school began to chaff the informer. 
 
 " Say, Poke Nose ; how much are ye going to get 
 for the job? " shouted one of the boys. 
 
 " You mind your own business." 
 
 " That 's what you don't do." 
 
 "Don't ye call me names, you little imp," shouted 
 the informer, shaking his fist at the boy. 
 
 " Poke Nose ! Poke Nose ! Poke Nose ! " the chorus 
 of voices. 
 
 " Take that, Poke Nose ! " said a boy as he threw 
 a snowball. 
 
 Losing his temper, the informer threw a brickbat 
 in return. He was but one against fifty lads pelting 
 him with snowballs, which knocked off his hat, struck 
 him in the face, compelling him to flee, the jeering 
 boys following him to his own home. 
 
 Tom Brandon accompanied the boys. He saw the 
 informer raise a window. There was a flash, a puff 
 of smoke, the report of a gun, a shriek, and two of 
 the boys were lying upon the ground and their blood 
 spurting upon the snow. He helped carry them into 
 a house, and then ran for Doctor Warren. It was but 
 a few steps. The doctor came in haste. 
 
 " Samuel Gore is not much injured, but Christopher 
 Snider is mortally wounded," he said. 
 
 Christ Church bells were ringing. Merchants were 
 closing their stores ; blacksmiths leaving their forges ; 
 carpenters throwing down their tools, everybody has 
 tening with buckets and ladders to put out the fire,
 
 CHRISTOPHER SNIDER. 125 
 
 finding instead the blood-stained snow and wounded 
 schoolboys. 
 
 " Hang him ! Hang him ! " shouted the apprentices 
 and journeymen. But the sheriff had the culprit in 
 his keeping, and the law in its majesty was guarding 
 him from the violence of the angered people. 
 
 " Christopher Snider is dead," said Doctor Warren, 
 as he came from the house into which the boy had 
 been carried by Tom Brandon and those who assisted 
 him. 
 
 Thenceforth the widow's home in Frog Lane would 
 be desolate, for an only child was gone. 
 
 An exasperated multitude, among others Tom 
 Brandon and Robert Walden, gathered in Faneuil 
 Hall, Tom as witness, attending the examination of 
 Ebenezer Richardson, 1 charged with the murder of 
 Christopher Snider. Upon the platform sat the jus 
 tices, John Ruddock, Edmund Quincy, Richard Dana, 
 and Samuel Pemberton, wearing their scarlet cloaks 
 and white wigs. There was a murmuring of voices. 
 
 " I hope the spy will swing for it," Robert heard 
 one citizen say. 
 
 " It 's downright murder, this shooting of a boy 
 only nine years old, who hadn't even been teasing 
 Poke Nose," said another. 
 
 " This is what comes from customs nabobs trying to 
 enforce wicked laws," said an old man. 
 
 1 John Ruddock, Edmund Quincy, Richard Dana, and Samuel Pem 
 berton were the principal magistrates of the town, and unitedly sat as 
 a court. Richardson was committed to jail, tried, and condemned to 
 death. As his crime grew from political troubles, Governor Hutch- 
 inson caused his execution to be delayed. He was kept in jail till the 
 outbreak of the war, when he was set at liberty.
 
 126 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. ' 
 
 " Yes, and keeps two regiments of lobsters here to 
 insult us." 
 
 " That 's so," responded Peter Bushwick, whom 
 Kobert recognized. "If the laws were "just the peo 
 ple wouldn't smuggle. If there was no smuggling- 
 there wouldn't be any spies, and Ebe Richardson, in 
 stead of being a sneaking informer, would have been 
 earning an honest living. He wouldn't have been 
 called Poke Nose ; there would n't have been any 
 snowballs nor brickbats nor shooting. Ever since I 
 was a little boy Parliament has been passing laws to 
 cripple us ; that 's what 's brought on smuggling ; that 's 
 what keeps the troops here. Ebe Richardson is part 
 of the system." 
 
 There was a louder buzzing as the sheriff entered 
 the hall and made his way through the crowd with his 
 prisoner, who stood pale and trembling before the jus 
 tices while the indictment was read. Witnesses were 
 sworn and examined, and the sheriff ordered to commit 
 the accused to the jail for trial. 
 
 " No other incident," said Mr. John Adams, " has 
 so stirred the people as the shooting of this boy. 
 Nothing has so brought to the consciousness of the 
 community the meaning of the ministerial system. 
 Instinctively they connect the death of Christopher 
 with the attempt to enforce the unrighteous laws. 
 Richardson is in the employ of the government. There 
 is no evidence that Theodore Newville or Nathaniel 
 Coffin or any of the officers of the customs engaged 
 him to remove the effigy ; he did it on his own ac 
 count, and must suffer for it, but the obloquy falls, 
 nevertheless, upon the officers of the crown, and
 
 CHRISTOPHER SNIDER. 127 
 
 especially upon the soldiers, who are a constant men 
 ace. I fear this is but the beginning of trouble." 
 
 Tom had been called upon to testify as a witness in 
 regard to the shooting. He had heard the informer 
 ask the peddler of charcoal and the farmer to run 
 against the effigy with their teams ; had seen the snow 
 balls and brickbat fly, the shooting, and had assisted 
 in caring for the wounded and summoning Doctor 
 Warren. 
 
 " Have you any idea, Tom, who placed the effigy 
 there ? " Mrs. Brandon asked. 
 
 " I might have an idea, which might be correct or 
 which might not be. A supposition isn't testimony. 
 I don't think I '11 say anything about it," said Tom. 
 
 " Can you guess who carved it? " Berinthia asked 
 earnestly. 
 
 " Anybody can guess, Brinth, but the guess might 
 not be worth anything ; I '11 not try." 
 
 " You Sons of Liberty don't let out your secrets," 
 Berinthia said. 
 
 " If we did they would n't be secrets." 
 
 Never had there been such a funeral in the town as 
 that of Christopher Snider. The schools were closed 
 that the scholars might march in procession. Mer 
 chants put up the shutters of their stores ; joiners, car 
 penters, ropemakers, blacksmiths, all trades and occu 
 pations laid down their tools and made their way to 
 the Liberty-Tree, where the procession was to form. 
 Mothers flocked to the little cottage in Frog Lane to 
 weep with a mother bereft of her only child. Tom 
 Brandon and five other young men were to carry the 
 bier. The newspaper published by Benjamin Edes
 
 128 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 expressed the hope that none but friends of freedom 
 would join in the procession. 
 
 Robert made his way to the Liberty Tree at the 
 hour appointed. A great crowd had assembled. 
 Somebody had nailed a board to the tree, upon which 
 were painted texts from the Bible : 
 
 " TIiou shalt take no satisfaction for the life of a 
 murderer. He shall surely be put to death" 
 
 " Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not 
 pass unpunished" 
 
 The clock was striking three when the bearers 
 brought the coffin from the home of the mother in 
 Frog Lane to the Liberty Tree. While the proces 
 sion was forming Robert had an opportunity to look 
 at the inscriptions upon the black velvet pall. They 
 were in Latin, but a gentleman with a kindly face, 
 Master Lovell, translated them to the people. 
 
 " Latet Anguis in Herba." 
 
 " Hceret Lateris leihalis Armada." 
 
 " Innocentia nusquam in tuta." 
 
 The serpent is lurking in the grass. 
 The fatal dart is thrown. 
 Innocence is nowhere safe. 
 
 All the bells were tolling. Mothers and maidens 
 along the street were weeping for the mother follow 
 ing the body of her boy. Old men uncovered their 
 heads, and bared their snow-white locks to the wintry 
 air, as the pall-bearers with slow and measured steps 
 moved past them. Schoolboys, more than six hun 
 dred, two by two, hand in hand ; apprentices, journey 
 men, citizens, three thousand in number ; magistrates,
 
 CHRISTOPHER SNIDER. 
 
 129 
 
 ministers, merchants, lawyers, physicians in chaises and 
 carriages, composed the throng bearing the mur 
 dered boy to his burial. 
 
 Listen, my Lord Frederick North, to the mournful 
 pealing of the bells of Boston ! Listen, King George, 
 to the tramping of 
 the schoolmates of 
 Christopher Snider, 
 laying aside their 
 books for the day to 
 bear witness against 
 your royal policy, 
 boys now, men ere 
 long, - protesting 
 with tears to-day, 
 with muskets by and 
 by ! Listen, ye men 
 who have purchased 
 seats in parliament 
 to satisfy your greed ! 
 
 The assembled multitude, the tolling bells, the 
 tramping feet, the emblems of mourning, are the 
 indignant protest of an outraged community against 
 tyranny and oppression, the enforcement of law by 
 the show of force, by musket, sword, and bayonet. 
 Listen, and take warning. 1 
 
 1 Historians have made little account of the shooting of Christo 
 pher Snider, but there can be no question that it led directly to the 
 collision between the ropemakers and soldiers one week later, resulting 1 
 in the Massacre of March 5, 1770. 
 
 Lord North.
 
 IX. 
 
 THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKEKS. 
 
 ALTHOUGH March had come, the snow was still 
 deep upon the ground. Robert and Rachel could pro 
 long their stay in Boston and enjoy the hospitality of 
 their friends. It was Monday evening the 5th of the 
 month. Berinthia had invited Ruth Newville to tea. 
 
 "The soldiers and the ropemakers are at logger 
 heads," said Tom, as he came in and laid aside his 
 coat. 
 
 " What is the trouble ? " Robert asked. 
 
 " It seems that a negro hemp-stretcher, down hi 
 Gray's ropewalk, 1 last Friday asked a soldier if he 
 wanted to work, and the red-coat replied he did. 
 What the ropemaker told him to do was n't very nice, 
 and they had a set-to. The soldier got the worst of 
 it, and swore vengeance. The redcoat went to the 
 barracks, but was soon back again with eight others, 
 armed with clubs, swearing they 'd split the skulls of 
 
 1 Edward Gray, in 1712, purchased a large tract of land on the 
 westerly side of Hutchinson's Lane, now Pearl Street, and erected a 
 ropewalk seven hundred and forty feet long. The large number of 
 ships built in Boston and other New England towns made it a lucra 
 tive occupation. His son, Harrison Gray, was appointed treasurer of 
 the Province. He was a loyalist, and took his departure from Boston 
 upon its evacuation by the British. His property was confiscated to 
 the state. He proceeded from Halifax to London, where he gave 
 generous hospitality to his fellow exiles in that city.
 
 THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS. 131 
 
 the beggars. The ropemakers seized their woolding- 
 sticks, and they had it hot and heavy, but the lobsters 
 got a licking. You 'd better believe there was a buz 
 zing in the barracks. Pretty soon between thirty and 
 forty of the hirelings, armed with bayonets, clubs, and 
 cutlasses, rushed down to the ropewalk. The rope- 
 makers rallied, but all told they were only fourteen. 
 They showed what stuff they were made of, though, 
 and proved themselves the better men. They whacked 
 the lobsters' skulls and drove them." 
 
 " Good for the ropemakers," said Berinthia, clapping 
 her hands. 
 
 Robert saw a lighting up of Miss Newville's eyes, 
 but no word fell from her lips. 
 
 " I fear," said Mr. Brandon, " there will be an out 
 break between the soldiers and the people. Since the 
 funeral of Snider, the soldiers have been growing 
 more insolent. The long stay of the troops with 
 nothing to do except the daily drill and parade, and 
 drinking toddy, has demoralized them. The under- 
 officers are but little better than the men, spending 
 most of their time in the taverns playing cards. Dis 
 cipline is lax. I shall not be surprised at whatever 
 may happen." 
 
 Miss Newville and Robert sat down to a game of 
 checkers. He debated with himself whether or not 
 he would let her win the first game. Would it be 
 gentlemanly to defeat her ? Ought he not to allow her 
 to win ? But almost before he was aware of what had 
 happened she was victor, and he was making apology 
 for playing so badly. Again the men were set, and 
 again, although he did his best to win, his men were 
 swept from the board.
 
 132 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I see I 'm no match for you," he said. 
 
 " I am not so sure about that. I saw your mis 
 take. You would soon learn to correct it," she said 
 with a smile. 
 
 Although yet early in the evening, Miss Newville 
 said she must be going home, as her parents might be 
 concerned for her. 
 
 " I trust the soldiers will not molest you," said Mrs. 
 Brandon, bidding Miss Newville farewell. 
 
 " I am sure I shall be safe with Mr. Walden," she 
 replied. There was a meaning in her eyes which he 
 alone understood, the silent reference to their first 
 meeting. 
 
 The moon was at its full, its silver light gleaming 
 upon the untrodden snow. There was no need for them 
 to hasten their steps when the night was so lovely. 
 
 " Oh, look, Mr. Walden ! see Christ Church ! " Miss 
 Newville exclaimed. " Tower, belfry, turret, and stee 
 ple are glazed with frozen sea-mist and driven snow." 
 
 The church loomed before them in the refulgent light, 
 a mass of shining silver. Above all was the taper 
 ing spire and golden vane. 
 
 " It is the poetry of nature. Such beauty thrills 
 me. I feel, but cannot express, my pleasure," she 
 said. 
 
 " It is indeed very beautiful," he replied. " The 
 snow, the silver, gold, light and shade, the steeple 
 tapering to a point, make it a wonderful picture. 
 Would that you could see on such a night as this the 
 view from my own home, upland and valley, mea 
 dow and forest, walls and fences, leafless oaks, elms, 
 and maples in fields and pastures, pure white and
 
 THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS. 133 
 
 shining like polished silver in the moonlight, and 
 all the twigs and branches glittering with diamonds. 
 On such nights, when the crust is hard and firm, we 
 boys and girls pile ourselves on a sled and go like the 
 wind from the top of the hill in the pasture down to 
 the meadow, across the intervale, over the river bank, 
 and out upon the gleaming ice. We wake the echoes 
 with our laughter and have a jolly time." 
 
 " Oh, how I should enjoy it," she said. 
 
 Suddenly they heard other voices, and as they turned 
 the corner of the street came upon a group of men 
 and boys armed with cudgels. 
 
 " We '11 give it to the lobsters," they heard one say. 
 
 " I fear there may be trouble," Robert remarked, 
 recalling the conversation at the supper-table. 
 
 Passing the home of Doctor Warren, they saw a 
 light burning in his office, and by the shadow on the 
 window curtain knew he was seated at his writing- 
 desk. Turning from Hanover towards Queen Street, 
 they found several soldiers in earnest conversation 
 blocking the way. 
 
 " I 'd like to split the heads of the blackguards," 
 said one, flourishing a cutlass. 
 
 " Will you please allow me to pass ? " said Robert. 
 
 " When you take off your hat to us," the answer. 
 
 " This is the king's highway," said Robert. 
 
 He felt Miss Newville's arm clinging more firmly 
 to his own. 
 
 " You can pass if your wench gives me a kiss," 
 said the soldier with the cutlass. 
 
 Swiftly Robert's right arm and clenched fist sent 
 the fellow headlong into the snow. He faced the
 
 134 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 others a moment, and then with Miss Newville walked 
 leisurely away. He could feel her heart palpitating 
 against his arm. He cast a glance behind, but the 
 redcoats were not following him. 
 
 " It seems we are fated to meet ill-bred men," he 
 said. 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Walden, how resolute and brave you 
 are!" 
 
 " It is not difficult to be courageous when you know 
 you are right." 
 
 " But they are so many." 
 
 " We are more than they," he replied, smiling. 
 
 " More than they ! We are only two." 
 
 " He who is in the right has all of God's host with 
 him. They knew they were in the wrong ; that made 
 them cowards." 
 
 Again he felt the warmth and pressure of her arm, 
 as if she would say, " I know I shall be safe with you 
 to protect me." 
 
 They were passing King's Chapel. Its gray walls 
 never had seemed so picturesque as on that evening 
 with the moon casting the shadows of pillar, cornice, 
 roof, and tower upon the pure white snow that had 
 fallen through the day. Beyond it were the young- 
 elms of Long Acre, twig and limb a mass of glittering 
 diamonds. They stood at last beneath the portico of 
 her home. 
 
 " I have been thinking," she said, " of the strange 
 happenings that have come to us how you have been 
 my protector from insult. I cannot express my grati 
 tude, Mr. Walden." 
 
 "Please do not mention it, Miss Newville. 1
 
 THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS. 135 
 
 should indeed be a poltroon did I not resent an indig 
 nity to a lady, especially to you. I esteem it an honor 
 to have made your acquaintance. May I say I cannot 
 find words to express the pleasure I have had in your 
 society? I do not know that I shall see you again 
 before we start on our homeward journey." 
 
 " Must you go ? Can you not prolong your stay? " 
 " We have already overstayed our time ; but not to 
 
 ' 
 
 King's Chapel, 1895. 
 
 our regret. I never shall forget, Miss Newville, these 
 days and evenings which you, with Berinthia, Tom, 
 Miss Shrimpton, and Roger Stanley have made so en 
 joyable." 
 
 " I trust we shall not be like ships that signal each 
 other in mid-ocean, then sail away never to meet 
 again," she replied. 
 
 She reached out her hand to bid him farewell. It 
 rested willingly in his. 
 
 " I hope," she said, " I never shall be so ungrateful
 
 136 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 as to forget what you have done for me. I certainly 
 shall not forget the lesson you have taught me to 
 stand resolutely for the right. I shall always be pleased 
 to see you." 
 
 " You may be sure, Miss Newville, I never shall 
 fail to pay my respects to one whose very presence 
 makes life more beautiful and worth the living." 
 
 The full moon was falling upon her face. Her eyes 
 seemed to be looking far away. He saw for a mo 
 ment a shade of sadness upon her countenance, suc 
 ceeded by a smile. Her hand was still resting in his. 
 
 " Good-by till we meet again," her parting words. 
 
 Never before had he felt such an uplifting of spirit. 
 " Till. we meet again" would ever be like a strain of 
 music. He lingered awhile, loath to leave the spot. 
 A light was soon shining in her chamber. The cur 
 tains revealed her shadow. It was something to 
 know she was there. Would she think of him when 
 lying down to sleep? When would he again behold 
 those loving eyes, that radiant face, that beauty of 
 soul seen in every feature? What had the future 
 in store for them ? Ah ! what had it ? The light in 
 the chamber was extinguished, and he turned away. 
 Once more he lingered by the gray walls of King's 
 Chapel to take a parting look at the white-curtained 
 window, and then walked to Queen Street, past the 
 jail and printing office. It would be a pleasure to 
 stand once more upon the spot where first he met her. 
 
 He heard a commotion in the direction of Dock 
 Square, oaths and curses; and suddenly beheld citi 
 zens running, followed by soldiers, whose swords were 
 flashing in the moonlight. They followed the fleeing
 
 THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS. 137 
 
 people nearly to the town pump, then turned and dis 
 appeared in an alley. 
 
 "What has happened?" Kobert asked of a man 
 who had a pail of oysters in his hand. 
 
 " What ? Just see what I 've got from the hellish 
 rascals," the man replied, setting down the pail and 
 pointing to a gash on his shoulder. " The red-coated 
 devils are cutting and slashing everybody. They are 
 ripping and swearing they '11 kill every blasted Son 
 of Liberty." 
 
 While the oysterman was speaking, a little boy 
 came along, piteously crying. 
 
 " What 's the matter, my boy? " Robert asked. 
 
 Amid his sobs it was learned that the boy's father 
 sent him on an errand ; that while peacefully walking 
 the street, a soldier rushed upon him swearing, aim 
 ing a blow, felling him to the ground with his sword. 
 
 " I '11 kill every Yankee whelp in Boston," said 
 the redcoat. 
 
 Again there was a commotion soldiers rushing 
 towards Dock Square. 
 
 " Where are the blackguards? let 's kill 'em," they 
 shouted. 
 
 " Come on, you dirty cowards ; we are ready for 
 ye," the answering shout. 
 
 Robert could hear oaths and vile words, and then 
 the whacking of clubs, and saw the soldiers fleeing 
 towards their barracks followed by the people. A 
 man with a stout club came along the street. 
 
 " What 's going on ? " Robert asked. 
 
 " We are giving it to the poltroons. We '11 drive 
 'em off Long Wharf. They rushed out upon us just
 
 138 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 now, with shovels, tongs, swords, and baggernets, and 
 called us cowards. We whacked 'em with our clubs 
 and drove the ruffians blast their picters." 
 
 The commotion was increasing. Robert walked 
 towards the barracks to learn the meaning of it. 
 Reaching an alley, he saw a crowd of soldiers, and 
 that the officers were trying to get them within the 
 barrack gates. Towards Dock Square was a group 
 of young men flourishing cudgels, and daring the 
 lobsters to come on. 
 
 " Let 's set the bell ringing," he heard one say, 
 and two apprentices rushed past him towards the 
 meetinghouse. 
 
 The officers, the while, were closing the barrack 
 gates. 
 
 " To the main guard ! Let us clean out that 
 viper's nest," shouted one ; and the apprentices 
 moved towards King Street. 
 
 The bell was ringing. Robert walked back to the 
 pump, and past it to the meetinghouse. Citizens 
 were coming with fire-buckets. He could see by the 
 clock above him that it was ten minutes past nine. 
 Mr. Knox, the bookseller, came, out of breath with 
 running. 
 
 "It is not a fire, but there is trouble with the 
 soldiers," said Robert. 
 
 Together they walked down King Street, and saw 
 the sentinel at the Custom House loading his gun. 
 Robert learned that a boy had hurled a snowball at 
 him. 
 
 " Stand back, or I '11 shoot," said the soldier to 
 those gathering round him.
 
 THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS. 139 
 
 " If you fire, you '11 die for it," said Mr. Knox. 
 
 " I don't care if I do," the sentinel replied with an 
 oath. 
 
 " You dare n't fire," shouted a boy. 
 
 The redcoat raised his gun, and pulled the trigger. 
 The lock clicked, but the powder did not flash. 
 
 " Spit in the pan ! " said another boy, chaffing him. 
 
 " Guard ! Guard ! " shouted the sentinel, calling 
 the main guard. 
 
 Captain Preston, with a file of men, came from the 
 guardhouse upon the run, in response to the call. 
 The meetinghouse bell was still ringing, and other 
 bells began to clang. The soldiers, nine in number, 
 formed in front of the Custom House with their bay 
 onets fixed, and brought their guns to a level as if 
 to fire. Robert thought there were thirty or more 
 young men and boys in the street. Among them was 
 a burly negro leaning on a stick, and looking at the 
 soldiers. The others' called him Crisp. 
 
 " Are your guns loaded ? " asked a man of Captain 
 Preston, commanding the soldiers. 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Are they going to fire? " 
 
 " They can't without my orders." 
 
 " For God's sake, captain, take your men back 
 again, for if you fire your life must answer for it," 
 said Mr. Knox, seizing the captain by the coat. 
 
 "I know what I 'm about," Captain Preston replied. 
 
 The bayonets of the soldiers almost touched the 
 breasts of Crispus Attucks and Samuel Gray. The 
 negro was still leaning upon his cudgel, and Gray 
 stood proudly before them with folded arms, a free
 
 140 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 citizen, in the dignity of his manhood protesting 
 against the system of government instituted by King 
 George and his ministry. 
 
 " You don't dare to fire," he said. 
 
 Why should they fire? The jeering apprentices 
 before them had no guns, only sticks and clubs ; they 
 were not fifty in number. What had they done? 
 Thrown a snowball at the sentinel ; called him 
 names ; pointed their fingers at him ; dared him to 
 fire. It was not this, however, which had brought 
 the guns to a level ; but the drubbing the rope- 
 makers had given them, and the funeral of Christo 
 pher Snider. These were not the beginning of the 
 trouble, but rather the arrogance, greed, selfishness, 
 and intolerance of the repressive measures of a bigot 
 king, a servile ministry, and a venial Parliament. 
 
 Robert heard the clicking of gun-locks. He did 
 not hear any order from Captain Preston, but a gun 
 flashed, and then the entire file fired. He saw the 
 negro, Samuel Gray, and several others reel to the 
 ground, their warm blood spurting upon the newly 
 fallen snow. There was a shriek from the fleeing 
 apprentices. Robert, Mr. Knox, and several others 
 ran to those who had been shot, lifted them tenderly, 
 and carried them into a house. Doctor Warren, hear 
 ing the volley, came running to learn the meaning of 
 it. He examined the wounded. " Crispus Attucks 
 has been struck by two balls ; either would have been 
 fatal. He died instantly," the doctor said. 
 
 By the side of the negro lay Samuel Gray, who 
 had stood so calmly with folded arms, the bayonets 
 within a foot of his heart. In the bloom of youth,
 
 THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS. 141 
 
 Samuel Maverick, seventeen years old, who had come 
 to find the fire, was lying upon the ground, his heart's 
 blood oozing upon the snow. Patrick Carr and Sam 
 uel Caldwell, who also had come to put out a fire, were 
 dying, and six others were wounded. The soldiers 
 were reloading their guns, preparing for another vol 
 ley. Robert heard the rat-a-tat of a drum, and saw 
 the Twenty-Ninth Regiment march into the street 
 from Pudding Lane, the front rank kneeling, the 
 rear rank standing, with guns loaded, bayonets fixed, 
 and ready to fire. 
 
 " To arms ! To arms ! " 
 
 He could hear the cry along Cornhill, and down in 
 Dock Square. All the meetinghouse bells were clang 
 ing and people were gathering with guns, swords, 
 clubs, shovels, crowbars, and pitchforks. 
 
 Lieutenant-Governor Hutchinson came. 1 
 
 1 Thomas Hutchinson was a native of Boston. He graduated from 
 Harvard College, 1727. He became a merchant, but was unsuccessful ; 
 studied law and opened an office in Boston. He was sent to London 
 by the town as its agent, and upon his return was elected to the legis 
 lature several years in succession. He held the office of judge of 
 probate, and was a councilor from 1749 to 1766, a lieutenant-governor 
 from 1758 to 1771. He was also appointed chief justice, 1758. At 
 the time this story opens he was holding four high offices under the 
 crown. Upon the departure of Governor Francis Bernard for England 
 in the autumn of 1769, Hutchinson became acting governor. He was 
 commissioned as governor, 1771. In May, 1770, he issued his procla 
 mation for the legislature to meet in Cambridge ; but that body 
 insisted that the terms of the charter required the General Court to 
 assemble in Boston. A sharp and bitter controversy followed. Doc- 
 to"r Franklin was appointed agent of the Province to look after its 
 welfare before Parliament. In 1773 he came into possession of a 
 large number of letters written by Hutchinson to Mr. Whately, one of 
 the under-secretaries, advising the ministry to take coercive measures 
 with Massachusetts. Franklin sent the letters to Thomas Gushing, 
 speaker of the House of Representatives. Their publication aroused
 
 142 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Are you the officer who was in command of the 
 troops ? " he asked, addressing Captain Preston. 
 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 " Do you know you have no power to fire upon the 
 people except by order of a magistrate? " 
 
 " I was obliged to fire to save the sentry." 
 
 " That 's a lie," shouted the crowd. 
 
 The surging multitude compelled the lieutenant- 
 governor to enter the Town House. A few moments 
 later he appeared upon the balcony overlooking King 
 Street. 
 
 " I am greatly grieved," he said, " at what has 
 happened. I pledge you my honor that this unhappy 
 occurrence shall be inquired into. The law shall have 
 its course. Now, fellow-citizens, let me urge you to 
 retire to your homes." 
 
 " No, no ! Send the troops to their barracks. 
 We won't go till they are gone ! " the shout from the 
 people. 
 
 " I have no power to order them." 
 
 the indignation of the people, which was increased by the action of 
 Hutchinson in connection with the arrival of the tea-ships. He be 
 came very unpopular and sailed for England, June 3, 1774. So eager 
 was the king to see him that he was summoned into his royal presence 
 before he had time to change his clothing. He assured King George 
 that the bill closing the port of Boston to commerce was a wise and 
 beneficent measure, and would compel the people to submit to royal 
 authority. The conversation lasted two hours. Upon its conclusion 
 the king expressed his great pleasure for the information and comfort 
 Hutchinson had given him. He was created a baronet, and was con 
 sulted by Lord North and the other members of the ministry. That 
 his opinions had great weight with the king and his ministers, and that 
 he was largely instrumental in bringing about the Revolutionary War, 
 cannot be questioned. He died at Bromptoh, near London, June 3, 
 1780.
 
 THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS. 143 
 
 The Town House. 
 
 " The troops to their barracks ! to their barracks ! " 
 " I cannot do it ; I have no authority." 
 " Arrest Preston ! Hang the villains ! To the 
 barracks ! " shouted the angry multitude. 
 
 " I will consult with the officers," said Hutchin- 
 son. 
 
 He went into the council chamber. Louder the 
 outcry of the indignant people. The troops were as 
 they had been, drawn up in two lines, the front rank 
 kneeling, ready to fire upon the gathering multitude. . 
 Robert felt that it was a critical moment. If the 
 troops were to fire into the surging throng, the gutters 
 would run with blood.
 
 144 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " The troops to their barracks ! Away with them ! " 
 the cry. 
 
 " I will order them to their barracks," said Colonel 
 Dalrymple, who recognized the danger of the moment. 
 
 Robert breathed more freely when the front rank 
 rose, and the troops filed once more through Pudding 
 Lane to their quarters. 
 
 Tom Brandon had come with his gun ready to 
 fight. A great crowd gathered around the Town 
 House where the governor was holding a court of 
 inquiry. Robert and Tom edged themselves into the 
 room, and heard what was said and saw what was 
 going on. It was nearly three o'clock in the morn 
 ing when the magistrates directed the sheriff to put 
 Captain Preston and the soldiers who had fired the 
 volley in jail. It was a great satisfaction to Robert 
 and Tom to go up Queen Street and see the redcoats 
 enter the jail and hear the key click in the lock behind 
 them. Civil law was still supreme. 
 
 The night was far gone when Robert reached the 
 Brandon home. Although retiring to his chamber, he 
 could not compose himself to sleep. He was looking 
 into the future, wondering what would be the outcome 
 of the massacre. 
 
 Long before the rising of the sun the following 
 morning, the streets were swarming with people, has 
 tening in from the country, with muskets on their 
 shoulders, with indignation and fierce determination 
 manifest in every feature, assembling in Faneuil Hall ; 
 but only a few of the multitude could get into the 
 building. 
 
 " The Old South ! Old South ! " cried the people,
 
 THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS. 145 
 
 and the crowd surged through Dock Square and along 
 Coriihill to the Old South Meetinghouse. Samuel 
 Adams, John Hancock, Joseph Warren, and others 
 were chosen a committee to wait on the governor in 
 the council chamber. 
 
 " The inhabitants and soldiery can no longer live 
 together in safety ; nothing can restore peace and pre 
 vent further carnage but the immediate removal of 
 the troops," said Mr. Adams, speaking for the com 
 mittee. 
 
 Colonel Dalrymple informed Governor Hutchinson 
 that, as the Twenty-Ninth Regiment had done the 
 mischief, he was willing it should be sent down the 
 harbor to Fort William, and he would direct its 
 removal. 
 
 " The people," said Mr. Adams, " not only of this 
 town, but of all the surrounding towns, are determined 
 that all the troops shall be removed." 
 
 " To attack the king's troops would be high treason, 
 and every man concerned would forfeit his life and 
 estate," said Hutchinson. 
 
 " The people demand their immediate withdrawal," 
 Mr. Adams replied, bowing, and taking his departure. 
 
 Cornhill, all the way from the Town House to the 
 Old South, was crowded with resolute and determined 
 citizens, equipped with muskets and powder-horns. 
 They saw Samuel Adams, loved and revered, descend 
 the steps of the Town House, followed by the other 
 members of the committee. 
 
 " Make way for the committee! " the cry. 
 
 " Hurrah for Sam Adams ! " the shout. 
 
 They saw the man they loved lift his hat. They
 
 146 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 knew King George wanted him sent to England to be 
 tried for treason ; that Lieutenant-Governor Hutchin- 
 son was ready to aid in such a plan ; but there he was, 
 more determined than ever to maintain the rights of 
 the people. 
 
 Tom worked his way into the meetinghouse and 
 heard Mr. Adams say the lieutenant-governor's an 
 swer was unsatisfactory. 
 
 " All the troops must go," shouted the citizens. 
 
 Once more Mr. Adams and six of his fellow-citizens 
 made their way to the Town House. The lieutenant- 
 governor and the council were assembled together with 
 Colonel Dalrymple, Admiral Montague, and other 
 officers in their scarlet uniforms. Robert edged his 
 way into the building. 
 
 "It is the unanimous opinion," said Mr. Adams, 
 " that the reply of your excellency is unsatisfactory. 
 Nothing will satisfy the people other than the imme 
 diate removal of all the troops." 
 
 " The troops are not subject to my authority ; I 
 have no power to remove them," said Hutchinson. 
 
 Robert saw Mr. Adams raise his right arm towards 
 Hutchinson. His words were clear and distinct : 
 
 "Lieutenant-Governor Hutchinson, if you have 
 power to remove one regiment, you have power to 
 remove both. It is at your peril if you do not. The 
 meeting is composed of three thousand' people. They 
 are impatient. One thousand men have arrived from 
 the surrounding towns. The country is in motion. 
 The people expect an immediate answer." 
 
 A whiteness came into the face of the lieutenant- 
 governor. His hands began to tremble. One hun-
 
 THE LOBSTERS AND ROPEMAKERS. 147 
 
 dred years before, the people in their majesty and 
 might had put Edmund Andros in prison. Might 
 they not do the same with him ? 
 
 " What shall be done ? " he asked of the council, 
 with trembling lips. 
 
 " It is not such people as injured your house who 
 are asking you to remove the troops," said Council 
 man Tyler ; " they are the best people of the town, 
 men of property, supporters of religion. It is impos 
 sible, your excellency, for the troops to remain. If 
 they do not go, ten thousand armed men will soon be 
 here." 
 
 " Men will soon be here from Essex and Middle- 
 sex," said Councilman Bussell of Charlestown. 
 
 " Yes, and from Worcester and Connecticut," said 
 Mr. Dexter of Dedham. 
 
 Every member said the same, and advised their 
 removal. Colonel Dalrymple had consented that the 
 regiment which began the disturbance should leave, 
 but it would be very humiliating if all the troops were 
 to go. The instructions from the king had put the 
 military as superior to the civil authority. 
 
 "I cannot consent, your excellency, voluntarily to 
 remove all the troops," said Dalrymple. 
 
 " You have asked the advice of the council," said 
 Councilman Gray to Hutchinson ; " it has been given ; 
 you are bound to conform to it." 
 
 Eobert felt it was a home-thrust that Councilman 
 Gray gave, who said further : 
 
 " If mischief shall come, your excellency, by means 
 of your not doing what the council has advised, you 
 alone must bear the blame. If the commanding officer
 
 148 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 after that should refuse to remove the troops, the 
 blame then will be at his door ! " 
 
 " I will do what the council has advised," said 
 Hutchinson. 
 
 " I shall obey the command of your excellency," 
 said Dalrymple. 
 
 The victory was won. " The lobsters have got to 
 go," the shout that went up in the Old South, when 
 Mr. Adams informed the people. 
 
 Very galling it was to the king's troops to hear the 
 drums of the citizens beating, and to see armed men 
 patrolling the streets, while they were packing their 
 equipments. It was exasperating to be cooped up 
 in Fort William, with no opportunity to roam the 
 streets, insult the people, drink toddy in the tap-rooms 
 of the Tun and Bacchus and the White Horse tav 
 erns. No longer could the lieutenants and ensigns 
 
 o o 
 
 quarter themselves upon the people and be waited 
 upon by negro servants, or spend their evenings with 
 young ladies. They who came to maintain law and 
 order had themselves become transgressors, and were 
 being sent to what was little better than a prison, 
 while Captain Preston and the men who fired upon 
 the unarmed citizens were in jail as murderers. It 
 was a humiliating, exasperating reflection.
 
 X. 
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 
 
 His majesty's commissioner of imposts, Theodore 
 Newville, being an officer of the crown, dispensed gen 
 erous hospitality. Gentlemen of position or culture 
 arriving in town were cordially entertained. His table 
 was abundantly supplied with meats and with wines 
 mellowed by age. He was loyal to his sovereign ; 
 gloried in being an Englishman, gave reverence to 
 King George, and was respected and honored by his 
 fellow-citizens. On Sunday, in King's Chapel, he 
 repeated with unction the prayer for their majesties 
 the king and queen, and for his royal highness the 
 Prince of Wales. Not only as a servant of the crown 
 but as a citizen it was his duty to be loyal to the king. 
 He was kind, courteous, and tolerant towards those 
 who did not agree with him in political affairs. He 
 thought Sam Adams, James Otis, and Doctor Warren 
 were rather hot-headed, but they were nevertheless 
 frequent guests at his table. 
 
 Mrs. Newville took pride in making her home at 
 tractive. Whether as hostess at the dinner-table or in 
 the parlor, she displayed tact and grace in conversa 
 tion. She was ever solicitous for the welfare and 
 happiness of Ruth, her only child, and fondly hoped 
 a kind Providence would bring about an alliance with
 
 150 DAUGHTERS 'OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 some worthy son of an ancient and honorable family. 
 Her day-dreams pictured a possible marriage of her 
 beloved daughter to some lord, earl, or baronet from 
 the mother country, owner of a great estate, a castle, 
 or baronial hall. 
 
 It was an agreeable announcement which Mr. New- 
 ville made on a summer evening that the ship Robin 
 Hood, sent out by the Admiralty to obtain masts, had 
 arrived, bringing as passengers young Lord Upperton 
 and his traveling companion, Mr. Dapper. His lord 
 ship had recently taken his seat with the peers, and 
 was traveling for recreation and adventure in the Colo 
 nies. Not only was he a peer, but prospective Duke 
 of Northfield. He was intimate with the nobility of 
 the realm, and had kissed the hands of the king and 
 queen in the drawing-room of Buckingham Palace. 
 
 Mr. Dapper was several years the senior of Lord 
 Upperton, so intelligent, agreeable, polite, courteous, 
 and of such humor, that he was ever welcomed in the 
 drawing-room of my lady the Countess of Epsom, the 
 Marquise of Biddeford, and at the tables of my Lady 
 Stamford, and of her grace the Duchess of Alwington. 
 The doors of the London clubs were always wide open 
 to one who could keep the table in a roar by his wit. 
 Lord Upperton had chosen him as his companion dur 
 ing his visit to his majesty's Colonies. 
 
 "It will indeed be an honor to entertain Lord 
 Upperton and his friends," said Mrs. Newville, with 
 sparkling eyes. It was not only the anticipated plea 
 sure of their company at dinner that set her pulses 
 throbbing, but the thought that it might in the end 
 make her day-dreams a reality.
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 151 
 
 Mr. Newville thought it would be eminently fitting 
 to invite the commander of his majesty's fleet, Admi 
 ral Montague, and also the rector of King's Chapel, 
 Reverend Mr. Coner ; together they would represent 
 the crown and the church. 
 
 Mrs. Newville did not intend that any bevy of 
 beautiful girls should assemble around her table and 
 be a cluster of diamonds to dazzle his lordship by 
 their brilliancy. She would have but one brilliant, 
 her own daughter. The other ladies should be of 
 mature years. She would invite Miss Milford, who 
 made it a point to read every new book ; Miss Artley, 
 who could paint in oils, and Miss Chanson, who would 
 sing a song after dinner, and accompany herself upon 
 the harpsichord ; Mr. John Adams, the able lawyer, 
 and his accomplished wife. 
 
 From her chamber window, Ruth saw a lumbering 
 coach drive up the street. The footman in blue livery 
 opened the coach door, and a young man, tall, hand 
 some, wearing a blue velvet coat, the sleeves slashed 
 with gold, an embroidered waistcoat, buff breeches, 
 lace ruffles, and powdered wig, walked up the path ac 
 companied by a gentleman several years his senior, 
 faultlessly dressed, with crimson velvet coat and costly 
 ruffles. The other guests had previously arrived. 
 Ruth, in accordance with her mother's wishes, wore 
 a rich brocaded silk of pure white. She needed no 
 adornment of silver, gold, or precious stones to set 
 forth her loveliness as she entered the parlor. 
 
 " My lord, shall I have the pleasure of presenting 
 my daughter? " said her mother. 
 
 Lord Upperton bowed. Mrs. Newville saw a look of
 
 152 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 surprise upon his face, as if he had not expected to 
 find so sweet a flower in the wilderness of the West 
 ern world. He bowed again, very politely, and ex 
 pressed his pleasure at making her acquaintance. 
 
 Pompey, bowing low, informed Mr. Newville that 
 dinner was ready to be served. 
 
 " My lord, may I presume to assign my daughter 
 to you ? " said Mrs. Newville, giving her own arm to 
 Admiral Montague. 
 
 Mr. Dapper solicited the favor of Mrs. Adams's 
 company. As Miss Chanson sang in the choir at 
 King's Chapel, Reverend Mr. Coner thought it 
 becoming to offer her his arm, leaving Miss Artley to 
 Mr. Newville, and Miss Milford to Mr. Adams. 
 
 " I presume, my lord, you find things quite dif 
 ferent here from what you do in England," Ruth 
 remarked, feeling it was incumbent upon her to open 
 the conversation. 
 
 " Yes, Miss Newville, very different ; for instance, 
 in London, and in almost all our towns, the houses 
 are mostly brick, with tiles or thatch ; but here, they 
 are built of wood, covered with shingles. Your 
 churches are meetinghouses. Queer name." Lord 
 Upperton laughed. 
 
 "Ha, ha! I had a funny experience the other 
 day. I told the landlord of the Admiral Vernon I 
 would like a chair for myself, and another for Mr. 
 Dapper, that we wanted to see the town. Well, 
 what do you think happened ? A little later, in came 
 two niggers, each bringing a big rocking-chair. ' Dese 
 be de cheers you axed for, Massa,' they said." 
 
 Miss Newville laughed heartily.
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER PARTY. 153 
 
 " The landlord evidently did not know you meant 
 sedan-chairs ; we do not have them here," she said. 
 
 " More than that, I told him I should want some 
 links for the evening, as I was to be out late. He 
 said I could get 'em in Faneuil Hall Market, if it was 
 sausages I wanted." 
 
 Again Miss Newville gave way to laughter. 
 
 " I do not suppose," she said, " that the landlord 
 ever had heard that a link-boy is a torch-bearer." 
 
 " I had the pleasure of attending services at your 
 church last Sunday," said Lord Upperton to the 
 rector, when they were seated at the table. " I no 
 ticed that you have a substantial stone edifice." 
 
 " Yes, my lord, and we regard it with what, I 
 trust, is reverential pride. The Church of God is en 
 during, and the church's edifice should be firm and 
 solid, and of material that the tooth of time will not 
 gnaw," the rector answered. 
 
 "Ought it not to be beautiful as well?" Miss 
 Newville inquired. 
 
 " Most certainly." 
 
 " I cannot say I think King's Chapel is beautiful 
 in the architecture, with its stump of a tower, and no 
 steeple or spire," Miss Newville replied. 
 
 " Perhaps by and by we shall have money enough 
 to carry out the plan of the architect. I admit it is 
 not as attractive as it might be," said the rector. 
 
 " I never look at the lower tier of windows without 
 laughing over the wit of Reverend Mr. Byles l in re 
 gard to them," said Mr. Adams. 
 
 1 Rev. Matthew Byles, the first pastor of Hollis Street Church, 
 was born in Boston, 1706, descended from Reverend John Cotton, the
 
 154 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " What might it be ? " the rector asked. 
 
 " He said he had heard of the canons of the church, 
 but never before had he seen the portholes." 
 
 The company laughed. 
 
 " Excellent ! Excellent ! " exclaimed Mr. Dapper. 
 
 " The reverend gentleman, Mr. Byles, though dis 
 senting from our Apostolic Church, I am happy to 
 say is loyal to our most gracious King George," said 
 the rector. 
 
 " Reverend Mr. Byles is very witty," Miss New- 
 ville remarked. " He asked the selectmen several 
 tunes to give their attention to a quagmire in the road 
 near his house. After long delay, they stepped into 
 a chaise and rode to the spot. Suddenly they found 
 themselves stuck in the mud. Mr. Byles opened his 
 window and remarked that he was glad they were 
 stirring in the matter at last." 
 
 Again the company laughed. 
 
 " Capital ; he must be a genius," said Mr. Dapper. 
 
 Pompey served the oysters, large, fat, and juicy. 
 
 " Pardon me, madam, but may I inquire what these 
 may be?" Mr. Dapper inquired. 
 
 " They are oysters. I think you will find them 
 quite palatable," Mrs. Newville replied. 
 
 Mr. Dapper put his glasses to his eyes, tilted an oys 
 ter on his fork, and examined it, 
 
 " Do you mean to say that you swallow these mon 
 sters ? " 
 
 first minister, and Richard Mather. He was minister of the parish 
 more than forty years. He was a celebrated wit and punster. He 
 maintained his allegiance to the king, and remained in Boston after 
 the departure of the British. He died in 1788. His clock is pre 
 served in the old State House, by the Bostonian Society.
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 155 
 
 " We think them fine eating," Mrs. Adams replied. 
 
 " My lord," said Mr. Dapper, turning to Upperton, 
 " I 'm going to try one. I 've made my last will and 
 testament. Tell 'em at Almack's, when you get home, 
 that Dapper committed suicide by attempting to swal 
 low an oyster." 
 
 " I will send Pompey for the coroner," exclaimed 
 Mr. Newville, laughing. 
 
 " 'Pon my soul, madam, they are delicious. Bless 
 me*! It is worth crossing the Atlantic to eat one. 
 Try one, my lord, and then you can torment the 
 Macaronies 1 by telling them they don't know any 
 thing about fine eating," said Dapper, after gulping it 
 down. 
 
 Lord Upperton ate one, smacked his lips, and testi 
 fied his enjoyment by clearing his plate. 
 
 " I dare say, my lord, that you find many amusing 
 things here in the Colonies," remarked Mrs. Adams. 
 
 " Indeed I do. Yesterday, as I was smoking my 
 pipe in the tap-room of the Admiral Vernon, a coun 
 tryman stepped up to me, and said, ' Mister, may I 
 ax for a little pig-tail ? ' I told him I did n't keep 
 little pigs and had n't any tails. I presumed he would 
 find plenty of 'em in the market." 
 
 Lord Upperton was at a loss to know the meaning 
 of the shout of laughter given by the company. 
 
 " The bumpkin replied if I had n't any pig-tail, a 
 bit of plug would do just as well for a chaw." 
 
 Again the laughter. 
 
 1 The derisive term " Macaronies" was applied to ladies and gen 
 tlemen who had visited Italy, and who upon returning to England 
 aped foreign customs in the matter of dress.
 
 156 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I expect I must have made a big bull, but, 'pon 
 my soul, I can't make out where the fun eomes in." 
 
 " He was asking you first for pig-tail tobacco for 
 his pipe, and then for a bit of plug tobacco for chew 
 ing," Mrs. Adams explained. 
 
 " Oh ho ! then that is it ! What a stupid donkey 
 I was," responded Lord Upperton, laughing heartily. 
 " He was n't at all bashful," he continued, " but was 
 well behaved; asked rne where I was from. I told 
 him I was from London. ' Sho ! is that so ? Haow 's 
 King George and his wife ? ' he asked. I told him 
 they were well. ' When you go hum,' said he, ' jes 
 give 'em the 'spec's of Peter Bushwick, and tell George 
 that Yankee Doodle ain't goin' to pay no tax on 
 tea.' ' ; Lord Upperton laughed heartily. " I rather 
 like Peter Bushwick," he said. " I 'd give a two- 
 pound note to have him at Almack's for an evening. 
 He 'd set the table in a roar." 
 
 " My lord, shall I give you some cranberries ? " 
 Miss Newville asked, as she dished the sauce. 
 
 " Cranberries ! What are they ? I am ashamed 
 to let you know how ignorant I am, but really I never 
 heard of 'em before. Do they grow on trees ? " 
 
 She explained that they were an uncultivated fruit, 
 growing on vines in swamps and lowlands. 
 
 " 'Pon my soul, they are delicious. And what a 
 rich color. Indeed, you do have things good to eat," 
 he added, smacking his lips. 
 
 " I trust you will relish a bit of wild turkey," said 
 Mr. Newville, as he carved the fowl. 
 
 " Wild turkey, did you say ? " 
 
 " Yes, my lord. They are plentiful in the forests."
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 157 
 
 Again Lord Upperton smacked his lips. 
 
 " By Jove, Dapper, it is superb ! " he exclaimed. 
 
 " Will you try some succotash, my lord ? " Ruth 
 inquired. 
 
 " There you have me again. What a name ! " 
 
 " It is an Indian name, my lord," said Mrs. 
 Adams. 
 
 " Oh ho ! Indian. They told me I should find the 
 people lived like the savages. Succotash! what is 
 it?" 
 
 " Succotash, my lord, is a mixture of beans and 
 Indian corn." 
 
 " Beans ! beans ! Do you eat beans over here ? " 
 his lordship asked. 
 
 " We do, my lord," Mrs. Adams replied, " and we 
 think them very nutritious and palatable, notwith 
 standing the maxim, ' Abstincto a fabis.'' Possibly 
 you may be a disciple of Pythagoras, and believe that 
 the souls of the dead are encased in beans, and so 
 think it almost sacrilegious for us to use them as 
 food." 
 
 Lord Upperton looked up in astonishment. Was 
 it possible that ladies in the Colonies were acquainted 
 with the classics ? 
 
 " In England we feed our sheep on beans," his 
 lordship replied ; " and may I ask what is Indian 
 corn?" 
 
 "Possibly you may call it maize in England. 
 When our fathers came to this country they found 
 the Indians used it for food, and so ever since it has 
 been known as Indian corn." 
 
 " Beans for sheep ; corn for savages. Pardon me,
 
 158 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 madam, but I am not a sheep, nor yet quite a savage 
 with a tomahawk. Thank you, but I don't care for 
 any succotash." 
 
 " Better take some, Upperton. It is positively 
 delicious," said Mr. Dapper, after swallowing a spoon 
 ful. 
 
 Lord Upperton poked the mixture with his spoon 
 and then tasted it. 
 
 " It is n't so very nasty," he said, and took a second 
 spoonful. " By Jove, it is n't bad at all. Bless me, 
 the more I eat the better I like it." 
 
 His plate was quickly cleaned. 
 
 "Pardon me, Miss Newville, but the succotash is 
 so superb that I dare violate good manners, which I 
 am sure you will overlook, and pass my plate for 
 more." 
 
 " You see, my lord, what you have gained by trying 
 it. If you had not tasted it, you would have gone 
 back to England and told the nabobs that the people 
 in the Colonies eat just such nasty things as the 
 sheep-men feed to their flocks ; but now you can tor 
 ment them by describing the dainty delicacies of the 
 Colonies." 
 
 "By Jove! That's a capital idea, Dapper. It 
 will make the Macaronies mad as March hares. 
 
 " Please fill your glasses, ladies and gentlemen, 
 and we will drink the health of our most gracious 
 sovereign," * said Mr. Newville. 
 
 1 George III. was grandson of George II., and son of Frederick, 
 Prince of Wales, whose death made his son heir to the throne. The 
 mother of George III. had plans of her own, and was aided by the 
 Earl of Bute. There were political parties in church and state ; 
 scheming bishops and intriguing politicians, each striving for his own
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 159 
 
 The glasses were filled, and the health of the king 
 drunk. 
 
 "Our king is a right royal sovereign," said Mr. 
 Newville. 
 
 " Yes, royal, but stupid now and then," Mr. Dap 
 per responded, to the amazement of the company, 
 and especially Mrs. Newville. "The fact is, my dear 
 madam, our king, unfortunately, has the reputation of 
 being the dullest sovereign in Europe. Perhaps you 
 know there was not much of him to begin with, as he 
 was only a little pinch of a baby when he was born, 
 so puny and weak the nurses said he would n't stay 
 here long. He sat in their laps, and was coddled till 
 six years old, when he was put under that scheming, 
 narrow-minded bigot, Reverend Doctor Ayscough. 
 And what do you suppose the reverend donkey set him 
 to doing ? Why, learning hymns, written by another 
 reverend gentleman, Doctor Philip Doddridge. Very 
 good religious hymns, no doubt, but not quite so 
 attractive as Mother Goose would have been to the 
 little fellow. After learning a few hymns and a few 
 words in Latin, he was set to making verses in that 
 language, when he could not read a story book with 
 out spelling half the words." 
 
 " How preposterous ! " exclaimed Miss Milford. 
 
 " Somewhat absurd, I will admit," said Mr. Dapper, 
 bowing. " One reverend doctor was not sufficient," 
 he continued, " to look after the education of the 
 prince, and so my Lord Bishop Hayter of Norwich 
 
 advancement, or the advancement of his party. George III. during 
 his early years had frequent changes of governors and tutors, several 
 of whom were intense Jacobites, holding reactionary opinions. Being 
 dull of intellect, his education tended to make him a bigot.
 
 160 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 was associated with Doctor Ayscough. Then the Old 
 Harry was let loose. My Lord Bishop of Norwich 
 was scheming to be made Archbishop of Canterbury, 
 and Ayscough wanted to become Bishop of Bristol. 
 Both were striving to rival little Jack Homer in put 
 ting their thumbs into the pie." 
 
 The ladies were amused excepting Mrs. Newville, 
 who laid down her knife and fork, folded her hands, 
 and looked earnestly at Mr. Dapper. 
 
 " Do you mean to say there is scheming among 
 the reverend prelates of our most holy church ? " she 
 asked. 
 
 " Why, madam, human nature is pretty much the 
 same in the church as out of it, and there is quite as 
 much intrigue among the prelates of the church as 
 among the politicians at court. His majesty, talking 
 about his early years not long since, said there was 
 nothing but disagreement and intrigue among those 
 who had charge of him during his early years. Mr. 
 Scott, his tutor, did what he could for the little fellow, 
 but it wasn't much. His father, Fred, Prince of 
 Wales, delighted in private theatricals. He had sev 
 eral plays performed at Leicester House by children, 
 employing Jimmy Quin l to teach them their parts. 
 Now, my dear madam, you will see that with three 
 bishops disputing as to how the boy should be in 
 structed in theology; whether politically he should 
 be a Jacobite or Whig ; when each was trying to get 
 the biggest piece of pie and the most plums, the 
 
 1 The celebrated actor, James Quin, was employed by the Prince 
 of Wales to direct the plays performed in Leicester House by the chil 
 dren of the nobility.
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 161 
 
 boy, the wliile, muddling his brains in trying to make 
 Latin verses and learning tragedies, there was n't much 
 chance for Master Scott to get him on in other things, 
 especially when my lord the Bishop of Norwich was in 
 triguing to get the master kicked downstairs, that he 
 might put one of his favorites in the position of tutor 
 to the prince." 
 
 " Why, Mr. Dapper ! " exclaimed Mrs. Newville. 
 
 " Then the prince had a change of governors about 
 as often as the moon fulled," said Mr. Dapper. 
 " Each, of course, had some directions to give in regard 
 to his education. When Lord Harcourt was governor 
 his chief concern was to have the prince turn out his 
 toes when walking." 
 
 The ladies laughed at 
 Mr. Dapper's droll way 
 of narrating the manner 
 of the king's education. 
 
 " I do not wonder you 
 smile, ladies ; it is enough 
 to make a horse laugh," 
 he said. " Perhaps you 
 would like to know how 
 the prince was put 
 through his paces from 
 the time he opened his 
 eyes in the morning till 
 he was tucked in bed at 
 night. Lord North at one time was governor to the 
 prince ; he gave me the programme of the daily 
 routine. The boy was to be out of bed at seven 
 o'clock, eat breakfast and be ready for Mr. Scott from 
 
 George
 
 162 DAUGHTERS OF 'THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 eight o'clock to nine, or till the Reverend Doctor John 
 Thomas came, who had him in charge till eleven, when 
 he was to be turned over to Mr. Fung, for what purpose 
 Lord North did not know. At noon, Mr. Ruperti 
 had him for half an hour. From half past twelve till 
 three the prince could play ; that is, he could walk 
 through the grounds around Leicester House, trussed 
 up in fine clothes like a turkey for the spit, but he 
 could n't kick up his heels or turn somersaults on the 
 grass ; he must be a nice little gentleman in lace and 
 ruffles. At three o'clock he had dinner. At half 
 past four the dancing-master, Mr. Deneyer, taught him 
 the minuet. At five o'clock he had another half hour 
 with Mr. Fung. From half past six to eight Mr. 
 Scott put him through his curriculum. At eight 
 o'clock he had supper, but must be in bed at ten. On 
 Sunday from half past nine till eleven Reverend 
 Doctor Ayscough lectured him on religion. To state 
 it plainly, our royal sovereign's real instructors were 
 the servants and chambermaids of Leicester House. 
 They told him nursery tales about hobgoblins, giant- 
 killers, and witches. Doctor Ayscough and the bishop 
 gave him lectures on theology. The Jacobite bishop 
 exalted the prerogatives of princes and kings. Lord 
 Waldegrave told me that, when he was appointed gov 
 ernor to Prince George, he found him to be a good, 
 narrow-minded little bigot, with his head full of nur 
 sery tales and not much else." 
 
 " Why, Mr. Dapper ! " exclaimed Mrs. Newville, 
 laying down her knife and fork again, and holding 
 up her hands. 
 
 " I see that you are astonished, madam. Now I
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 163 
 
 would not for the world say anything disrespectful of 
 our gracious sovereign ; he is not to be blamed for 
 the errors of those who had charge of him during his 
 minority, he is to be commiserated rather ; but you 
 will observe that it was not a course of education 
 calculated to enlighten a dull intellect. That he is 
 good at heart every one knows, but his ministers also 
 know that he is narrow-minded and obstinate." 
 
 " We must not forget that our most gracious 
 majesty, King George, is one of the Lord's chosen 
 instruments to carry out the plan of the divine 
 mind," said the rector. 
 
 " Oh, certainly, my dear sir ; just as much of an 
 instrument as ever Samson was, flourishing the jaw 
 bone of an ass, smiting the Philistines hip and 
 thigh," Mr. Dapper replied. 
 
 The ladies smiled, but the rector did not altogether 
 relish the reply. 
 
 " I never have quite understood how Earl Bute ob 
 tained his ascendency with the king," said Mr. Adams. 
 
 " It was through his influence with the mother of 
 the king," Mr. Dapper replied. " He had a great deal 
 to say about the king's education. It was Bute who 
 induced George II. to appoint Andrew Stone to have 
 charge of the young prince. Then the fat was in 
 the fire. The Bishop of Norwich accused Stone of 
 being a Jacobite, and the quarrel became hot so 
 sharp that the bishop entered the schoolroom to have 
 it out with Master Stone. Now I suppose, my dear 
 rector, you would have staked your money on the 
 bishop, on the theory that the church militant should 
 also be the church triumphant."
 
 164 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Possibly, if I were in the habit of laying wages," 
 the rector replied. 
 
 " I certainly should have done so, reverend sir, but 
 I should have lost my money," continued Mr. Dapper ; 
 " for Mr. Stone was plucky, used his fists beautifully, 
 and gave it to my lord the bishop right between the 
 eyes. The bishop was quite gamey, though, and aimed 
 a blow at Stone's nose, but finally got shoved out of 
 the room, greatly to his mortification. He could n't 
 let the matter drop, and so accused Stone of being- 
 drunk. The matter finally got into Parliament where 
 there was quite a row about it. Such were the aus 
 pices under which our good sovereign was educated to 
 administer the affairs of the realm. His mother 
 wanted to make him pious. She would not allow him 
 to associate with other boys because they would cor 
 rupt his morals. Lord Bute advised the princess 
 dowager to keep the prince tied to her apron strings, 
 and succeeded." 
 
 " Lord Bute," Mr. Adams responded, " is very much 
 disliked in the Colonies. When he was at the head 
 of the ministry, he was hung in effigy on the Liberty 
 Tree." 
 
 " So he was in London," Mr. Dapper replied. 
 " Your detestation of him cannot be greater than it is 
 in England. No one can quite understand how John 
 Stuart made his way up to power. He was a poor 
 Scotsman from the Frith of Clyde. He went to school 
 at Eton and also at Cambridge, then came to London, 
 hired a piece of land out a little way from the city, 
 and raised peppermint, camomile, and other simples 
 for medicine. He had a love for private theatricals,
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 165 
 
 had shapely legs and liked to show them. One even 
 ing the Prince of Wales saw his legs, and, taking a 
 fancy to the owner, told him to make himself at home 
 in Leicester House. That was enough for John 
 Stuart. Having got a foothold, he made himself use 
 ful to Fred, and especially to the princess dowager. 
 George II. was getting on in years and irritable. The 
 old king took it upon himself to pick out a wife for 
 the prince, selecting the daughter of Charles, Duke of 
 Brunswick- Wolfenbiittel ; but the prince said he 
 wasn't going to be Wolfenbuttled by his grandsire. 
 Just what he meant by it no one knows, as the word is 
 not to be found in Doctor Johnson's big dictionary." 
 
 " Shall I help you to a bit of canvasback, my 
 lord ? " Mrs. Newville asked, interrupting the narra 
 tive. 
 
 " Canvasback ! What may it be ? Really, you 
 have most astonishing things to eat over here," Lord 
 Upperton replied. 
 
 Mrs. Newville explained that it was a duck, and 
 that it was regarded as a delicacy. 
 
 " I never ate anything so delicious," said Upper- 
 ton. 
 
 Mr. Dapper also praised it. 
 
 " Was the marriage of our king and queen a love- 
 match ? " Miss Chanson inquired. 
 
 " Well, hardly, at the beginning," said Mr. Dapper. 
 " When the prince was eighteen, he fell in love with 
 Lady Sarah Lennox, daughter of the Duke of Rich 
 mond. She was seventeen, beautiful, and attractive. 
 She knew how to display her charms to the best 
 advantage, by going out with the haymakers on fine
 
 166 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 summer mornings to wander in the meadows among 
 the daisies, wearing a fancy costume. No wonder the 
 prince, looking from the windows of Holland House, 
 thought it a delightful exhibition of Arcadian simpli 
 city and made haste to chat with her. But love-mak 
 ing between the future king and a subject was not in 
 accordance with the princess dowager's ideas, and so 
 Earl Bute found it convenient to appear upon the 
 scene, a gentle hint that there was to be no more 
 love-making. Their flirtations would make a long 
 story though, for Lord Newbottle was in love with 
 Lady Sarah and jealous of the prince, which made it 
 all the more interesting. Bute and the princess dow 
 ager put their heads together, and sent Colonel Gra 
 ham on a prospecting tour among the German prin 
 cipalities. He sent back word that the daughter of 
 the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz would make a good 
 wife for his royal highness, and he judged well, for I 
 am sure you all love our Sophia Charlotte." 
 
 "Most certainly, and we would emulate her vir 
 tues," said Mrs. Adams. 
 
 Mr. Newville proposed the health of the queen. 
 
 Their glasses drained, Mr. Dapper went on : 
 
 " Lord Harcourt was sent as ambassador to nego 
 tiate a marriage, not with Sophia Charlotte, but with 
 her brother, the duke. 
 
 "Was not our queen consulted in regard to the 
 matter?" Ruth asked. 
 
 " Not at all. She knew very little about the world ; 
 never had been a dozen miles from home, never 
 even had sat at the duke's table. She was a simple- 
 minded little girl who gave the chickens their dough
 
 QUEEN SOPHIA CHARLOTTE
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 167 
 
 and gathered nosegays from her flower-garden. You 
 can imagine, ladies, that she hardly knew what to make 
 of it when told that an ambassador from England had 
 arrived and wanted to see her. The duke told her to 
 put on her best gown, mind what Harcourt said, and 
 not be a baby. Suddenly the folding-doors leading to 
 the ducal chamber opened, and there stood the ambas 
 sador. ' You are to be married to him by proxy, and 
 be queen of England,' said the duke, which so sur 
 prised the poor girl that she nearly fainted. The cere 
 mony over, Harcourt presented her with a necklace of 
 diamonds. You see, ladies, it is almost the story of 
 Cinderella over again ! " 
 
 " It is really romantic," responded Miss Milford. 
 
 " I would not be married to one whom I never had 
 seen," exclaimed Ruth. 
 
 " A princess, Miss Newville, cannot always do as 
 she would. She may be compelled to marry against 
 her will," said Lord TJpperton. 
 
 " I would not," Ruth replied. 
 
 " Not if the country required it ? " Lord Upperton 
 asked. 
 
 " No, my lord ; and I am glad I am not a princess." 
 
 " Bravely spoken. Ladies and gentlemen, let us 
 drink to the maiden who, though not of the blood 
 royal, is yet a princess," said Mr. Dapper. 
 
 " Hear ! hear ! " exclaimed the admiral, thumping 
 the table. 
 
 The company gazed admiringly at Ruth, peerless in 
 her beauty, the warm blood suffusing her cheeks. 
 
 " I understand that our queen assumed the position 
 of royalty with much grace," Mrs. Adams remarked.
 
 168 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " With charming simplicity, madam," responded Mr. 
 Dapper. " She landed at Harwich, and had an ova 
 tion all the way to London. People hurrahed, bells 
 rang, and cannon thundered. The poor girl was ter 
 ribly frightened. The thought of meeting a husband 
 whom she had never seen unstrung her nerves. The 
 Duchess of Hamilton laughed at her, but it was a hot 
 shot the queen let fly ; she said : ' You have been mar 
 ried twice to husbands of your own choosing, but poor 
 me must marry a man whom I never have seen? " 
 
 " Bravo ! that raked the quarter-deck," exclaimed 
 the admiral. 
 
 " How did the king receive her 1 " Kuth inquired. 
 
 When she stepped from the coach she knelt at his 
 feet ; he gave her a kiss, and led her into the palace." 
 
 " Very gallant on the part of the king ; fitting and 
 humble the action of the queen," said the rector. 
 
 " I would not have got down on my knees to him," 
 said Ruth. 
 
 " May I ask why Miss Newville would not have 
 knelt to her future husband and sovereign, had she 
 been Princess Sophia ? " the rector asked. 
 
 " Because it was an acknowledgment at the outset 
 that she was not his equal. She abased herself by 
 taking an inferior position. In the days of chivalry, 
 men knelt to women. The princess did not leave her 
 happy home to be a subject of King George ; but to 
 be his wife to stand by his side, and not crouch at his 
 feet." 
 
 " Hurrah ! That 's a whole broadside. She 's sweep 
 ing your quarter-deck," shouted the admiral. 
 
 The rector grew red in the face.
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 169 
 
 " It is recorded in the Holy Scriptures, Miss New- 
 ville, that wives must be obedient to their husbands," 
 he replied. 
 
 " Does the Bible say a wife must kneel at her hus 
 band's feet ? " she asked. 
 
 " Perhaps not in so many words, but she is com 
 manded to obey. Our holy church teaches the doc 
 trine. When the princess knelt at the feet of his 
 majesty, it signified she would obey him. Perhaps it 
 is my duty, Miss Newville, to say that your sentiments 
 would be regarded as heretical by the authorities of the 
 church." 
 
 " Hold on, rector," said Mr. Adams. " Don't set 
 the canons of the church to thundering." 
 
 " It is the gossip at court," said Mr. Dapper, " that 
 the king wanted to retire soon after sundown, but the 
 queen said she was n't going to bed with the hens. It 
 is said he told her she must wear a particular dress, 
 but she informed him he could dress as he pleased, 
 and she should do the same." 
 
 " You will have to go to court, rector, and lecture 
 the queen on heresy," said Mr. Adams. 
 
 The company laughed, and Ruth's eyes sparkled 
 over the rector's discomfiture. 
 
 The meats had been removed and Pompey was ser 
 ving the pastry and comfits. 
 
 " What delicious cheese you have. It is as tooth 
 some as the finest Cheshire," said Lord Upperton. 
 
 " We think it of excellent flavor, and I am sure 
 you will relish it all the more when I inform you, my 
 lord, that it was made by a girl not older than my 
 self," replied Ruth.
 
 170 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. . 
 
 "Indeed! is it possible? How very clever she 
 must be." 
 
 " She is a New Hampshire lady." 
 
 " Are dairymaids ladies ? " 
 
 " Indeed they are, my lord. The young lady who 
 made the cheese you are eating, I dare say, would 
 adorn the court of our queen," responded Mr. Adams. 
 
 " Bless me ! oysters, cranberries, succotash, canvas- 
 back ducks, wild turkeys, pumpkin pie, dairymaids 
 ladies, wives the equals of their husbands ! Rector, 
 will there be anything beyond these in the New Jeru 
 salem ? " exclaimed Lord Upperton. 
 
 Dinner over, the ladies passed into the parlor while 
 the gentlemen smoked their pipes and finished their 
 wine. 
 
 " I suppose, my lord," said Mr. Adams, "you have 
 not been here sufficiently long to form an opinion in 
 regard to the Colonies." 
 
 " Everything is so new and strange," Lord Upper- 
 ton replied, " I hardly know what to make of it. I 
 had an idea that I should find your people quite rude 
 and uncultivated. I understand you haven't any 
 theatre or anything of that sort ; but, really, your 
 ladies charm me by their conversation. Mrs. Adams 
 informs me she has studied Latin and Greek." 
 
 " I am happy to say my wife can read Cicero and 
 Homer in the originals," Mr. Adams replied. 
 
 " You astonish me," his lordship exclaimed. 
 
 " We are somewhat primitive, but the Colonies in 
 time will make amends for whatever they may be lack 
 ing now," Mr. Adams responded, sipping his wine. 
 " The people who came to this Western world did so
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 171 
 
 mainly for conscience sake, and the time will come 
 when this country will be the seat of empire. Society 
 here is established on enduring foundations. One 
 hundred years hence the chances are the people in the 
 Colonies will outnumber those of England. We are 
 loyal to the king, but we are a liberty-loving people 
 and jealous of our rights. In time we shall be so 
 strong that the united force of Europe will not be 
 able to subdue us." 1 
 
 " You have a great extent of country, but as a peo 
 ple you are widely scattered. You have only a little 
 fringe of settlements along the seacoast. It will be 
 an easy matter to divide you. England is rich, and 
 has a great navy ; she controls the sea. Her armies 
 have been victors on many fields; she has wrested^ 
 Canada from France," said his lordship. 
 
 " With the aid of the Colonies," interrupted Mr. 
 Adams. 
 
 " Perhaps we had better give politics the go-by and 
 join the ladies," said his lordship, rising and moving 
 towards the parlor. 
 
 Pompey brought in the tea-urn, cups and saucers, 
 sugar and cream. 
 
 " Shall I pass you a cup, Miss Newville ? " Lord 
 Upperton asked. 
 
 " Thank you, my lord, but I do not drink tea." 
 
 " Ha, ha ! Miss Newville, so you have joined the 
 other conspirators to outwit Lord North ! " 
 
 "No, your lordship, I have not joined them, but I 
 must say I admire their resolution in giving up a lux 
 ury to maintain a great principle." 
 
 1 The paragraph is in substance the prophecy of John Adams, 
 written to Nathan Webb, a school-teacher in Worcester, in 1755.
 
 172 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " As for myself," said Mr. Dapper, " I rather like 
 the spirit of the Puritan mothers and daughters here 
 in the Colonies ; they are worthy descendants of the 
 men who had it out with Charles I. It is all non 
 sense, this plea of Lord North, that the people in the 
 Colonies ought to pay a portion of the debt incurred 
 by England in the late war with France ; it is the ex 
 travagance and corruption of Parliament and of those 
 in power that grinds us, the giving of grants, 
 pensions, and gratuities to favorites, parasites, and 
 hangers-on. During Bute's and Grenville's admin 
 istrations the public money was sown broadcast. If 
 votes were wanted, they were purchased. It was not 
 unusual for a member of the Commons to find four 
 hundred pounds in his napkin at dinner, or in a billet- 
 doux left by the postman. Of course he understood 
 the meaning of it. The ministers helped themselves 
 to sugar-plums worth five thousand pounds. When 
 the Duke of Grafton was at the head of the ministry, 
 that parasite, Tom Bradshaw, who had done some 
 nasty work for the Premier, received an annuity of 
 fifteen hundred pounds and a suite of thirty rooms in 
 Hampton Palace. He is there now, and has had the 
 suite increased to seventy apartments. Not long ago 
 the ministry put out one hundred thousand pounds to 
 carry a measure through the Commons." 
 
 " You astonish me ! Do you mean to intimate 
 that our king has corrupt men around him ? " Mrs. 
 Newville inquired. 
 
 "My dear madam, the king is hardly responsi 
 ble for this state of things. It is part of the politi 
 cal system. Politics is a game. Men can cheat in
 
 MRS. NEWVILLE'S DINNER-PARTY. 173 
 
 government as well as in anything else, and there 
 are quite as many cheats in and around St. James's 
 as at Almack's or any of the other gambling resorts. 
 Other things are done in and around Westminster, 
 by those whom you are accustomed to revere, which 
 would astonish you could I but speak of them," said 
 Mr. Dapper. 
 
 The evening being beautiful, the air genial, the 
 company strolled in the garden, and ate the ripening 
 plums and pears. Lord Upperton, finding pleasure 
 in the society of Miss Newville, asked what recrea 
 tion the young people in the Colonies enjoyed. She 
 told of the launching of the ship Berinthia Brandon, 
 the pung-ride and dance at the Greyhound Tavern, 
 the quiltings, huskings, and tea-parties. 
 
 " I hope, Miss Newville, this will not be the last 
 time I shall have the pleasure of seeing you. I shall 
 not soon forget the succotash and cranberries, and 
 shall improve an early opportunity to pay my re 
 spects to you," he said, as he bade her good-evening. 
 
 " By Jove, Dapper, she 's as fine a piece of chintz 
 as can be picked up at St. James's or anywhere else," 
 he said, as they returned to the Admiral Vernon.
 
 XI. 
 
 SOCIETY LIFE IN LONDON. 
 
 ON a pleasant afternoon Lord Upperton was once 
 more ushered into the Newville mansion. Mrs. New- 
 ville being absent, he was graciously received by Ruth. 
 
 " I had such a delightful time in your hospitable 
 home, Miss Newville, the other evening, that I could 
 no longer refrain from paying my respects." 
 
 " It is certainly very kind of you, my lord." 
 
 " I cannot tell you how delighted I was when you 
 told me about your recreations. How charming it 
 must be to go riding in a pung, with a lot of ladies 
 and gentlemen. I was wondering if I could not get 
 up a pung-ride." 
 
 " We only do that in winter, when snow is on the 
 ground, my lord," Ruth replied, hardly able to re 
 press a smile. 
 
 " Oh, dear me ! how stupid I am ! Of course 
 not," and his lordship laughed heartily at his blunder. 
 
 " Do you not have snow in London, my lord ? " 
 
 " Yes, sometimes ; but then we have n't any pungs. 
 I don't know what they are. Maybe they are a sort 
 of hackney or chariot ? " 
 
 " We have no hackney coaches here, as yet, my 
 lord, but Mr. Hancock and the governor and a few 
 of our citizens have coaches. A pung is not at all
 
 SOCIETY LIFE IN LONDON. 175 
 
 like a coach. It is, instead, a sort of box on run 
 ners." 
 
 " Oh, indeed, how interesting ! " 
 
 " May I ask, my lord, what recreations you have 
 in London ? " 
 
 " We have quite a variety, I assure you, Miss 
 Newville. We have card parties, where we play 
 high or low, just as we feel. We have assemblies, 
 where we tittle-tattle and gossip. We gentlemen 
 lay bets on the winning horse at the next Derby. 
 We go to Drury Lane or Co vent Garden, and clap 
 our hands at the acting of Dave Garrett or Jimmy 
 Quin. At the opera we go wild when Mademoiselle 
 Truffi soars like a nightingale up to high C. We 
 dance at balls, array ourselves as harlequins and 
 imps at masquerades, and see who can carry off the 
 most bottles of port or sherry at dinner," said his 
 lordship, again laughing. 
 
 " Are you not jesting, my lord ? " 
 
 " Oh no, Miss Newville ; I am telling you sober 
 truth. It is not exaggeration at all. For instance, 
 the masquerade which the Duke and Duchess of 
 Richmond gave on the king's last birthday was so 
 gay that I can hardly hope to picture it. The 
 duke's villa is on the banks of the Thames. The 
 willows, elms, and oaks in the park were hung with 
 lanterns, the house was all ablaze lights in every 
 room. Dukes, duchesses, earls, barons, lords, and 
 ladies more than six hundred assembled in mas 
 querade dress. The Duchess of Hamilton and Argyle 
 was hostess. She appeared as Night, with a black 
 trailing robe illuminated with silver stars, while her
 
 176 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 father was dressed as a footman, with the portrait of 
 his other daughter dangling from a ribbon tied to a 
 button of his jacket." 
 
 " Was it not rather out of character for a man old 
 enough to be grave and dignified to take such a part ? " 
 Miss Newville asked. 
 
 " Perhaps so, but then we are expected to do absurd 
 things in masquerade. Her grace the Duchess of 
 Richmond, for instance, appeared as the Sultana of 
 Persia, in a costume purchased in the bazaar of Bag 
 dad. The Duchess of Grafton displayed her charms 
 as Cleopatra. Now when we remember that Egypt 
 and the Orient have a climate in which a person can 
 get along without any great amount of clothing, it 
 really does seem somewhat absurd for a lady, in a 
 country with a climate like that of England, to attempt 
 to imitate in dress, or undress, that celebrated queen 
 of the East." 
 
 Lord Upperton laughed again. " Miss Fitzroy," 
 he continued, " undertook to represent the Sultana 
 of Turkey. If I remember rightly, she appeared in 
 baggy silk trousers, high-heeled pink slippers, crimson 
 jacket, embroidered with gold, and a white turban. 
 Her bewitching eyes peeped through two holes in a 
 muslin yashmak spangled with silver stars. Among 
 the gentlemen I recall Lord Augustus Hervey, who 
 disguised himself so completely as a jester that no one 
 could make out who he was. He said saucy things as 
 a court fool. He even guyed his own wife, and she 
 never mistrusted she was flirting with her own hus 
 band, but then, as she was ready to flirt with anybody, 
 it made no difference."
 
 SOCIETY LIFE IN LONDON. 177 
 
 Miss Newville hardly knew what reply to make 
 as his lordship laughed again, and so remained 
 silent. 
 
 " May I ask what character Lord Upperton as 
 sumed," she asked. 
 
 " Oh, certainly. I appeared as a young devil, with 
 hoofs, horns, and a forked tail. His satanic majesty, 
 you know, is supposed to whisper things in people's 
 ears, and you may be sure I acted out the character I 
 assumed. I did it so well that Lady Lucy Hastings 
 said I was a perfect imp of darkness." 
 
 " Have you any other recreations ? " Miss Newville 
 inquired. 
 
 " Oh, yes, a great many. One diversion I am sure 
 would charm you, the club at Almack's, in which the 
 ladies nominate gentlemen to membership and gentle 
 men the ladies. Only a few days before leaving Lon 
 don I attended a grand masquerade ball at Almack's, 
 where my Lady Archer appeared as a boy wearing 
 a postman's blue coat. Lord Edgecombe assumed the 
 character of an old washerwoman. Sir Watkins 
 Wynne rode into the hall on a goat, assuming the 
 character of holy Saint David. The goat, more accus 
 tomed to browse in the pastures than take part in such 
 high jinks, frightened by the blare of trumpets, the 
 scraping of fiddles, and the whisking of the ladies' 
 skirts as they went round in the dance, capered like 
 mad, butted my Lady Winchester so that she fell flat 
 upon the floor, upset holy Saint David, and kept the 
 room in an uproar until a waiter seized the animal by 
 the horns and another by the tail and led him from 
 the hall."
 
 178 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Lord Upperton roared with laughter, and Miss 
 Newville could but join him in the merriment. 
 
 " It was a picturesque scene, I assure you, with 
 peddlers, haymakers, shepherdesses, gypsies, chimney 
 sweeps, and nymphs," his lordship said. 
 
 " May I ask, my lord, what a masquerade is sup 
 posed to represent ? " Miss Newville inquired. 
 
 " Well, really now, I never thought of it. I sup 
 pose it means something, but just what, upon my soul, 
 I cannot tell you, except to have a jolly good time and 
 appear to be what we are not." 
 
 "Are such masquerade balls usually attended by 
 noble lords and ladies ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes. They are almost the exclusive patrons. 
 I attended one a little while ago at Carlisle House. 
 It was intended the king and queen should be patrons. 
 Tickets were sent to his most gracious majesty, and, 
 of course, there was a great crush. The king and 
 queen returned the tickets, but everybody else was 
 there. I remember that the Duke of Cleveland 
 appeared as Henry VIII. ; the Duke of Gloucester as 
 a fine old English gentleman ; the Duchess of Buc- 
 cleugh as the Witch of Endor ; Lady Edgecombe as 
 a nun ; the Duchess of Bolton as the goddess Diana ; 
 Lady Stanhope as Melopomene ; the Countess of 
 Waldegrave as Jane Shore ; Lord Galway's daughter, 
 Mrs. Monckton, as an Indian princess, in a golden 
 robe, embroidered with diamonds, opals, and pearls 
 worth thirty thousand pounds. One of the gentlemen 
 came as a Swiss ballad-singer with a hurdy-gurdy, 
 leading a tame bear with a muzzle on his nose. He 
 had been stopped by the gate-keeper, because he had
 
 SOCIETY LIFE IN LONDON. 179 
 
 only a ticket and a half the half ticket for the 
 bear; but it being a she-bear and ladies being ad 
 mitted at half price, the hurdy-gurdy man won the 
 day. Everybody laughed and said it was the best 
 joke of the season. 
 
 Lord Upperton saw a troubled look upon Miss 
 Newville's face, as if she had heard quite enough about 
 masquerades. 
 
 "The recreations of court life, I would not have 
 you think, Miss Newville, are masquerades and balls, 
 and nothing else. We have suppers which are quite 
 different affairs, where we do not try to be what we 
 are not. After the theatres are out we go to the 
 banquet halls, where wine and wit flow together. We 
 gossip, sing songs, and flirt with the Macaroni ladies. 
 The opera girls sing to us if they are not too tipsy, 
 and we have gay larks till the wagons begin to rum 
 ble around Covent Garden Market, and the green 
 grocers are displaying their onions and cabbages for 
 the early morning sale." 
 
 " Who are the Macaroni ladies ? " Miss Newville 
 asked. 
 
 Lord Upperton laughed. 
 
 "I don't wonder that you inquire. We call 
 them Macaronies, ladies and gentlemen alike, who 
 have traveled on the Continent, flirted at Versailles, 
 in Paris, or in the Palace Barberini in Rome ; who 
 have eaten macaroni in Naples, and who have come 
 home with all the follies, to say nothing of some of 
 the vices of the nobility of other countries, in addition 
 to what they had before they started on their travels. 
 The gentlemen wear their hair in long curls; the
 
 180 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 ladies patch and paint their faces. If they have n't 
 a pimple or a wart they make one. They wear 
 gorgeous dresses. The gentlemen twiddle canes orna 
 mented with dogs' heads or eagles' beaks, with gold 
 tassels ; carry attar of rose bottles in their gloved 
 hands, and squirt rosewater on their handkerchiefs. 
 They ogle the ladies through their quizzing glasses, 
 wear high-heeled slippers, and diddle along on their 
 toes like a French dancing-master teaching his pupils 
 the minuet. The ladies simper and giggle and wink 
 at the gentlemen from behind their fans, and leave 
 you to imagine something they don't say." 
 
 Again Lord Upperton saw a troubled look upon 
 Miss Newville's face. 
 
 " We have convivial parties," he continued. " If 
 you like cards, you can try your hand at winning or 
 losing. We play for fifty-pound rouleaux. There is 
 always a great crowd, and not infrequently you may 
 see ten thousand pounds on the table. Some play 
 small ; others plunge in regardless of consequences. 
 My young friend, Lord Stravendale, before he was of 
 age, one night lost eleven thousand pounds, but no 
 thing daunted he played again, and as luck would 
 have it got it all back at one hazard. He lamented 
 he had not made the stakes larger, and said if he had 
 been playing deep he might have made a million. It 
 was really very clever in Stravendale." 
 
 Again his lordship laughed, but Miss Newville could 
 not see anything in the narrative to cause her to smile. 
 
 "There is Charley Fox," Lord Upperton contin 
 ued, " who goes in rather strong. He makes grand 
 speeches in the Commons ; but almost always gets
 
 SOCIETY LIFE IN LONDON. 181 
 
 fleeced at Almack's. The Jews, who are usually on 
 hand in one of the outside rooms with their shekels, 
 waiting to lend money, charge exorbitant interest. 
 Charley calls it the Jerusalem Chamber. Sometimes 
 he gets completely cleaned out, and has to borrow a 
 guinea to pay the waiter who brings him his brandy. 
 One night at the beginning he won eight thousand 
 pounds, but before morning lost the last sixpence." 
 
 " Do ladies play ? " Miss Newville asked. 
 
 " Certainly ; they love gaming as well as the men. 
 Her royal highness the Duchess of Cumberland not 
 long ago set up card playing and gaming in her draw 
 ing-rooms. Her sister, Lady Elizabeth Lutterell, is 
 one of the best gamesters in London. It is whispered, 
 though, that she cheats on the sly. Lady Essex gives 
 grand card parties, where there is high gaming. One 
 lady, whom I know, lost three thousand guineas at 
 loo. It is whispered that two ladies, not long since, 
 had high words at one of Lady Essex's parties ; that 
 they rode out to St. Pancras and fought a duel with 
 pistols, and that one was - wounded ; which shows that 
 our noble women have real grit." 
 
 " Is what you are saying a fair picture of life 
 among the nobility? " Ruth asked. 
 
 " I would not have you think, Miss Newville, that 
 everybody of noble birth or high position is a gambler, 
 but every one who plays, of course, wants a stake of 
 some kind." 
 
 " Pardon me, my lord, but I do not see any fun in 
 losing money in the way you speak of." 
 
 " Well, perhaps there is n't any fun in losing, but it 
 is real jolly when you win. It is like drinking wine ; 
 it warms you up."
 
 182 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Do you have any other recreations equally attrac 
 tive and delightful ? " Miss Newville inquired. 
 
 " We have gay times at the Derby during the races. 
 Of course you have felt the excitement of a horse-race, 
 Miss Newville?" 
 
 " No, for we do not have horse-racing here ; but I 
 believe they do in Virginia." 
 
 " No racing ! I am astonished. Are not your peo 
 ple rather slow ? " 
 
 " We have few diversions, my lord ; we do not win 
 money by racing." 
 
 " You can have no conception of what a grand sight 
 it is. Everybody goes to the Derby dukes, lords, 
 bishops, rectors, ladies, and gentlemen. Before the 
 race begins, we have our lunch parties. All are 
 eating, talking, laughing, or laying bets. The horses 
 come out from their stalls with the jockey boys in red, 
 green, blue, and yellow, in their saddles. They draw 
 lots to see which shall have the inside, then go down 
 the track a little distance. The horses understand 
 what they are to do just as well as we who stake our 
 money. They sniff the air, step lightly, then break 
 into a run, and everybody is on tiptoe. In a moment 
 they are down to the first turn, and come in full view. 
 There are four, perhaps, neck and neck. You have 
 staked, say, on yellow. He loses half a length, and 
 your heart goes down ; but he gains a little, is up even 
 once more half a length ahead, and you yell and 
 double your stakes. They are round the second turn, 
 going like a whirlwind ; yellow and blue are ahead of 
 the others, neck and neck. 
 
 " ' Two to one on yellow ! ' you shout.
 
 SOCIETY LIFE IN LONDON. 183 
 
 " ' I '11 take it ! ' roars Lord Pilkington. 
 
 " ' Two to one on blue ! ' lie shouts back. 
 
 " ' Put me down for it ! ' you answer. 
 
 " They are on the home run. There is a great hub 
 bub, like the roaring of a tornado, as they sweep un 
 der the line, yellow ahead. You swing your hat, and 
 yell as loud as you can. You are ten thousand in. 
 Oh, it is just the jolliest excitement a man can have ! " 
 
 " If you win, my lord, does not somebody else lose? " 
 
 " Of course, Miss Newville." 
 
 " Do they feel equally jolly ? " 
 
 " Possibly not. Sometimes we are out of pocket, 
 and do not feel quite so hilarious, but we swallow a 
 stiff nipper of brandy and draw our checks like men. 
 I won five thousand from Lord Pilkington, three thou 
 sand from Lady Merryfield, and quite a number of one 
 hundred pounders from the ladies of my set, who bet 
 on the blue, while I planked mine on the yellow. You 
 see, Miss Newville, that ladies are sometimes influenced 
 by fancy. Lady Somers, for instance, allowed fancy 
 to get the better of judgment. She likes blue as a 
 color, above yellow. She is quite horsey, and thinks 
 she can drive a tandem. I had examined blue, felt of 
 his muscles, and made up my mind that by and by he 
 would have ringbone on his left fore leg. I believed 
 that yellow had the best wind and bottom ; but the 
 ladies followed the lead of Lady Somers, and so I 
 raked in their shekels. They all ponied up promptly, 
 though, and paid their outs, like true-born English 
 ladies." 
 
 " I do not think," said Miss Newville, " that I should 
 like to lose or win money in that way."
 
 184 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 "Why, Miss Newville, once get into it, and you 
 would say it is the most delightful sport in the world. 
 If you think, however, that you would not like to 
 participate in such pleasures, we have the fox hunt, 
 which is the most charming and innocent diversion 
 imaginable. You don't bet any money in that, but 
 have a rollicking good time riding over the country, 
 ladies and gentlemen leaping hedges and ditches, 
 following the hounds, running Reynard to cover, and 
 having a lunch at the close of the hunt." 
 
 " Foxes are plentiful in this country, but we do 
 not run them down with horses," Miss Newville 
 replied. 
 
 " Do ladies ride horseback in the Colonies ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes. Were you to attend meeting in the 
 country on the Sabbath, you would see many ladies 
 riding up to the horse-block, wives on pillions be 
 hind their husbands. Do the ladies who hunt foxes 
 attend meeting on the Sabbath, my lord ? " 
 
 " Ha, ha ! I suspect what you call going to meet 
 ing, with us is going to church. Oh, we are very 
 devout. On Sunday we all go to church, kneel on 
 our hassocks, and confess we are miserable sinners, 
 recite the creed, pray for the king, queen, Prince of 
 Wales, the army and navy. We do our full duty as 
 Christians, and are loyal to the church, as well as to 
 his majesty. My rector, at Halford, is a very good 
 man. To be sure the living is n't much, but he reads 
 the prayers well, preaches a nice little sermon of ten 
 minutes or so, for he knows I don't care to be bored 
 by the hour. He enjoys a fox hunt, says grace at 
 dinner, and makes a point of having a little game of
 
 SOCIETY LIFE IN BOSTON. 185 
 
 cards with me Saturday evening. He does n't know 
 much about cards, so I usually let him win a few 
 shillings, knowing the poor fellow will feel better 
 Sunday morning while reading the service if he 
 knows he has a half-crown in his pocket, instead of 
 being out that much. I know how it is, Miss New- 
 ville. I can be more devout and comfortable on 
 Sunday after winning instead of losing five or ten 
 thousand at Almack's." 
 
 " Perhaps, my lord, you feel you are not quite such 
 a miserable sinner as you might be after all." 
 
 " You have stated it correctly, Miss Newville," his 
 lordship replied, not discerning the quiet sarcasm. 
 " Of course I am not, for if I lose, I curse my luck, 
 and am ready to punch somebody's head, and rip out 
 some swear words, but if I win, I am ready to bless 
 the other fellow for playing a king when he should 
 have laid down an ace." 
 
 His lordship apologized for having tarried so long, 
 and took his departure. 
 
 " She 's a Puritan, through and through. As 
 lovely and pure as an angel in heaven," he said to 
 himself as he walked down the street. 
 
 While the months were going by, Roger Stanley, 
 student of Harvard College, was learning about life in 
 Rumford, as a surveyor of land, spending his evenings 
 in the house of Joshua Walden, with Robert and Ra 
 chel to keep him company, especially Rachel. He 
 found pleasure in telling her the story of Ulysses and 
 Penelope. Most of the young men of Rumford who 
 came to the Walden home could only talk about
 
 186 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 oxen, which pair of steers could pull the heaviest 
 load, or whose horse could out-trot all others. When 
 the surveying was done, Roger accepted the invita 
 tion of the committeemen to keep the winter school. 
 Never before had there been a master who could 
 keep the big boys in order without using the ferule, 
 but somehow the great strapping fellows, who might 
 have put the master on his back in a twinkling, could 
 not find it in their hearts to do anything that would 
 trouble him. Other masters were content if they 
 went through the regular daily stint of reading, writ 
 ing, spelling, and ciphering, but he told them about 
 men who made the most of themselves, and who had 
 done great things, Caesar, Augustus, Charlemagne, 
 Alfred the Great. 
 
 It was the schoolmaster who suggested that the 
 people should meet once a week in the schoolhouse 
 to discuss the great questions affecting the welfare of 
 the Colonies, and who wrote out the questions to be 
 considered : 
 
 " What are the inalienable rights of the people ? " 
 " Has Parliament any right to tax the people of 
 
 America without their consent ? " 
 
 " Is it right ever to resist the authority of the king ? " 
 " Ought the Colonies to unite for self-defense ? " 
 " Ought the Colonies, in any event, to separate 
 
 from England? " 
 
 People from the back roads came to hear what 
 Esquire Walden, Deacon Kent, Shoemaker Noyes, 
 Blacksmith Temple, and Schoolmaster Stanley had
 
 SOCIETY LIFE IN BOSTON. 187 
 
 to say upon these questions before the parliament of 
 the people, in the schoolhouse, lighted by two tallow 
 candles and the fire blazing on the hearth. King 
 George and Frederick North might have learned 
 some fundamental principles of government, had they 
 been present. 
 
 Like sitting in heavenly places were the mornings 
 and evenings to Roger Stanley in the Waldeii home, 
 where he passed the first and the last two weeks of 
 the term. The food upon the table was appetizing; 
 deft hands had prepared the bannock Rachel's 
 hands. The plates, knives, and forks had been laid 
 by her. It was she who glided like a fairy around 
 the room. How could his eyes help following her? 
 And when seated at the table, how radiant her face, 
 beaming with health ! In the early morning, long- 
 before breakfast-time, he heard her feet tripping 
 down the stairs. While about her work, he could 
 hear her humming a song which he had sung to her. 
 Very pleasant the "good-morning" that came from 
 her lips when he appeared. In the evening it was 
 a pleasure to hold a skein of yarn for her to wind. 
 He was sorry when the last thread dropped from his 
 wrists, and wished she had another for him to hold. 
 
 It was the old, old story ; the growth of mutual 
 respect, honor, and love, becoming daily more tender 
 and true ; the love that needed no pledge, because it 
 was so deep and abiding.
 
 XII. 
 
 A NEW ENGLAND GIRL. 
 
 LORD UPPERTON was prolonging his stay in 
 America. He visited New York and Philadelphia, 
 and was once more in Boston. He called upon 
 Thomas Hutchinson, governor ; upon Thomas Flucker, 
 secretary ; and upon the officials of the custom house. 
 He accepted many invitations to dinner from gentle 
 men and ladies, and took excursions into the country 
 on horseback. Lady Frankland hospitably entertained 
 him in her country house, where he enjoyed himself 
 shooting squirrels and partridges. Returning to Bos 
 ton, he frequently called to pay his respects to Mr. 
 and Mrs. Newville, never failing to ask for Miss New- 
 ville, prolonging his calls till past the ringing of the 
 nine o'clock bell. He was very courteous, and had 
 many entertaining stories to tell of life in England, 
 of his ancestral home at Halford. The old castle was 
 gray with age ; the ivy, ever green upon its towers, 
 hanging in graceful festoons from the battlements. 
 Herds of deer roamed the surrounding park; pheas 
 ants crooned and cackled beneath the stalwart oaks ; 
 hares burrowed in the forest ; nightingales made the 
 midnight melodious with their dulcet singing. Old 
 tapestries adorned the walls of the spacious apartments. 
 In the banqueting halls were the portraits of ances-
 
 A NEW ENGLAND GIRL. 189 
 
 tors, lords, dukes, and earls reaching down to the 
 first Earl Upperton created by William of Normandy, 
 for valor on the field of Hastings. On the maternal 
 side were portraits of beautiful ladies who had been 
 maids of honor and train-bearers at the coronations 
 of Margaret and Elizabeth. The brain of Ruth could 
 not keep track of all the branches of the ancestral tree ; 
 she could only conclude it was stalwart and strong. 
 
 Lord Upperton was heartily welcomed by Mrs. 
 Newville, who esteemed it one of heaven's blessings 
 to be thus honored. On an evening, after a visit 
 from his lordship, Mrs. Newville, with radiant face, 
 drew Ruth to her bosom. " My dear," she said, " I 
 have joyful information for you. Lord Upperton has 
 done us the distinguished honor to say to your father 
 and me that he has become so much interested in our 
 daughter that he presumes to ask the privilege of pay 
 ing his addresses to her. It is not, Ruth, altogether 
 a surprise to me, for I have seen his growing fondness 
 for you." 
 
 " Fondness for me, mother ? " 
 
 " Yes, dear ; he has not been able to keep his eyes 
 off you of late. I have noticed that if you had occa 
 sion to leave the room, he fidgeted till you returned. 
 We have given our consent, and he will call to-morrow 
 evening to make a formal proposal to you." 
 
 " But I do not desire he should make a proposal to 
 me, mother ! " 
 
 " Don't want him to make an offer of marriage, 
 child ! Why, Ruth, what are you thinking of ? Not 
 wish to receive the attentions of a noble lord ! I am 
 astonished. Do you forget that he can trace his line-
 
 190 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 age down to the time of William the Conqueror, and 
 I don't know how much farther? You surprise me ! " 
 
 " I doubt not Lord Upperton may have a noble an 
 cestry, but I don't see how that concerns me. I am 
 not going to marry his ancestors, am I ? " 
 
 " Why, daughter, he has a crest, an escutcheon of 
 azure, sable, and sanguine, a lion rampant, a unicorn 
 passant, and an eagle volent." 
 
 " What would a crest do for me? " 
 
 The question puzzled Mrs. Newville. " I really do 
 not know, daughter, just what it would do, but it 
 would be painted on your coach ; it would be em 
 broidered on the banners hanging in Lord Upperton's 
 baronial hall. Just think of it ! The lion, the em 
 blem of strength, the unicorn of energy, the eagle of 
 swiftness and far-sightedness, it would represent 
 all those qualities ! " 
 
 " But what if one has not the qualities ? " 
 
 "I am not so sure, daughter, but that you have 
 those very characteristics in a remarkable degree. I 
 know you have strength of will and energy. What 
 you undertake you carry through; and you are far- 
 sighted, you see what others of your age do not see. 
 I do not say it to flatter you, daughter, but I am sure 
 Lord Upperton's coat-of-arms is emblematic of the 
 character of the lady whom he wishes to see mistress 
 of Halford Castle," said Mrs. Newville, with radiant 
 face. 
 
 It seemed to her that the fond hope of years was 
 about to be realized ; that the time was at hand when 
 the Newville family was to be ennobled ; when she, 
 herself, could bid farewell to America, and be admitted
 
 A NEW ENGLAND GIRL. 191 
 
 to the charmed society of dukes, barons, princes, kings, 
 and queens. 
 
 " Lord Upperton will call to-morrow evening, dear, 
 and I will have Madame Eiggoletti come in the after 
 noon to do your hair. You had better wear your 
 corn-colored satin brocade, which is so becoming to 
 you." 
 
 " No, mother, I do not wish to wear it. I prefer 
 to dress plainly. I want Lord Upperton to see me 
 just as I am, a simple girl, who has had few advan 
 tages to fit her for the life in which he moves. I can 
 not appear to be what I am not." 
 
 Ruth paused a moment as if considering whether 
 she should speak the words upon her lips. 
 
 " Lord Upperton, you say, desires to pay his ad 
 dresses to me and you have given consent. It is an 
 honor for any lady to receive attentions from a gentle 
 man of superior station, but I cannot promise you, 
 mother, that I shall look with favor upon his suit, 
 honorable though it may be." 
 
 It was said calmly but with resolution. 
 
 " I dare say, daughter, you may think so now. It 
 is quite natural. It is just what I said when my 
 mother informed me that Theodore, your father, had 
 asked permission to pay his addresses to me. I said 
 I would not see him ; but I did, and have been very 
 glad ever since. After a little while, I used to listen 
 for his footsteps. There were none like his. He al 
 ways called Thursday evening after the lecture, 1 and 
 
 1 The lecture on Thursday of each week was instituted by the 
 Puritans soon after the settlement of Boston. There was a moral if 
 not a legal obligation upon every person to attend it. Consequently in
 
 192 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 I used to sit by the window an hour before it was time 
 for him to put in an appearance, looking for him. 
 So it will be with you, child. Now go to bed, dear, 
 and think of the great honor which Lord Upperton is 
 conferring upon us in asking for your hand ! " 
 
 " Shall I give him my hand, if I cannot at the same 
 time give him my heart ? " Ruth asked, her earnest 
 eyes scanning her mother's face. 
 
 " Oh, but you will do both, dear. Many a girl has 
 asked the same question at first, but soon found that 
 the heart and hand went together." 
 
 " I think," Ruth replied, " if one may judge from 
 outward appearances, there are some women who have 
 given their hands to their husbands, but never their 
 hearts. I see faces, now and then, which make me 
 think of what I have read descriptive of deserts where 
 there is no water to quench the thirst, no oasis with its 
 green palms giving grateful shade from the summer 
 heat, faces that tell of hunger and thirst for the 
 bread and water of love and sympathy." 
 
 " You fancy it is so, and possibly here and there you 
 may find a mismated couple, but, daughter, you will 
 see things in a different light when once you get 
 acquainted with Lord Upperton. I believe there is 
 not another girl in Boston who would not jump at such 
 a catch. You may not fancy him this moment, but 
 in a short time you will say there is not another like 
 him in all the world. You feel just as I did towards 
 
 the earlier years of the Colony all business ceased, shops -were closed, 
 usual occupations suspended, and the entire community flocked to the 
 meetinghouse of the parish to listen to the discourse of the minister. 
 At the time this story begins, the obligation was not quite so binding 
 as in former years.
 
 A NEW ENGLAND GIRL. 193 
 
 Theodore. At first, I almost hated him, because he 
 presumed to ask permission to visit me, but now he is 
 the best man that ever lived. Just think of the offer 
 that has come to you in contrast with what your father 
 had to offer me. Lord Upperton brings you his high 
 station in life, his nobility, his long line of ancestors, 
 a barony, a castle with its ivied walls, a retinue of 
 servants, his armorial bearings inscribed on banners 
 borne by Crusaders. He will offer you rank, wealth, 
 privilege, honor at his majesty's court. Theodore 
 had only himself to offer me. He was not much 
 then, but he is more now. I have done what I could 
 to make him what he is, and now our daughter has the 
 prospect of wearing laces such as are worn by duch 
 esses ; to be received- at court ; to be spoken of as Her 
 Grace. Now to bed, dear, and be happy in thinking 
 it over." 
 
 " But I do not love Lord Upperton, nor shall I 
 ever care for him." 
 
 " Don't talk in that way, Ruth. You think so now, 
 but when you are once married and begin to enjoy 
 what will be yours, a coach, waiting-maids to do 
 your bidding, and are invited to the court of his 
 majesty the king, and preside over your own table in 
 the great baronial hall, with the high-born gentlemen 
 and ladies doing you honor, it stands to reason that 
 you will love him who brings these things to you." 
 
 " You speak, mother, of the society in which I shall 
 move, but I have no taste for such associations." 
 
 " Tush, child ; you know nothing about it." 
 
 "Lord Upperton has given me a description of the- 
 employment and pleasures of the society in which he
 
 194 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 moves, and I have no desire to enter it. I shall not 
 find happiness in its circles. I want to be just what 
 I am, your daughter, in our happy home." 
 
 " But, Ruth, you cannot always be with us. Your 
 father and I earnestly desire your future welfare and 
 happiness. I am sure he will be surprised and pained 
 to hear that you do not wish to receive the attentions 
 of Lord Upperton." 
 
 Mr. Newville entered the room. He saw the 
 trouble on the face of his daughter. 
 
 "What is it?" he asked. 
 
 " Ruth thinks she never can love Lord Upperton 
 and does not desire to receive his attentions, but I 
 have told her it is only a present whim, just as mine 
 was towards you." 
 
 "Of course, daughter," said Mr. Newville, with 
 fatherly dignity, " it could hardly be expected you 
 would feel any very strong attachment for Lord 
 Upperton on so short an acquaintance. Conjugal love 
 is a plant of slow growth, but I think you would, 
 ere long, appreciate the great honors and the high 
 privileges which he would confer upon you, and that 
 your heart would go out to him." 
 
 The troubled look upon the face of the daughter be 
 came more intense. Her father as well as her mother 
 would have her receive the attentions of a man between 
 whom and herself there was no possible sympathy. 
 What should she say? A tear trickled down her 
 cheek ; she made no movement to wipe it away, bvit 
 lifted her loving eyes and gazed steadily into her 
 father's. 
 
 " Since you both so earnestly desire, it I will meet
 
 A NEW ENGLAND GIRL. 195 
 
 Lord Upperton to-morrow evening and hear what he 
 has to say," she replied. 
 
 "You could hardly do otherwise. I think the more 
 you see of him the better you will like him," said Mr. 
 Newville. 
 
 " Of course you will, my child ; and now, dear, think 
 it over in your chamber. I am sure you will see that 
 a great opportunity has come to you," said Mrs. New 
 ville, giving her a kiss. 
 
 It was a summer night. The air was fragrant with 
 the perfume of lilacs and apple-blooms. The young 
 moon was going down in the west, throwing its depart 
 ing beams upon the unfinished tower of King's Chapel. 
 Ruth, looking out from her white-curtained window, 
 beheld a handful of cloud drift across the crescent orb 
 and dissolve in thin air. She could hear the footsteps 
 of passers along the street growing fainter as they 
 receded. The bell on the Old Brick Meetinghouse 
 struck the hour, and then, in the distance, she heard 
 the watchman's voice, " Ten o'clock, and all is well." 
 With perturbed spirit, she laid her head upon the 
 white linen pillow which her own deft hands had 
 made. So Lord Upperton was to solicit her heart 
 and hand, and she had consented to meet him. What 
 should she say to him? Why should he, having an 
 acquaintance with the noble families of England, come 
 across the sea and offer his attentions to an obscure 
 New England girl, and desire to make her mistress at 
 Half ord Castle ? Ought she not to feel flattered in 
 having a noble lord for a lover? The thought did 
 not stir her blood. Why was she averse to receiving 
 his attentions? What was there about him that made
 
 196 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 the thought repellent? Was he not a gentleman? 
 Was he not polite ? Did he not show proper respect 
 not only to herself but to everybody? Why not make 
 an effort to overcome her repugnance to him? Would 
 any other girl in Boston or anywhere else hesitate a 
 moment over such an opportunity as had come to her 
 to be called My Lady, to be mistress of a ducal cas 
 tle, a position of power and influence among the 
 lords and ladies of the kingdom? To have diamonds 
 and pearls? To have precedence over others of lower 
 station in social life ? Questions came in troops before 
 her; vain her attempts to answer them. 
 
 Again the deep tones of the bell rang upon the still 
 night air, and once more she heard the watchman's 
 voice announce the hour. For a moment it inter 
 rupted her reverie, but again the questioning went on. 
 Her father and mother not only had given their con 
 sent for Lord Upperton to make proposal, but they 
 earnestly desired she should become his wife. She 
 could understand the motives that animated them. 
 She was her father's idol, her mother's joy very dear 
 to them. Were they not ever doing what they could 
 for her ? Would not her marriage to Lord Upperton 
 contribute to their happiness ? Might not her father, 
 through Lord Upperton' s influence at court, attain a 
 more exalted position ? Would not her marriage fill 
 her mother's life with happiness? Would it be an 
 exhibition of filial duty were she to disappoint them ? 
 And yet, what right had they to make a decision for 
 her when her own life's happiness was concerned ? 
 Was she not her own ? Had she not a right to do as 
 she pleased ? Ought she to sacrifice herself to their
 
 A NEW ENGLAND GIRL. 197 
 
 selfish interests? She did not like to think it was 
 wholly selfishness on their part, but rather an earnest 
 desire to provide for her future welfare. Ought she 
 not to abide their judgment as to what was best for 
 her? Could she ever be happy with Lord Upperton? 
 Coidd she find pleasure in fine dressing, card playing, 
 and masquerading as he had described them ? What 
 would such a life be worth? Were position in soci 
 ety, pleasure, gratification of self, to be the end and 
 aim of life? There seemed to be another somebody 
 beside herself propounding the questions; as if an 
 unseen visitor were standing by her bedside in the 
 silent night. Was she awake or dreaming? She 
 had heard the great lawyer, James Otis, put questions 
 to a witness in a court where her father in his judicial 
 robe sat as magistrate. It seemed as if she herself 
 had been summoned to a tribunal, and one more 
 searching than the great lawyer was putting questions 
 which she must answer. Should she give her hand to 
 Lord Upperton and k*eep back her heart? Ought 
 she to allow prospective pleasure or position to influ 
 ence her choice ? Could she in any way barter her 
 future welfare for the present life and for the larger 
 life beyond ? Was Lord Upperton of such lofty 
 character that she could render him honor and re 
 spect, even if she could not give to him a loving 
 heart? 
 
 In the half -dreaming hour another face looked down 
 upon her the face of him, who, in a time of agony, 
 had been as an angel of God, rescuing her from the 
 hands of ruffians. Oh, if it were he who solicited 
 permission to pay his addresses, how would she lean
 
 198 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 her head upon his bosom and rest contentedly clasped 
 forever by those strong and loving arms ! Through 
 the intervening months his face had been ever present. 
 She lived again the hour of their first meeting, that 
 of the afternoon tea-party, the launching of the Be- 
 rinthia Brandon, the ride in the pung. She had re 
 ceived several letters from him, which were laid care 
 fully away in her writing-desk. Many times had they 
 been read and with increasing pleasure. He had not 
 declared his undying love for her; the declaration 
 was unwritten, but it was between the lines. He 
 wanted to be more than he was, and she could help 
 him. He wanted to do something for justice, truth, 
 and liberty; to stand resolutely with those who were 
 ready to make sacrifices for their fellow-men. What 
 a sentence was this : " I want to be better than I am ; 
 I want to do something to make the world better than 
 it is ; and you are pointing the way." 
 
 Ever as she read the words her eyes had filled 
 with tears. She pointing the way! Those words 
 in one end of the scale, and Halford Castle and 
 everything connected with it in the other, and the 
 writing tipped the beam. 
 
 The night was sultry; her pulses bounding; her 
 brow hot with fever. She sat by the window to 
 breathe the pure air. The stars were shining in their 
 ethereal brightness ; the dipper was wheeling around 
 the polar star ; the great white river, the milky way, 
 was illumining the arch of heaven. She thought of 
 Him who created the gleaming worlds. Beneath her 
 window the fireflies were lighting their lamps, and 
 living their little lives. She could hear the swallows 
 crooning in their nests beneath the eaves.
 
 A NEW ENGLAND GIRL. 199 
 
 " He made them ; He cares for them ; He will 
 care for me," she said to herself. The night air 
 cooled her brow, a holy peace and calm came to her 
 troubled heart. Kneeling, she repeated as her prayer 
 the psalm which the rector had read on Sunday. 
 
 " He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High 
 Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 
 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, and my strength. 
 My God, in Him will I trust." 
 
 In white garments, without adornment, Ruth New- 
 ville courtesied to Lord Upperton the following even 
 ing as he entered the parlor. Never before had she 
 seemed to him, or to her father and mother, so beau 
 tiful, so sweet, and pure. 
 
 " Miss Newville," he said, " I take it for granted 
 that you have been duly informed of the purpose of 
 my visit this evening." 
 
 " I have, my lord." 
 
 " I come to offer you my hand and heart. I have 
 been charmed by your qualities of character and 
 your beauty, and I fain would make you mistress of 
 Halford Castle. I am soon to return to England, 
 and I desire to take you with me as my bride. I 
 have received the gracious permission of your hon 
 ored parents to begin my suit, and I fondly hope that 
 I may receive an affirmative answer from your lips." 
 
 " My lord, I am not insensible of the honor you 
 confer upon me, but I am not worthy of it. I am 
 an obscure girl. I am not fitted to fill the exalted 
 station in which you desire to place me." 
 
 " Pardon me, Miss Newville, I have met many a
 
 200 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 fair maiden, but none so charming as the flower 
 which I desire to transplant "from the Colonies to old 
 England. My best judgment has selected you from 
 them all." 
 
 " My lord, I appreciate your kind words, and what 
 you would give me your honor, respect, and love, 
 and an exalted social position. I have heard from your 
 lips somewhat concerning the life you would expect 
 me to lead, the society in which you would have 
 me move. I trust you will pardon my frankness, but - 
 it does not attract me." 
 
 " I can quite understand you, dear Miss Newville ; 
 it is natural that you should shrink from such a 
 change, but I am sure you would adorn the position." 
 
 " More than what I have said, my lord, I do not 
 think I should be happy in such a position." 
 
 " Oh, I think you would. Certainly, it would be 
 my desire to place before you every advantage that 
 could contribute to your welfare and happiness. The 
 nobility of the realm would follow in your train. 
 You would captivate them with your grace and 
 beauty. No party, rout, or ball would be complete 
 without you. I am sure that her most gracious 
 majesty the queen would desire your presence at 
 court to grace her receptions." 
 
 " You flatter me, my lord, but I do not think that 
 fine dressing, the adornment of pearls and diamonds, 
 promenading, dancing, card playing, and masquerad 
 ing would give me the highest happiness. I think 
 that life has a nobler meaning. I should despise my 
 self if I made them the end and aim of my existence." 
 
 Lord Upperton could not quite comprehend her.
 
 A NEW ENGLAND GIRL. 201 
 
 He was aware that across the sea many a mamma was 
 laying her plans to make her daughter mistress of 
 Halford, and the daughters had looked at him with 
 languishing eyes, but here was a girl, guileless and 
 pure, who was putting aside the great boon he would 
 gladly bestow upon her. He must set before her the 
 greatness of the gift. He described his estate its 
 parks, meadows, groves of oak, the herds of deer, 
 flocks of pheasants ; the rooms of the castle, the 
 baronial hall, with antlers nailed upon the beams and 
 rafters, banners that had been carried by ancestors 
 at Crecy and Agincourt. He pictured life in 
 London, scenes in Parliament, the queen's drawing- 
 rooms, the pageantry and etiquette at St. James's. 
 Miss Newville heard him in silence. 
 
 " Whatever there is to be had, whatever will con 
 tribute to your happiness, I shall lay at your feet, 
 dear Miss Newville." 
 
 What should she say to him? How inform him 
 that all the pageantry of King George's court, all 
 the wealth inherited from his ancestors, was of little 
 account in her esteem when set against eternal veri 
 ties, and one of those verities was fidelity to the con 
 viction that she must be true to herself. 
 
 " My lord," she said, " you may think me unappre- 
 ciative ; you may regard me as strange, but I must 
 be true to myself. I cannot do violence to my better 
 nature. I cannot barter my convictions. I could 
 honor and respect you, but something more would be 
 your due; that I could not give you. I could not 
 make you happy, and I should forever despise myself." 
 
 It was spoken clearly, distinctly, but with a tremor
 
 202 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 of voice and a flush upon her cheek that heightened 
 her beauty. Lord Upperton sat in silence, ponder 
 ing her words. It was dawning upon him that a girl 
 of the Colonies had rejected his suit. He had come 
 to her with his castle, his ancestry, his title, his posi 
 tion as a peer of the realm, but she had put them all 
 aside. Not with them could he win his suit. Instead 
 of accepting what he had to give, she stood calm, 
 serene, beautiful, radiant, and pure, upon a height so 
 far above him that he never could stand by her side. 
 The silence was embarrassing. 
 
 " Miss Newville," he said, rising and standing be 
 fore her, " your answer is painful to me. I had an 
 ticipated the winning of your hand and heart. It had 
 not occurred to me that I should fail. I appreciate 
 what you have said. A loftier ideal of the nobleness 
 of true womanhood has come to me. My honor, re 
 spect, and love for you are deeper than ever, but I see 
 that what I desired cannot be. I bid you farewell." 
 
 She courtesied to his bow, and extended her hand. 
 He touched it to his lips, and passed from the room. 
 
 Her head was pressing her pillow once more. The 
 bell struck the midnight hour. Once more she heard 
 the watchman's voice. 
 
 " Twelve o'clock, and all is well." 
 
 "Yes, all is well," she said, and her sleep for 
 the night was calm and peaceful.
 
 XIII. 
 
 THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY. 
 
 ON the evening of October 29, 1773, the Sons of 
 Liberty again assembled at the Green Dragon. A 
 ship had dropped anchor during the day off Cas 
 tle William, bringing the news that Parliament had 
 passed a law taxing tea. Ever watchful for the 
 welfare of the people, they came together to hear what 
 the London newspapers and their friends in England 
 had to say about it, in letters which Samuel Adams 
 had received. The night being cool, the landlord 
 lighted a fire to warm the room, and enable those who 
 might like a mug of flip to heat the loggerhead in 
 the glowing coals. Upon the table, as usual, were the 
 punch-bowl, crackers, cheese, tobacco, and pipes. Mr. 
 Adams seated himself by the table and opened a letter. 
 
 " It is from Mr. Benjamin Franklin," he said, " who 
 writes that Parliament has passed a law levying three 
 pence per pound on tea. It is not to be collected here, 
 as on other articles, but the merchant who ships it is 
 to pay the duty. It is a very adroit attempt to collect 
 revenue. The consignees in the Colonies, of course, 
 will add the amount in their sales, and so the revenue 
 will be collected without any agency on the part of 
 the custom houses." 
 
 " I suppose," said Doctor Warren, " Lord North
 
 204 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 and the whole British nation think we are such simple 
 tons, we shall not see the cat in the meal." 
 
 " It is an insidious act," Mr. Adams resumed, "in 
 tended to undermine the political virtue of the people. 
 Two years ago our wives and daughters exhibited 
 their allegiance to lofty principles by signing an 
 agreement not to drink tea until the obnoxious laws 
 then existing were repealed. Lord North laughed at 
 the time, but he has discovered that the people of the 
 Colonies can be loyal to a great principle. The East 
 India Company's receipts have fallen off at the rate of 
 five hundred thousand pounds value per annum. The 
 company has seventeen million pounds of tea stored in 
 London, intended for the Colonies, and for which there 
 is no market. It owes the government a vast sum. 
 The merchants who have grown rich out of their prof 
 its in the past are not receiving any dividends. The 
 shares of the company, which a few months ago were 
 quoted at high rates, have become unsalable. Parlia 
 ment has repealed the obnoxious laws for taxing the 
 Colonies, and passed this act, doubtless thinking that, 
 so long as we do not pay it directly into the custom 
 house, we shall acquiesce and go to drinking tea 
 again. And there is where the danger lies. We 
 have been so true to our convictions the revenue re 
 ceived from its sale last year in all the Colonies was 
 only fifteen hundred pounds. It is very humiliating 
 to the king and ministry to turn to the other side of 
 the ledger and find that it has cost several hundred 
 thousand pounds to maintain the troops sent to the 
 Colonies to aid in enforcing the revenue laws upon a 
 reluctant people. This new act, by having all the
 
 THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY. 205 
 
 customs machinery in England, will have a tendency 
 to seduce the people from their allegiance to a great 
 principle. How to thwart the plans of the ministry 
 is the all-important question for us to consider. Mr. 
 Franklin writes that several vessels are soon to leave 
 London for different colonial ports three of them 
 for Boston." 
 
 " There is an old song," said Doctor Warren, 
 " about a crafty old spider inviting a silly little fly 
 into his parlor. I don't believe the fly will accept the 
 invitation this time." 
 
 " The consignees," said Mr. Adams, " are Elisha 
 and Thomas Hutchinson, the governor's two sons ; 
 Richard Clark and sons, Benjamin Faneuil, Junior, 
 and Joshua Winslow, all honorable merchants ; but 
 their sympathies, as we know, are not with the people. 
 If we allow the tea to be landed, I fear the conse 
 quences. We must not permit the levying of a tax, 
 without our consent, in any form." 
 
 " I move," said John Rowe, " that we do not per 
 mit the landing of any tea." 
 
 The meeting voted to adopt the motion. The formal 
 business ended, they refilled their pipes, helped them 
 selves to crackers and cheese, punch and flip. 
 
 Berinthia Brandon, the following week, could not 
 understand why Tom wanted Dinah to make him a 
 pot of paste ; nor why he was out so late at night, 
 not getting home till three o'clock in the morning. 
 None of the watchmen, going their rounds, saw any 
 body pasting handbills on the walls of the houses, but 
 everybody saw the bills in the morning.
 
 206 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 TO THE FREEMEN OF THIS AND NEIGHBORING 
 TOWNS. 
 
 GENTLEMEN, You are desired to meet at Liberty 
 Tree, this day at twelve o'clock noon, then and there 
 to hear the persons to whom the tea shipped by the 
 East India Company is consigned make a public res 
 ignation of their office on oath as consignees ; and also 
 swear that they will reship any tea that may be con 
 signed to them by said company, by the first vessel 
 sailing for London. O. C. 
 
 Secretary. 
 BOSTON, Nov. 3, 1773. 
 
 Show us the man that dare take this down ! ! ! ! ! 
 
 Early in the morning the town crier was jingling 
 his bell and calling upon the people to be at the Lib 
 erty Tree at the appointed hour. Samuel Adams, 
 John Hancock, Doctor Warren, and William Moli- 
 neux were there, and a great crowd. The consignees 
 were assembled in Richard Clark's store. The people 
 voted to choose a committee to inform them that, if 
 they did not resign or pledge themselves not to land 
 the tea, they would be regarded as the enemies of their 
 country. William Molineux, Doctor Warren, and six 
 others were chosen. 
 
 A great crowd accompanied the committee. Gov 
 ernor Hutchinson, looking out upon them from the 
 window of the council chamber, saw that they were 
 the foremost men of Boston. The consignees were in 
 Richard Clark's store, and the door was locked. 
 
 " From whom are you a committee," asked Clark, 
 opening a window.
 
 THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY. 207 
 
 " From the whole people." 
 
 " I shall have nothing to do with you." 
 
 " Then you will be regarded as an enemy of your 
 country," replied Molineux. 
 
 " Out with them ! " cried somebody. 
 
 " Hold on. Don't let us make fools of ourselves," 
 said Tom Brandon. 
 
 There was a murmuring in the crowd. 
 
 " In the king's name, I command you to disperse," 
 said the sheriff, stepping forward. 
 
 It was not he, however, but Doctor Warren, who, 
 by a wave of his hand, stilled the people, and per 
 suaded them to depart. 
 
 On Sunday morning, November 29, Tom Brandon, 
 looking with the telescope, saw a ship at Nantasket, 
 and knew by the signals that it was the Dartmouth, 
 Captain Hall. When meeting was over at noon, he 
 called upon Doctor Warren and found him writing 
 a circular to be sent to the surrounding towns, ask 
 ing the people to assemble on Monday morning in 
 Faiieuil Hall. Tom took the writing to the printing- 
 office of Edes & Gill in Queen Street, and a printer 
 quickly put it in type. On Monday morning the 
 people of Boston, Charlestown, Cambridge, and all sur 
 rounding towns were reading it. 
 
 FRIENDS ! COUNTRYMEN ! BROTHERS ! 
 
 The worst of plagues, the detested tea, shipped for 
 this port by the East India Company, has arrived. 
 The hour of destruction or manly opposition to the 
 machinations of tyranny stares you in the face. 
 Every friend to his country, to himself, and posterity
 
 208 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 is now called upon to meet at Faneuil Hall at nine 
 o'clock this day, at which time the bells will ring, to 
 make a united resistance to this last, worst, and most 
 destructive measure of administration ! 
 BOSTON, Nov. 30, 1773. 
 
 The bells rang. The people surged into Faneuil 
 Hall. There was a crowd in the square around the 
 building, so many people that they adjourned to the 
 Old South Meetinghouse, where they voted that the 
 tea must go back to England, and that twenty-five men 
 should keep watch day and night, to prevent its being 
 landed. The meeting adjourned till Tuesday morning 
 to hear what the consignees would do. 
 
 Through the night Abraham Duncan and the other 
 watchmen patrolled the wharves. The Dartmouth had 
 sailed up the harbor and was riding at anchor. 
 
 A great crowd filled the meetinghouse at nine 
 o'clock Tuesday. The moderator read a letter from 
 Richard Clark and the other consignees, who said 
 they could not send the tea back, but would put it in 
 their stores till they could hear from the East India 
 Company. 
 
 " No ! no ! no ! " shouted the people, who were more 
 than ever determined that it should not be landed. 
 
 Tom saw the sheriff, with his sword by his side, as 
 the emblem of authority, enter the meetinghouse, with 
 a paper in his hand. 
 
 " It is from his excellency, the governor," said the 
 sheriff, bowing to the moderator. 
 
 " We don't want to hear it," shouted the people. 
 
 " We are assembled in orderly town meeting. I
 
 THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY. 209 
 
 think we had better hear what the governor has to 
 communicate," said Samuel Adams, and the great au 
 dience became silent. Tom's blood began to boil as 
 the sheriff read : 
 
 " You are openly violating, defying, and setting at 
 nought the good and wholesome laws of the Province 
 under which you live. I warn you, exhort, and re 
 quire each of you, thus unlawfully assembled, forth 
 with to disperse, and to surcease all further unlawful 
 proceedings at your utmost peril." 
 
 Tom, and all around him hissed. 
 
 " We won't disperse till we 've done our business," 
 shouted a man in the centre of the house. 
 
 " We will attend to our affairs, and Tommy Hutch- 
 inson may mind his own business," cried another. 
 
 " Let us hear from Mr. Rotch," the shout. 
 
 Mr. Rotch, a young merchant, wearing a broad- 
 brimmed hat, and who owned the Dartmouth, rose. 
 
 "I am willing the tea should go back without 
 being landed," he said. 
 
 The people clapped their hands. 
 
 "Hall! HaU! Let us hear from Captain Hall," 
 they cried. 
 
 The captain of the Dartmouth, sunburned by ex 
 posure, said it made no difference to him. He would 
 just as soon carry the tea back as anything else. 
 Once more the people decided the tea should not be 
 brought on shore. To prevent its being landed it 
 was voted that the watch should be maintained ; that 
 if the attempt was made by day, the meetinghouse 
 bells would ring, if by night, they were to toll. 
 
 A few days later, the Beaver, commanded by Cap-
 
 210 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 tain Coffin, and the Elenor, commanded by Captain 
 Bruce, arrived. Tom, once more looking down the 
 harbor, saw the warship Kingfisher drop down below 
 the Castle and anchor in the channel ; also the Active. 
 He understood the meaning of the movement that 
 the governor did not intend the ships should depart 
 with the tea on board. He knew things would soon 
 come to a head, for under the law, unless a vessel dis 
 charged its cargo within twenty days after arriving 
 in port, the ship and cargo would be confiscated. 
 Once more the people assembled, electing Thomas 
 Savage moderator, and passing a vote directing Mr. 
 Rotch to ask the collector to clear the Dartmouth for 
 London. 
 
 Rain was falling, and the wind east, rolling the 
 waves into the harbor, on the morning of December 
 16. Unmindful of the storm, people from Boston 
 and all the surrounding towns were gathering in 
 the Old South Meetinghouse. Little did the farthest 
 sighted among them comprehend that the fullness 
 of time had come for the opening of a mighty 
 drama; that the bell up in the tower was heralding 
 the beginning of a new era in human government. 
 
 Tom and Abraham found seats in the gallery. 
 After prayer, Samuel Adams said the committee 
 appointed at a previous meeting had called upon the 
 collector, with Mr. Rotch, asking him to clear the 
 Dartmouth, but the request was not granted. 
 
 " We all know," he continued, " that the twenty 
 days will expire at twelve o'clock to-night. After 
 that hour the Dartmouth will be moored under the 
 guns of Admiral Montague's warships, and will be
 
 THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY. 211 
 
 taken possession of by a party of marines. I there 
 fore move that Mr. Rotch be directed to enter his 
 protest at the Custom House, and that he be further 
 directed by this meeting to apply to Governor Hutch- 
 inson for a permit that shall allow the Dartmouth to 
 pass the Castle and sail for London." 
 
 " All in favor of that motion will say aye," said the 
 moderator. 
 
 " Aye ! " thundered the floor, galleries, aisles, and 
 pulpit stairs. 
 
 " All opposed will say no." 
 
 The silence was so profound that Tom could hear 
 his heart beat. 
 
 " This meeting stands adjourned to three o'clock," 
 said the moderator, and the great crowd thereupon 
 surged into the streets. Some went to the Cromwell's 
 Head ; others to the Bunch of Grapes, White Lamb, 
 Tun and Bacchus, drank mugs of flip, and warmed 
 themselves by the bright wood-fires blazing on the 
 hearths. The meeting had adjourned to give Mr. Rotch 
 time to jump into his chaise and ride out to Milton 
 to see Governor Hutchinson. 
 
 Tom and Abraham walked towards the Cromwell's 
 Head. They were surprised and delighted to meet 
 Roger Stanley. 
 
 " I did n't hear of the meeting till last evening," 
 said Roger, " and I have come in to see what is 
 going'on." 
 
 The rain had drenched his clothes. 
 
 " See here, Roger, you are wet to the skin ; you 
 must have some toddy. Come along, I '11 stand 
 treat," said Tom.
 
 212 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 They entered the Cromwell's Head, and each took 
 a glass of flip, then made their way to the Long 
 Room in Queen Street. Climbing the stairs, Tom 
 rapped on a door. A moment later a panel opened, 
 and a nose, mouth, and eyes appeared. Tom gave 
 another rap which the nose, mouth, and eyes seemed 
 to understand, for the door opened, and they passed 
 in and it closed behind them. 
 
 Several of the Sons of Liberty were already there. 
 Some were smoking pipes, others sipping mugs of hot 
 punch. Edward Preston was sitting at a table writ 
 ing. 
 
 " The sachem has just finished his proclamation, 
 and is going to read it," said Henry Purkett. 
 
 The room became still, and Preston read what he 
 had written. 
 
 ABRANT KAN-AK-AR-A-TOPH-QUA, CHIEF SACHEM OF THE 
 MOHAWKS, KING OF THE Six NATIONS AND LORD 
 OF ALL THEIR CASTLES, ETC., ETC., TO ALL LlEGE 
 SUBJECTS, HEALTH. 
 
 WHEREAS, tea is an Indian Plant and of right 
 belongs to the Indians of every land and tribe ; and 
 whereas, our good allies, the English, have in lieu of it 
 given us that pernicious liquor, Rum, which they have 
 poured down our throats to steal away our brains; 
 and whereas, the English have learned the most expe 
 ditious way or method of drawing an infusion of said 
 Tea, without the expense of wood or trouble of fire, 
 to the benefit and emolument of the East India 
 trade, and, as vastly greater quantities may be used 
 by that method than by that heretofore practiced
 
 THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY. 213 
 
 in this country, and therefore help to support the 
 East India Company under the present melancholy cir 
 cumstances : 
 
 THEREFORE, we of our certain knowledge, special 
 grace, and mere motion will permit or allow any of 
 our liege subjects to barter, buy, or procure of any of 
 our English allies, Teas of any kind : provided always 
 each man can purchase not less than ten nor more 
 than one hundred and fourteen boxes at a time and 
 those the property of the East India Company ; and 
 provided also that they pour the same into the lakes, 
 rivers, and ponds, that, while our subjects in their 
 hunting, instead of slaking their thirst with cold water, 
 they may do it with tea. 
 
 Of all which our subjects will take notice and gov 
 ern themselves accordingly. By command, 
 
 TO-NE-TER-A-QUE. 
 
 "Attention, braves," said the sachem. "Each sub 
 ject will provide himself with a tomahawk and be at 
 the wigwam one hour after candle-lighting to-night, 
 prepared to carry out the proclamation. The tribe 
 will remember that the Mohawks do not talk much, 
 but do in silence what they have to do." 
 
 They heard the proclamation in silence, and one by 
 one took their departure. Roger said he would be in 
 the Old South Meetinghouse at three o'clock to hear 
 the result of the visit of Mr. Rotch to Governor 
 Hutchinson. 
 
 " I doubt if I shall be there ; I may have an en 
 gagement early in the evening," said Tom. 
 
 Abraham Duncan said the same.
 
 214 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I went down to the shipyard this morning and got 
 two tomahawks. They are in my chamber, together 
 with the feathers and war-paint and the other things. 
 Come round early, Abe," said Tom as they parted. 
 
 Again at three o'clock a great crowd filled the 
 meetinghouse. The clouds had rolled away, and the 
 setting sun was throwing its beams upon the gilded 
 weather-vane when Roger Stanley entered the build 
 ing. It was so full that he could only stand in one 
 of the aisles. The moderator was reading letters from 
 the selectmen of the surrounding towns, saying that 
 they would stand by Boston in whatever might be 
 done to prevent the landing of the tea. 
 
 " Their letters," said William Molineux, rising in 
 one of the front pews, " are all very well ; they show 
 the determined spirit of our fellow-citizens ; but we 
 must have a committee whose duty it shall be to pre 
 vent the landing of the tea. I move the appointment 
 of such a committee." 
 
 The meeting voted that a committee should be 
 appointed. 
 
 The evening shades were falling and the housewives 
 lighting their candles. In the Brandon house Tom 
 and Abraham were putting on Indian uniforms which 
 Mr. Brandon years before brought home from the 
 tribes along the shores of the St. Lawrence buck 
 skin breeches and coats, fur caps trimmed with eagle's 
 feathers. Tom tripped upstairs to the garret, and 
 returned with a bunch of garget berries, with which 
 they stained their faces and hands. 
 
 " You look just like Indians," said Berinthia.
 
 THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY. 215 
 
 " Say nothing to nobody as to what you have seen, 
 'Binth," said Tom, as he closed the door and walked 
 with Abraham rapidly along the street. 
 
 In the Old South Meetinghouse Josiah Quincy was 
 speaking. The sexton brought in two tallow candles 
 and placed them on the table before the moderator. 
 There was a stir at the door a commotion a turn 
 ing of necks in the pews, as the young merchant, Mr. 
 Rotch, entered the building. Many in the audience 
 thought he had been lukewarm in his desire to have 
 the tea sent back to London, and were ready to hiss 
 at him. 
 
 "Let us be just," said Doctor Young. "Let no one 
 utter a word against our fellow-citizen. He is doing 
 all it is possible for him to do to have the detested 
 tea sent back." 
 
 The murmuring ceased as Samuel Adams addressed 
 him: 
 
 " Will you, Mr. Rotch, send the Dartmouth back 
 to London with the tea on board ? " 
 
 " Were I to make the attempt in compliance with 
 the request of the people it would be my ruin." 
 
 Roger and all around him saw what they had not 
 seen before, that were he to make the effort his ship 
 would be seized and himself arrested, and in all prob 
 ability sent to England to be tried for treason. 
 
 " Who knows how tea will mix with salt water ? " 
 shouted John Rowe. 
 
 " Let us treat the fishes to a cup of tea," shouted 
 another, and the windows rattled with their stamping.-" 
 
 "Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!" 
 
 It was a yell from the street.
 
 216 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Let the meeting be in order. It is a trick of our 
 enemies to distract us," shouted some one. , 
 
 " Order, gentlemen ! " cried the moderator. 
 
 "Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!" 
 
 Longer and louder the yell. 
 
 "The Mohawks! the Mohawks! "the cry at the 
 door. 
 
 Those in the galleries left their seats and hastened 
 down the stairs. People were rising in the pews and 
 crowding the aisles. 
 
 " This meeting can do no more," said Mr. Adams, 
 and he declared it adjourned. 
 
 The people saw forty or fifty Indians who had sud 
 denly appeared upon the street. Where they came 
 from no one knew, but they were rapidly making their 
 way to Griffin's Wharf where the ships were lying. 
 Roger Stanley and a great number of citizens followed 
 them. The sentinels with muskets on their shoulders, 
 keeping watch over the ships, made no effort to stop 
 the Mohawks. Roger saw the ship Dartmouth along 
 side the wharf and the Elenor and Beaver a little dis 
 tance from it. The chief leaped on board the Dart 
 mouth. The captain was on the quarter-deck ; the 
 crew huddled at the bow were astonished to see In 
 dians with tomahawks climbing over the sides of the 
 vessel. 
 
 "The Mohawks will unload your tea. Please 
 direct your men to open the hatches and then order 
 them below into the forecastle," said the chief, ad 
 dressing the captain. " You will retire to your cabin. 
 The Mohawks will not injure your ship or do you any 
 harm."
 
 THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY. 217 
 
 It was spoken resolutely and in such good English 
 that the captain understood every word. The sailors 
 lifted the hatches, provided hoisting tackle, and dis 
 appeared down the forward hatchway, and the captain 
 retired to his cabin. Roger saw an Indian run up the 
 shrouds by the mainmast and hitch a tackle. He 
 .thought the savage had some resemblance to Tom 
 Brandon. He also saw by the light of the moon, near 
 its first quarter, that while one party of savages were 
 at work upon the Dartmouth, others were warping the 
 Elenor and the Beaver to the dock. It was nearly low 
 tide, and the waves were swashing the timbers beneath 
 the wharf. Not far away lay the Romney with her can 
 non peeping from the portholes. Very quietly the Mo 
 hawks began their work, hoisting chests from the hold, 
 cutting them with hatchets, pouring the contents over 
 the sides of the vessels. Roger felt a desire to take 
 part jn the work. Running to a blacksmith's shop, he 
 smeared his face and hands with charcoal, took off his 
 coat, turned it inside out, put it on, leaped on board 
 the ship, seized a hatchet, smashed the chests, and 
 tumbled them overboard. The Indians worked in si 
 lence. The clock was striking ten when the last chest 
 was thrown into the dock. Their work finished, the 
 chief rapped upon the cabin door, and the captain 
 opened it. 
 
 "We have discharged your tea, captain, but we 
 have disturbed nothing else. If we have we will 
 cheerfully pay the damage." 
 
 The captain thanked him for being so considerate. 
 
 Tom, Abraham, and Roger, and the other Indians, 
 walked up the street past the house of Nathaniel
 
 218 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Coffin, his majesty's receiver-general. His eldest son, 
 Isaac, one of Tom's schoolmates, had just' sailed for 
 England, Admiral Montague having obtained a com 
 mission for him in the king's navy, but John, the 
 younger brother, was at home. 
 
 Admiral Montague was there standing by an open 
 window. 
 
 "Well, boys, you have had a fine, pleasant evening 
 for your Indian caper ; but don't forget, you will have 
 to pay the fiddler by and by." 
 
 " Oh, never mind, admiral, we are ready to pay him 
 now," Tom replied. 
 
 The other Indians laughed as the admiral closed the 
 window and turned away. 
 
 Very quietly the Mohawks separated. Abraham 
 went to his own house, Roger went with Tom. They 
 were soon in their chamber washing the garget stains 
 and charcoal from their faces and hands. 
 
 " Rat-a-tat-tat ! " went the knocker on the door. 
 
 They heard feet tripping over the stairs and then 
 Berinthia's voice. " Oh, Tom, the officers are at the 
 door. Put out your light. Let me have your Indian 
 clothes. Get to bed, quick." 
 
 Tom raised the window, emptied the water from the 
 bowl into the alley behind the house, handed his 
 Indian suit to Berinthia, put out the light, and jumped 
 into bed. Captain Brandon was not at home, having 
 gone to Maine to obtain timber for the building of a 
 ship. Berinthia returned to her room, lifted the 
 sheets and blankets, tucked Tom's suit safely away 
 between the feather bed and the straw mattress be 
 neath it.
 
 THE MOHAWKS AND THEIR TEA-PARTY. 219 
 
 " Rat-a-tat-tat ! Rat-a-tat-tat ! " went the knocker, 
 louder than before. Tom heard Berinthia's window 
 open. 
 
 " Who 's there, and what is wanted ? " It was Be- 
 rinthia speaking. 
 
 " Is Captain Brandon at home ? " asked one of the 
 men at the door. 
 
 " He is not. He is in Maine." 
 
 " We want to search your house." 
 
 " Why do you wish to search it ? " 
 
 " An outrage has been committed, and we believe 
 that his son had a hand in it ! " 
 
 " My brother is in bed, and a friend is spending 
 the night with him ; but I will go and tell him." 
 
 Several minutes passed before Tom could strike a 
 light with the tinder-box, put on his clothes, and get to 
 the door. Before descending the stairs he looked in 
 the glass to see that the stains had been wholly re 
 moved from his face, and examined the floor to ascer 
 tain that no tea-leaves had been dropped from their 
 clothing. He then descended the stairs and opened 
 the door. 
 
 " Good-evening. What is it you wish ? " he said. 
 
 " You are Tom Brandon, are you not ? " asked one 
 of the officers. 
 
 " That is my name." 
 
 " It is believed, Mr. Brandon, that you were one of 
 the party who poured the tea into the harbor this 
 evening, and we have come to search for evidence." 
 
 " Come right in, gentlemen." 
 
 The officers stepped into the hall. 
 
 " This is the parlor, here is the sitting-room, and
 
 220 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 beyond it is the pantry. I don't think you will find 
 much tea, for we quit drinking it three years ago, and 
 have n't had any since," said Tom. 
 
 " Shall we see your chamber, Mr. Brandon ? " 
 
 " Certainly ; you will find my old schoolmate, Roger 
 Stanley of Concord, in bed, but he won't mind." 
 
 They climbed the stairs, entered the chamber, asked 
 Mr. Stanley's pardon for intruding, took a look at the 
 washbowl, opened a clothespress, got down on their 
 knees and looked at the floor, to see if they could find 
 any tea. 
 
 " Here is another chamber, my sister's ; she spoke 
 to you from the window. You will hardly think of 
 entering the room till she has had time to put on her 
 dress." 
 
 " Oh, no ; we would not be so rude as to enter her 
 chamber. We do not suppose she had anything to do 
 with it," said the officers. 
 
 " Will you not take a look at the garret? " Tom 
 asked. 
 
 " No. You have covered your tracks so well, I do 
 not suppose we should find anything.'' 
 
 " Thank you. If, as you say, I had a hand in it, I 
 regard it quite a compliment that I have covered my 
 tracks so well," Tom replied, as the officers took their 
 departure. He went upstairs and opened the door to 
 Berinthia's chamber a little. 
 
 " 'Rinth, you are the best girl that ever lived," he 
 said. 
 
 " Oh, Tom, you did that splendidly," she replied. 
 
 There was merry laughter from her lips as he closed 
 the door and returned to his chamber.
 
 XIV. 
 
 BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD. 
 
 THE summer of 1774 was waning. Once more 
 Robert Walden was on his way to Boston. The 
 wagon which Jenny and Paul were dragging was 
 loaded with bags filled with corn and rye, not to be 
 sold in the market, but a gift from Joshua Walden 
 and his fellow-citizens of Rumford to the people of 
 Boston. Parliament, in retaliation for the destruction 
 of the tea, had passed an act closing the port to com 
 merce. 1 After the first day of June, no vessels other 
 than those of the navy could enter or depart from the 
 harbor. Fishermen could no longer catch cod or 
 mackerel for the market. Farmers on the banks of 
 the Mystic could not dig potatoes from their fields 
 and transport them down the river on the ebbing tide 
 to the town dock. The people of Charlestown could 
 not gather cabbages from their gardens, take them 
 
 1 It is known in history as the Boston Port Bill. It was passed 
 as a retaliatory measure. No possible advantage could accrue to gov 
 ernment by its passage and enforcement. It was designed not only to 
 awe the people into submission, but to overturn the government of the 
 people and establish kingly prerogative. Parliament could not have 
 committed a greater blunder. Instead of humbling the people of 
 Boston, it aroused the sympathies of the entire country, and became 
 a potent influence in bringing about the union of the Colonies. Con 
 tributions of food, wheat, corn, rye, peas, beans, flocks of sheep, and 
 herds of cattle came from all of the Colonies.
 
 222 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 across the ferry, and peddle them in Boston. Only 
 by the road leading to Roxbury could the suffering 
 people be supplied with food. Besides closing the 
 port, Parliament had abolished the charter of Massa 
 chusetts. The people no longer could elect thirty-six 
 councilors; they were to be appointed by the king, 
 instead. No more could they lawfully assemble in 
 town meeting to elect representatives to the legislature. 
 All rights and privileges were swept away. 
 
 It was near sunset when Robert turned into the 
 highway leading from Roxbury to Boston. He was 
 surprised to find fortifications a ditch and embank 
 ment and cannon mounted upon it at the narrowest 
 part of the Neck. The sentinels glared at him, but 
 did not offer any insult. 1 He knew several regiments 
 of troops had already arrived, and it was reported 
 that others would soon be sent from England to en 
 force the laws. He drove slowly along the street, past 
 the Liberty Tree. A half dozen citizens were sitting 
 on the benches beneath it smoking their pipes. There 
 were few people but many soldiers in the streets. He 
 watered the horses at the pump, then drove to the 
 Green Dragon. 
 
 It was a hearty welcome which he received in the 
 Brandon home. 
 
 "You find us under the harrow," said Mr. Bran 
 don. " The king and ministry are determined to 
 crush the life out of us. All business has stopped. 
 Grass is growing in the streets. Ship-carpenters, 
 
 1 Several regiments of troops had already arrived in Boston, and 
 fortifications were being constructed on Roxbury Neck, making it a 
 garrisoned town.
 
 BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD. 223 
 
 joiners, blacksmiths, ropemakers, are idle ; no one has 
 any work for them. Thousands have already left 
 town, and others are going. Nobody can earn a penny, 
 and we are all growing poorer. We should starve in 
 a short time were it not for the kindness and benevo 
 lence of the people. We are receiving contributions 
 of food from everywhere. Doctor Warren, John Han 
 cock, and a large number of our public-spirited citi 
 zens are distributing the gifts." 
 
 Tom said he was aiding the committee, looking 
 after the poor. Not only were kind-hearted people 
 sending grain, but flocks and herds. 
 
 " Only yesterday," he said, " Colonel Israel Putnam, 
 who served in the French and Indian war, arrived 
 with a flock of sheep from Connecticut. Day before 
 yesterday a sloop dropped anchor in Salem harbor, 
 loaded with corn contributed by the people of North 
 Carolina. It will be teamed into Boston. The Mar- 
 blehead fishermen have just sent between two and 
 three hundred quintals of codfish. The committee has 
 received a letter from Mr. Gadsden of South Carolina, 
 expressing the hope that we never will pay a cent for 
 the blasted tea. As evidence that South Carolina is 
 with us, he sent one hundred casks of rice, contrib 
 uted by his fellow-citizens, shipping it to Providence, 
 to be hauled the rest of the way by teams. The peo 
 ple of Baltimore loaded a vessel with three thousand 
 bushels of corn, twenty barrels of rye flour, and as 
 many of shipbread. Herds of cattle and flocks of 
 sheep are driven in every day. The town of Lebanon, 
 Connecticut, sent three hundred and seventy sheep ; 
 Norwich, two hundred and ninety ; Groton, one hun-
 
 224 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 dred sheep and twenty-six fat cattle. Two schooners 
 have arrived at Salem, bringing three thousand bush 
 els of corn from Maryland. Another vessel brought 
 one thousand bushels from Virginia." 
 
 " These contributions," said Mr. Brandon, " show 
 that the people of the Colonies, or at least a large 
 portion of them, sympathize with us in our resistance 
 to tyranny." 
 
 " You have not told me about Rachel ; is she well ? " 
 Berinthia asked. 
 
 Robert informed her she was quite well, and hard 
 at work as usual. 
 
 " I suppose she is spinning for herself, these days ? " 
 said Berinthia, smiling. 
 
 " Yes, I dare say ; she has been making sheets and 
 pillow-cases since Roger Stanley was in Rumford." 
 
 " She has written me about him, and thinks there 
 is nobody else in the world so good as he. I 'm glad 
 they are engaged. She is just the one for him and 
 he for her." 
 
 There was one person whom Robert wished to 
 know about, who had been in his thoughts through 
 every step of his journey. How should he ask about 
 Miss Newville without revealing his interest in her ? 
 How ascertain if she were well ; if her heart was still 
 her own ? 
 
 " I suppose the arbitrary acts of Parliament may 
 have brought about estrangements between old-time 
 friends," he said. 
 
 " Yes, former friendships are being broken. Many 
 of my old acquaintances do not speak to me." 
 
 " Is it so bad as that ? "
 
 BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD. 225 
 
 " Yes, families are being divided. Fathers and 
 mothers taking sides with the king, sons and daugh 
 ters standing resolutely for the rights of the people. 
 You remember that sweet girl, Lucy Flucker, whom 
 you met at Miss Newville's garden party ? " 
 
 " Yes, a lovely lady." 
 
 " Her father is secretary of the Colony, and of 
 course sides with the king, but she is soon to be mar 
 ried to the bookseller, Mr. Knox, greatly against the 
 wishes of the family ; not because he is not worthy of 
 her, but because he opposes the king and his minis 
 ters," said Berinthia. 
 
 " Are you and Miss Newville still friends ? " 
 
 " Yes, just as good friends as ever. Her father, of 
 course, is a Tory, and her mother is a red-hot one, 
 but Ruth keeps her own counsel. You can have no 
 idea what a noble girl she is, gracious to everybody, 
 but true to herself. She had an offer of marriage 
 from Lord Upperton, a little while ago, and refused 
 him, to the astonishment of all her friends, and espe 
 cially her mother. Just why she rejected his suit no 
 one knows. Intimate as we are, she never has let me 
 into the secret." 
 
 " From what little I have seen of Miss Newville, 
 she seems to be a lady of sterling character," Robert 
 replied. 
 
 " She has many admirers, especially among his 
 majesty's officers. She receives them with charming 
 courtesy, listens to their flattering words, but is very 
 chary of her favors. I do not wonder that half a 
 dozen colonels, majors, and captains are dead in love 
 with her. I hope you will see her while here. She
 
 226 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 often inquires about you and Rachel, and wishes she 
 could have another ride in a pung. I '11 tell you what 
 I '11 do, invite her to take supper with us, -and then 
 you '11 see what a glorious girl she is." 
 
 " I can believe all you say of her." 
 
 Once more, the following morning, Robert had the 
 pleasure of shaking hands with Doctor Warren and 
 Samuel Adams, and receiving the thanks of the com 
 mittee of supply for the contribution from Rumford. 
 
 Mr. Adams said the Colonies must prepare to enter 
 upon a struggle to maintain their liberties. Governor 
 Gage was carrying things with a high hand. A few 
 nights before, a body of troops had seized the powder 
 in the magazines out towards Medford, and taken it 
 to the Castle. 1 General Gage was seizing muskets. 
 He had purchased cannon and cohorn mortars, and 
 chain-shot of Mr. Scott, and had paid him five hun- 
 
 i The powder belonging to the Province was stored in a magazine 
 on Quarry Hill, in Charlestown. During the month of August, 1774, 
 several of the towns removed their proportion of the ammunition. 
 At half past four o'clock, on the morning of September 1, Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Madison, with 260 men, embarked in thirteen large boats at 
 Long Wharf, rowed up Mystic River, and landed at Mr. Temple's 
 farm, seized 250 half barrels of powder and landed it in the Castle, 
 also two cannon from the gun-houses in Cambridge. The news 
 spread, and before evening nearly 5,000 people had assembled in Cam 
 bridge with their muskets. They compelled Mr. Danforth, member 
 of the governor's council, to resign. The high-sheriff promised to serve 
 no warrant under the new act of parliament. Lieutenant-Governor 
 Oliver hastened to Boston, and informed General Gage that if he were 
 to send a body of troops into the country the people would rise in their 
 anger. Upon his return to Cambridge the people surrounded his house 
 and compelled him to resign his commission. General Gage wrote to 
 London that he must have more troops to enable him to strike a de 
 cisive blow. He expected the people would march into Boston. In 
 order to prevent surprise, the guards were doubled, and the troops 
 ordered to lay on their arms through the night.
 
 BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD. 227 
 
 dred pounds for them. He hoped the people of Rum- 
 ford would put themselves in a condition to be ready 
 at a minute's warning to resist any aggressions on the 
 part of the troops. It was evident that the king 
 was determined to carry out his plans by force of 
 arms. 
 
 Having delivered the donation to the committee, 
 Robert strolled through the town, finding many 
 houses, shops, and stores tenantless. There was a 
 strange silence, no hurrying of feet, no rumbling 
 of teams, no piles of merchandise. The stores were 
 closed, the shutters fastened. Grass was growing 
 in the streets and tufts of oats were springing up 
 where the horses, a few weeks before, had munched 
 their provender. Here and there he met men and 
 boys, wandering listlessly, with sadness in their faces, 
 but yet behind the sorrow there was a determination 
 to endure to the bitter end. 
 
 Robert visited his old acquaintance, Henry Knox, 
 no longer in the bookstore at the corner of King 
 Street, opposite the Town House, but in a store of his 
 own on Cornhill. He passed a tailor's shop and a 
 harness-maker's before he came to Mr. Knox's book 
 store, where he was heartily welcomed. 
 
 " I remember the book which you purchased the 
 first time we met ; I hope you liked it." 
 
 "It is very entertaining, and has been read by 
 nearly everybody in Rumford, and is pretty much 
 worn out," Robert replied. 
 
 While talking with Mr. Knox, he saw a white- 
 haired gentleman pass the store. The next moment 
 he heard a bell jingling in the shop of the harness-
 
 228 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 maker, then in the shoemaker's, and lastly in the tail 
 or's. Mr. Knox laughed as the gentleman quickened 
 his pace. 
 
 " Possibly, Mr. Walden, you do not understand 
 the ringing of the bells in succession. The gentle 
 man is one of the Tory councilors recently appointed 
 by Governor Gage. He has accepted the appoint 
 ment and the citizens are worrying the life out of 
 him. Each shopman has a bell which he jingles the 
 moment he spies a councilor, giving notice to the other 
 shopmen." Mr. Knox looked up at the clock. " It 
 is about time for the council to assemble in the Town 
 House ; quite likely you will hear the bells tinkle 
 again. More than half of those appointed by General 
 Gage have already resigned, and I do not doubt others 
 will ere long throw up their commissions. Not much 
 honor is to be gained by holding an office against 
 public opinion." 
 
 " It is not a pleasing sight the presence of so 
 many troops," Robert remarked. 
 
 " Nominally, we are under civil law ; but in reality 
 our civil rights are gone, and we are under military 
 government," Mr. Knox replied. 
 
 Two officers entered the store and were courteously 
 received by the bookseller, who showed them the latest 
 books received from London. He informed Robert, 
 in a whisper, that they were Major John Small and 
 Ensign De Berniere. Another gentleman entered, a 
 citizen, whose coat was covered with dust, as if he had 
 been long on the road. He was heartily welcomed by 
 Mr. Knox, who introduced him to Robert as Colonel 
 Israel Putnam of Connecticut.
 
 BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD. 229 
 
 " I think I have heard my father speak of you ; he 
 was a lieutenant under Captain Stark at Ticonderoga. 
 Perhaps you remember him," Robert said. 
 
 " Indeed I do remember Joshua Walden, and a 
 braver man never wore a uniform in the Rifle Rangers 
 than he." 
 
 The major of the king's troops laid down his book 
 and approached with outstretched hand. 
 
 " Well, I declare ! If here is n't my old friend 
 Putnam," he said. 
 
 There was mutual hand-shaking between Major 
 Small and Colonel Putnam, who had fought side by 
 side under the walls of Ticonderoga and at Fort Ed 
 ward. 
 
 " And so you are here to enforce the Regulation 
 Act," said Putnam. 
 
 " It is because you are rebellious," Small replied. 
 
 " You are attempting to subvert our liberties by 
 enforcing unrighteous laws. The Colonies exhibited 
 their loyalty to the king when we stood side by side 
 to drive out the French. We taxed ourselves to the 
 utmost. England has repaid but a very small propor 
 tion of the cost. We were loyal then, and we are loyal 
 now; but we never will submit to tyranny," continued 
 Putnam. 
 
 " The people of this town threw the tea into the 
 dock, and now they must pay for it. Those that 
 dance must settle with the fiddler," Small replied. 
 
 " Not one penny will we ever pay. Parliament and 
 the king have closed the port, bringing distress upon 
 the community ; but it has awakened the sympathies 
 of the country from Passamaquoddy to Savannah.
 
 230 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Now, Small, you are an old soldier, and so am I ; we 
 have smelled gunpowder, and can afford to talk 
 plainly. You are here, five thousand or more, with 
 several thousand additional troops just ready to sail 
 from England. You have come to overawe us by 
 force of arms. You have changed the charter of this 
 Province ; if this, why not all the others ? Why do 
 you do it ? I say you, for you represent the king ; 
 you do it because you are determined to make the 
 Colonies subservient to the crown. You cannot bear 
 to have us manufacture anything this side of the sea, 
 and are determined to make us your milch cow. Let 
 me tell you that you won't succeed. You do not know 
 the spirit of the people. Let one drop of blood be 
 shed by the troops, and a mighty host of armed men 
 will close around you. I know you can fight, and so 
 can we ; if you don't think so, try it." 
 
 " Ha, ha ! Put, you are the same old flint, ever 
 ready to strike fire. We won't quarrel now. Come, 
 let us step down to the Bunch of Grapes, have a glass 
 of wine, and talk over old times." 
 
 Arm in arm they walked down King Street to the 
 tavern. 
 
 Early the following afternoon Miss Newville was 
 welcomed to the Brandon home. 
 
 " It is a long time since we have met," she said, 
 reaching out her hand to Robert. " I am pleased to 
 see you once more. I hope you are well. And how 
 is Rachel?" 
 
 Many times he had thought of her as he last be 
 held her, standing beneath the portico of her home in 
 the radiant light of the moon. Her parting words
 
 BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD. 231 
 
 had been an abiding- memory " Good-by, till we 
 meet again." Once more her hand was resting in 
 his. She was no longer a girl, but entering upon 
 womanhood. He told the reason of his being there, 
 to bring the gift of Rumford to the suffering poor. 
 She had many questions to ask about Rachel. Was 
 she still making cheese ? Had she many flowers ? 
 
 "I suppose Rachel's brother prepares the flower 
 beds as in former years," she said, laughing. 
 
 " Yes, I spaded them for her." 
 
 " Berinthia informs me that she has found her true 
 love." 
 
 " So it appears." 
 
 " I doubt not she is very happy." 
 
 " She seems to be ; she is singing from morning 
 till night." 
 
 " I am so glad. I only saw Mr. Stanley at the time 
 of the launching of the ship, you remember, but 
 thought him worthy of any woman's love. Do you 
 still have delightful times at quiltings and huskings ? " 
 
 " In the country, customs rarely change. The 
 young ladies still have their quilting parties. Rachel 
 will soon be getting her fixings, and we doubtless shall 
 have jolly times." 
 
 " I should like to be able to help her. With so 
 many things to care for, I do not suppose she finds 
 much time for reading?" 
 
 " Very little. Besides, we do not have many books 
 to read. ' The New Hampshire Gazette ' comes once 
 a week, giving us a little glimpse of what is going on 
 in the world." 
 
 " I forgot you have no bookstore with all the new
 
 232 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 volumes printed in London, history, travel, poetry, 
 and novels, as we have here." 
 
 She said that Mr. Knox, the bookseller, had been 
 very kind to her, supplying her with the new books 
 arriving from London, and had just handed her the 
 poems of Oliver Goldsmith. 
 
 The afternoon waned. 
 
 " Shall we go up on the housetop and see the sun 
 set ? " Berinthia asked. 
 
 The harbor, the fleet of warships at anchor, the 
 distant ocean, the distant woodlands, made a beauti 
 ful panorama. 
 
 " When I see such beauty," said Miss Newville, " I 
 want to be an artist or a poet to give expression to 
 my feelings. See the purple and gold on the Milton 
 Hills, the light on the water, the russet and crimson 
 of the forests ! How beautiful ! " she cried, with a rich 
 bloom upon her cheek as she gazed upon the landscape. 
 The tap of a drum and the tramping of a regiment 
 along the street attracted her attention. " I am weary 
 of seeing scarlet uniforms," she said. 
 
 " Will you not make an exception of those who 
 call upon Miss Newville ? " Berinthia asked. 
 
 " No. I do not even care to see General Gage 
 or Earl Percy in their gold-laced coats. They are 
 delightful gentlemen, and frequent visitors in our 
 home. I find much pleasure in listening to Earl 
 Percy's description of things in London ; but I 
 should be better pleased were he to visit us as a citi 
 zen, laying aside his military trappings, the emblems 
 of arbitrary power." 
 
 The sun was sinking behind the western hills. As
 
 LORD PERCY
 
 BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD. 233 
 
 the last beams faded from the gilded vane of Christ 
 Church, they heard the beating of drums and the 
 shrill piping of boatswain's whistles on the decks of 
 the warships. A cannon flashed on the bastion of 
 the Castle, and the boom of the gun rolled far away 
 as the Cross of St. George descended from flagstaff 
 and topmast to be furled for the night. 
 
 "It is the sunset gun ; the signal for taking down 
 the flags," said Berinthia. 
 
 " I often watch from my chamber window for the 
 flashing of the cannon," Miss Newville remarked. 
 
 "It is a beautiful sight ; but would be more ex 
 hilarating if the flag was what it ought to be," said 
 Robert. 
 
 The twilight had not faded from the sky when 
 Robert accompanied Miss Newville to her home. 
 Officers of the king's regiments lifted their hats to 
 her upon the way ; their attentions were recognized 
 with dignified grace. Robert saw scowls on their 
 faces as they glared at him, as if to challenge his right 
 to be her escort. 
 
 " The night is hot and the air sultry, and if you 
 please, Mr. Walden, we will sit in the garden rather 
 than in the house," she said. 
 
 They strolled beneath the trees bending with the 
 weight of ripening fruit, and seated themselves in a 
 rustic arbor. The early grapes were purpling above 
 them. 
 
 " I do not know, Mr. Walden, that I quite compre 
 hended your meaning when you said the flag would 
 be more beautiful if it were what it ought to be. I 
 think it very beautiful as it is."
 
 234 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I did not have referenqe, Miss Newville, to the 
 texture or quality of the clpth, or the arrangement 
 of colors, neither to the devices, the crosses of St. 
 George and St. Andrew, but thought of it as a sym 
 bol of power. My father fought under it, and it has 
 waved in triumph on many battlefields ; but just now 
 it is being used to deprive us of our rights." 
 
 " Have you ever read the legend of St. George ? " 
 she asked. 
 
 " I have not, and I hardly know what the Cross of 
 St. George stands for." 
 
 " It is a beautiful story. I read it not long ago in 
 a book which I found in Mr. Knox's store. Would 
 you like to hear it ? " 
 
 " Please tell me about it." 
 
 " The story runs that ever so many years ago there 
 was a terrible dragon a monster, part snake, part 
 crocodile, with sharp teeth, a forked tongue, claws, 
 and wings. It could crawl upon the land or swim 
 in the water. Every day it came from its lair and 
 ate the sheep in the pastures around the old city of 
 Berytus. When the sheep were gone it ate little 
 children. The king of the city could think of no 
 thing better than to issue an edict requiring the selec 
 tion of two children under fifteen years old by lot, to 
 be given to the dragon. One day the lot fell upon 
 the king's daughter, the Princess Cleodolinda, a beau 
 tiful girl, and as good as she was beautiful. It was 
 a terrible blow to the king. He offered all his gold, 
 precious stones, glittering diamonds, and emeralds, 
 and half his kingdom, if the people would consent to 
 her exemption, which they wouldn't do. He had
 
 BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD. 235 
 
 made the edict ; they had given their children ; he 
 must give his daughter. Being king, he thought he 
 coidd take somebody's else daughter. That made the 
 people angry, and they threatened to kill him. Then 
 the princess showed how good and noble and true she 
 was. She said she would die rather than there should 
 be any trouble. It was a sad morning when she bade 
 her father and mother and all her friends good-by, 
 and went out from the city, all the people weeping to 
 see her in her youth and beauty, so calm, peaceful, 
 and resigned, walking in the green field, waiting for 
 the dragon. They saw the monster crawl towards 
 her. Just then they beheld a young man with a 
 shining shield and waving plume, on horseback, with 
 sword and lance, approaching. It was George of 
 Cappadocia, a brave Christian youth. ' Fly ! fly ! ' 
 shouted the princess. ' Why should I fly ?' he asked. 
 ' Do you not see the dragon ? He will eat you as he 
 will me.' ' I am not afraid of him, and I will deliver 
 you,' said he, rushing upon the dragon with his lance. 
 It was a terrible fight. The monster hissing, running- 
 out his tongue, snapping his jaws, striking with his 
 tail and sharp claws ; but the brave George kept up 
 the fight, striking his lance through the thick hide 
 and shiny scales, and pinning the writhing creature 
 to the earth. ' It is not by my own might, but God, 
 through Jesus Christ, who has given me the power to 
 subdue this Apollyon,' he said. At that, the whole 
 city accepted the Christian religion. In recognition 
 of the victory he put the sign of the letter X, repre 
 senting the cross, upon his flag. The king was so 
 pleased that, besides becoming a Christian, he offered
 
 236 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 George all his gold and silver and diamonds and pre 
 cious stones ; but the prince would not keep them ; 
 he gave them to the poor." 
 
 "It is indeed a beautiful story," said Robert, 
 charmed by the narration. 
 
 " I suppose the legend represents the conflict be 
 tween wickedness and righteousness," added Miss 
 Newville. 
 
 " Did George become the son-in-law of the king ? " 
 Robert asked. 
 
 Miss Newville laughed heartily. 
 
 " If it were a story in a novel," she said, " of course 
 that would be the outcome of the romance. No ; he 
 went on his travels converting people to Christianity. 
 The Greek Christians kept him in remembrance by 
 adopting the letter X as the sign of the cross. When 
 Richard the Lion-Hearted started on his crusade to res 
 cue the holy sepulchre from the Moslems, he selected 
 St. George as his protector. He is the patron saint 
 of England. He stands for courage in defense of the 
 truth." 
 
 " That is what the Cross of St. George should stand 
 for, Miss Newville, but just now it represents tyranny 
 and oppression. It is a beautiful flag, the crosses of 
 St. George and St. Andrew combined, in red, white, 
 and blue. No other banner symbolizes so much that 
 is precious of what men have done, but the king and 
 his ministers are perverting it. St. George and St. 
 Andrew were representatives of justice and righteous 
 ness. They died for principles which in their nature 
 are eternal, which will remain, when we are gone. I 
 have taken pride in being an Englishman. The flag
 
 BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD. 237 
 
 thrills me. I like to think of the brave deeds that 
 have been done under it. No other banner means so 
 much. It stirs me to think of it as waving not only 
 in England, but here, in Canada, in South America, 
 and on the banks of the Ganges. Of course, the flag, 
 the crosses upon it, signify suffering, devotion, heroism, 
 bravery. It is these things that warm my blood." 
 
 " Go on, please, Mr. Walden. I want to hear 
 more," said Miss Newville as he paused. 
 
 " I have delighted in being an Englishman because 
 the flag stands for all I hold most dear, but I am con 
 scious that my love for it is not what it was. The 
 king and his ministers by their arbitrary acts, Par 
 liament by passing laws taking away chartered rights, 
 are alienating the affections of the Colonies. We are 
 not so meek that we are ready to kiss the hand that 
 smites us. The time may come, Miss Newville, when 
 the people this side the Atlantic will have a flag of 
 their own. If we do it will be a symbol of a larger 
 liberty than we now have. The world does not stand 
 still. I do not know what Almighty God has been 
 reserving this Western world for through all the ages ; 
 but it must be for some grand purpose. It is a great 
 land and it will be peopled some day. We have made 
 our laws in the past, and we shall not surrender our 
 right to do so. The king and his ministers are not 
 using the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew for 
 the good of all. The crosses should represent brother 
 hood, but they do not. I think the time may come, 
 though, when there will be such a flag." 
 
 Again he paused, and again Miss Newville begged 
 him to go on.
 
 238 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I cannot tell when it will be, but I know what I 
 would like to see." 
 
 " Please tell me," she said earnestly. 
 
 " I would like to see the time when men will recog 
 nize their fellow-men as brothers, and when the flag 
 will stand for equality, unity, liberty, and brotherhood." 
 
 " Do you think such a time will ever come ? " 
 
 " I do not doubt it. The prophets in the Bible 
 have predicted it, and it seems to me that the human 
 race is advancing in that direction. Have you not 
 noticed that almost everything we prize has come 
 through sacrifice and suffering? I came here with 
 food because the people of this town are suffering. 
 The bags of corn which I have brought are an expres 
 sion of brotherhood, of unity, love, and good will. The 
 people all the way from the Penobscot to the Savannah 
 are acting from such motives. It is curious that Par 
 liament by passing a wicked law is uniting the Colo 
 nies as nothing else could have done. What the king 
 designed for a punishment, in the end may be a great 
 blessing." 
 
 " I see it, and I want to thank you, Mr. Walden, 
 for your words. You have made clear what hitherto 
 I have not been able to understand. Of course, you 
 must be aware that I hear many conversations upon 
 affairs in the Colonies. General Gage and Earl 
 Percy are frequent guests in our home, as are many 
 gentlemen who sympathize with the king and the 
 ministry rather than with Mr. Adams and Doctor 
 Warren. I do not see how the king, who they say 
 is kind-hearted, could assent to a law which would 
 bring suffering and starvation to so many people."
 
 BENEVOLENCE AND BROTHERHOOD. 239 
 
 She sat in silence a moment, and then went on. 
 
 " I like to hear you, Mr. Walden, speak of that 
 good time that is to come. I should like to do some 
 thing to hasten it. I feel that I am stronger for what 
 you have said. Shall we take a stroll through the 
 grounds ? " 
 
 Through the day he had been looking forward to a 
 possible hour when he could be with her alone, to 
 feel the charm of her presence. And now that it had 
 come, what should he say, how let her know she had 
 been an inspiration to him ; how since their first meet 
 ing his last thought at night and the first of the 
 morning had been of her ? Were he to say the thought 
 of her had filled the days with happiness, would she 
 not think him presumptuous ? They were widely 
 separated by the circumstances of life, he of the 
 country, a farmer, swinging the scythe, holding the 
 plow, driving oxen, feeding pigs ; she, on the contrary, 
 was a star in cultured society, entertaining high-born 
 ladies and gentlemen, lords, earls, and governors; 
 chance, only, had made them acquainted. She had 
 been very kind. No, he must not presume upon her 
 graciousness and tell her that his heart had gone out, 
 to her in a wonderful way. Many men had proffered 
 their love, but had been rejected. It was blessedness 
 unspeakable to be permitted to walk by her side, to 
 hear her voice, to enjoy her esteem, friendship, and 
 confidence. 
 
 The song-birds of summer had gone, but the crickets 
 were merrily chirping around them ; flowers were fad 
 ing, but fruits were ripening. Slowly they walked 
 the winding paths, stopping at times to gaze upon the
 
 240 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 clouds, silver-lined, in the bright light of. the full-orbed 
 moon. 
 
 " I shall not soon forget this quiet evening with 
 you, Mr. Walden, nor the words you have spoken. I 
 have thought it was my foreboding, but now I can see 
 that there may be trying times before us, times 
 which will test friendships." 
 
 " I trust, Miss Newville, that I may ever be worthy 
 to be numbered among your friends." 
 
 " I know you will." After a moment's hesitation 
 she added, " The tune may come when I shall need 
 your friendship." 
 
 Her voice was tremulous. The nine o'clock bell 
 was ringing. They were by the gate leading to the 
 street. 
 
 " You go home to-morrow. Will it be long before 
 we shall see you again ? I may want such strength 
 as you can give," she said. 
 
 " I trust that in God's good time we may meet 
 again. How soon I may be here or what may bring 
 me I do not foresee ; but be assured, Miss Newville, 
 I shall ever be your friend." 
 
 " I do not doubt it. Good-by," she said. 
 
 She heard his retreating footsteps growing fainter. 
 
 " Oh, if he had only said, ' I love you,' " the whisper 
 on her lips. 
 
 " I could die for her ; no, I '11 live for her," he 
 said to himself, as he walked towards the Brandon 
 home.
 
 XV. 
 
 THE MIDNIGHT RIDE. 
 
 ABEL SHRIMPTON, loyal to the king, hated Samuel 
 Adams and John Hancock and the Sons of Liberty, 
 holding them responsible for the troubles that had 
 come to the people. In Mr. Shrimpton's attractive 
 home, made beautiful by the presence of his daugh 
 ter, Tom Brandon had been a welcome visitor, but 
 the relations between Mr. Shrimpton and Tom were 
 changing. 
 
 " The Kegulation Act," said Tom, " which in fact 
 makes the king the government, deprives the people 
 of their liberties." 
 
 " People who abuse their liberties ought to be de 
 prived of them," Mr. Shrimpton replied. 
 
 " We are not allowed to select jurors. The law 
 takes away our right to assemble in town meeting, ex 
 cept by permission, and then we can only elect select 
 men to look after town affairs," said Tom. 
 
 " The people have shown they are not fit to govern 
 themselves," said Mr. Shrimpton. " They allow the 
 mob to run riot. It was a mob that smashed Chief 
 Justice Hutchinson's windows. Your gatherings un 
 der the Liberty Tree are in reality nothing but mobs ; 
 you have no legal authority for assembling. It was 
 a mob that assaulted the king's troops on the 5th of
 
 242 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 March ; a mob threw the tea into the harbor, and I 
 strongly suspect that Tom Brandon had a hand in 
 that iniquity. The king stands for law and order. 
 The troops are here in the interest of good govern 
 ment, by constituted authority, to enforce the law and 
 put down riots." 
 
 " Just who had a hand in throwing the tea over 
 board no one can find out, but I am glad it was 
 done," said Tom. 
 
 " So you uphold lawlessness, Mr. Brandon ? " 
 
 " I stand against the unrighteous acts of Parlia 
 ment. We will not be slaves ; we will not be de 
 prived of our liberties. If King George and Lord 
 North think they can starve the people of this town 
 into submission, they will find themselves mistaken," 
 said Tom. 
 
 " I hope he will compel every one of you to obey 
 the laws, and that whoever had a hand in destroying 
 the tea will suffer for it," Mr. Shrimpton replied. 
 
 Tom saw the smile fade from the countenance of 
 Mary as she listened to the conversation. Her 
 quick insight, and acquaintance with her father's 
 surly temper, enabled her to see what was withholden 
 from Tom's slower perception. 
 
 " Mary," said Mr. Shrimpton, after Tom took his 
 departure, " I want you to stop having anything to do 
 with Tom." 
 
 "Why, father?" 
 
 " Because I don't like him." 
 
 " But I do like him." 
 
 ." No matter. He 's an enemy to the king. I 
 have good reason to believe he had a hand in throw-
 
 THE MIDNIGHT RIDE. 243 
 
 ing the tea overboard. If he did, he is no better 
 than a thief. He willfully, wantonly, and with 
 malice aforethought stole the property of others from 
 the holds of the ships, and destroyed it. It was bur 
 glary breaking and entering. It was a malicious 
 destruction of property of the East India Company. 
 It was a heinous affair not mere larceny to be 
 punished by standing in the pillory, or sitting in the 
 stocks, or tied up to the whipping-post and flogged, 
 but an offense which, if it could be proved, would 
 send every one of the marauders to jail for ten or 
 twenty years. Now I don't want the name of 
 Shrimpton mixed up with that of Brandon. So you 
 can cut Tom adrift." 
 
 " But, father " - 
 
 " I don't want any buts. You will do as I tell 
 you if you know what is good for yourself." 
 
 " Have you not, father, said in the past that he 
 was an estimable young man ? " 
 
 " But he is not estimable now. He meets others 
 in secret to plot mischief. I have had spies on his 
 track. He is a lawbreaker, a mischief-maker, and 
 sooner or later will be in jail, and possibly may be 
 brought to the gallows. Now, once for all, I tell you 
 I will not have him coming here." 
 
 Mr. Shrimpton said it with a flushed face, setting 
 his teeth firmly together as he rose from his chair. 
 
 " Very well, father," said Mary, wiping the tears 
 from her eyes. 
 
 She knew how irascible he was at times, how he 
 allowed his anger to master reason, and hoped it 
 might pass away. Through the night the words were
 
 244 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 repeating themselves. What course should she pur 
 sue ? Give up Tom ? What if he did help destroy 
 the tea ; was it not a righteous protest against the 
 tyranny of the king and Parliament ? He did not do 
 it as an individual, but as a member of the commu 
 nity ; it was the only course for them to pursue. 
 Tom was not therefore a thief at heart. Was he 
 not kind-hearted ?~ Was he not giving his time and 
 strength to relieve suffering? Had he not just as 
 much right to stand resolutely for the liberties of 
 the people as her father for the prerogatives of the 
 king? Must she stop seeing him to please her 
 father ? It would not be pleasant to have Tom call 
 upon her, and have her father shut the door in his 
 face ; that would be an indignity. Should she with 
 draw her engagement? Should she plunge a knife 
 into her own heart to please her father? Never. 
 Come what would, she would be true to Tom. She 
 would not anger her father by inviting Tom to con 
 tinue his visits, but there were the elms of Long 
 Acre, Beacon Hill, the market, and other places, 
 where from time to time they might meet for a few 
 moments. True love could wait for better days. 
 
 There came a morning when the people saw a 
 handbill posted upon the walls which said that the 
 men who were misleading the people were bankrupt 
 in purse and character. Tom Brandon's blood was 
 at fever heat as he read the closing words : 
 
 " Ask pardon of God, submit to our king and 
 Parliament, whom we have wickedly and grievously 
 offended. Let us seize our seducers, make peace 
 with our mother country, and save ourselves and 
 children."
 
 THE MIDNIGHT RIDE. 245 
 
 He knew that the sentiments of the handbill were 
 those of Mr. Shrimpton, and suspected that his hand 
 had penned it. The rumor was abroad that the king 
 had sent word to General Gage to seize the two 
 arch leaders of the rebels, Adams and Hancock. 
 The following evening Tom and other Sons gathered 
 at the Green Dragon, laid their hands upon the Bible, 
 and made a solemn oath to watch constantly the move 
 ments of the Tories and soldiers, and give information 
 to Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Doctor Warren, 
 and Benjamin Church, and to no others. 
 
 There came a day when a great multitude assembled 
 in town meeting, in the Old South Meetinghouse, to 
 listen to Doctor Warren's oration commemorative of 
 the massacre of the people by the troops. Citizens 
 from all the surrounding towns were there to let Gen 
 eral Gage know they had not forgotten it ; besides, 
 they knew they would hear burning words from the 
 lips of the fearless patriot. 
 
 Tom Brandon and Abraham Duncan, looking down 
 from the gallery upon the great throng, saw Samuel 
 Adams elected moderator. He invited the officers of 
 the regiments to take seats upon the platform. Tom 
 wondered if they were present to make mischief. 
 The pulpit was draped in black. Every part of the 
 house was filled, aisles, windows, seats, and there 
 was a great crowd in the porches. Tom was won 
 dering if it would be possible for Doctor Warren 
 to edge his way through the solid body of men, when 
 he saw the window behind the pulpit opened by one 
 of the selectmen and the doctor, wearing a student's 
 black gown, enter through the window. The audience
 
 246 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 welcomed him with applause. For more than an hour 
 they listened spellbound to his patriotic and fearless 
 words. At times the people made the building shake 
 with their applause. Some of the king's officers grew 
 red in the face when he alluded to their presence 
 in Boston to suppress the liberties of the people. 
 One of the officers of the Welsh Fusileers sitting 
 on the stairs was very insulting. Tom saw him take 
 some bullets from his pocket and hold them in the 
 palm of his hand to annoy Doctor Warren, but instead 
 of being frightened, he very quietly rebuked the offi 
 cer's insolence by letting his handkerchief drop upon 
 the bullets. Bold and eloquent were his closing words. 
 
 " Fellow-citizens," he said, " you will maintain 
 your rights or perish in the glorious struggle. How 
 ever difficult the combat, you will never decline it 
 when freedom is the prize. Independence of Great 
 Britain is not our aim. Our wish is that Britain and 
 the Colonies may, like the oak and the ivy, grow and 
 increase in strength together. If pacific measures fail, 
 and it appears that the only way to safety is through 
 fields of blood, I know you will not turn your faces 
 from your foes, but will press forward till tyranny is 
 trodden under foot and you have placed your adored 
 goddess Liberty on her American throne." 
 
 The building shook with applause when he sat down. 
 
 " It is moved that the thanks of the town be pre 
 sented to Doctor Warren for his oration," said the 
 moderator. 
 
 " No, no ! fie, fie ! " shouted a captain of the Royal 
 Irish Regiment, and the other officers around thumped 
 the floor with their canes.
 
 THE MIDNIGHT RIDE. 247 
 
 Tom's blood was hot, as was the blood of those 
 around him. Some of the people under the galleries, 
 who could not see what was going on, thought the offi 
 cers were crying fire, to break up the meeting. Very 
 quietly Samuel Adams raised his hand. The people 
 became calm. The officers left the building, and the 
 town went on with its business. The people were 
 learning self-control. 
 
 When the meeting was over, Tom and Abraham 
 walked along Cornhill, and turned down King Street 
 on their way home. They saw a crowd around the 
 British Coffee House tavern, the officers who a little 
 while before had left the Old South Meetinghouse, 
 laughing, talking, and drinking their toddy. Tom 
 soon discovered they were having a mock town meeting. 
 One was acting as moderator, pounding with his cane 
 and calling them to order. They chose seven select 
 men and a clerk. Then one went upstairs and soon ap 
 peared upon the balcony wearing a rusty and ragged old 
 black gown, a gray wig with a fox's tail dangling down 
 his back. He bowed to those below, and began a mock 
 oration. He called Samuel Adams, Doctor Warren, 
 and John Hancock scoundrels, blackguards, knaves, 
 and other vile names. His language was so scurrilous, 
 profane, and indecent that Tom could not repeat it 
 to his mother and Berinthia. Those who listened 
 clapped their hands. Tom and Abraham came to the 
 conclusion that most of the officers of the newly ar 
 rived regiments were too vile to be worthy the society 
 of decent people. 
 
 Tom was boiling hot two nights later, at the treat 
 ment given Thomas Ditson of Billerica, who had come
 
 248 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 to market. A soldier persuaded the guileless young 
 farmer to buy an old worn-out gun. The next moment 
 he was seized by a file of soldiers and thrust into the 
 guardhouse for buying anything of a soldier against 
 the law. He had only the bare floor to sleep on. In 
 the morning, Lieutenant-Colonel Nesbit ordered the 
 soldiers to strip off Ditson's clothes, and tar and 
 feather him. 
 
 It was a pitiful spectacle which Ruth Newville saw, 
 Colonel Nesbit marching at the head of his regi 
 ment, the soldiers with their bayonets surrounding a 
 man stripped to the waist, smeared with tar, covered 
 with feathers, the fifes playing, and the drums beating 
 the Rogue's March. 
 
 " It is disgraceful," she said, with flashing eyes, to 
 her mother. " Colonel Nesbit ought to be ashamed of 
 himself. If he ever calls here again, I '11 not speak 
 to him." 
 
 Fast Day came, and again the eyes of Miss New 
 ville flashed when she saw the king's troops parading 
 the streets ; the drummers and fif ers taking their sta 
 tions by the doors of the meetinghouses to annoy the 
 people, playing so loud they could scarcely hear a 
 word of what the minister was saying. 
 
 " Do you think, father, that General Gage will win 
 back the affections of the people, or even retain their 
 respect by permitting such outrages ? " Ruth asked. 
 
 " Perhaps it is not the wisest course to pursue. 
 Quite likely the officers of the regiments did it of their 
 own notion," Mr. Newville replied. 
 
 If Lord North and King George thought a show 
 of military force would overawe the people of Boston
 
 THE MIDNIGHT RIDE. 249 
 
 town, they were mistaken. Possibly they did not 
 reflect that military repression might beget resistance 
 by arms ; but when the regiments began to arrive, the 
 Sons of Liberty resolved to prepare for whatever 
 might happen. They appointed a committee of safety 
 to protect the rights of the people. 
 
 Winter was over, and with their singing the birds 
 were making the April mornings melodious. The 
 Provincial Congress was in session at Cambridge, and 
 Samuel Adams and John Hancock had left Boston 
 and with Dorothy Quincy were with Reverend Mr. 
 Clark in Lexington. Abraham Duncan discovered 
 that General Gage had sent Captain Brown and En 
 sign De Berniere into the country to see the roads. 1 
 Sharp-eyed Sons of Liberty watched the movements 
 of the soldiers. They saw Lord Percy march his bri 
 gade to Roxbury, and return as if for exercise, with 
 no one opposing them. 
 
 " We can march from one end of the continent to 
 the other, without opposition from the cowardly Yan 
 kees," said the boasting soldiers. 
 
 Paul Revere, Tom Brandon, Robert Newman, and 
 a score of the Sons of Liberty were keeping watch of 
 the movements of the redcoats. They saw the sail 
 ors of the warships, and of the vessels which had 
 brought the new troops, launching their boats and 
 putting them in order. They knew General Gage 
 
 1 Captain Brown and Ensign De Berniere, March 20, visited Con 
 cord and Worcester and intermediate towns, dressed as citizens. The 
 vigilant Sons of Liberty were cognizant of all their movements and 
 notified the patriotic citizens, who had them under surveillance every 
 moment. Ensign De Berniere has written a narrative of the journey.
 
 250 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 wanted to seize Samuel Adams and John Hancock, 
 and quite likely the military supplies which the com 
 mittee of safety had collected at Concord. Paul Re 
 vere rode out to Lexington on Sunday to see Adams 
 and Hancock, and let them know what was going on 
 in Boston. 
 
 "The launching of the ship's boat means some 
 thing," said Mr. Adams. " It looks as if the troops 
 were going to make a short cut across Charles River 
 instead of marching over Roxbury Neck." 
 
 " We will keep our eyes open and let you know 
 the moment they make any movement," said Revere. 
 
 " Quite likely Gage will set a patrol so you can't 
 leave Boston," said Hancock. 
 
 " I '11 tell ye what we '11 do. If the troops leave in 
 the night by way of Roxbury, I '11 get Robert Newman 
 to hang a lantern in the steeple of Christ Church ; if 
 they take boats to make the short cut across Charles 
 River, I '11 have him hang out two lanterns. I '11 tell 
 Deacon Larkin and Colonel Conant, over in Charles- 
 town, to keep their eyes on the steeple." 
 
 It was Tuesday morning, April 18. Abraham 
 Duncan wondered how it happened that so many 
 British officers with their overcoats on were mounting 
 their horses and riding out towards Roxbury, not in a 
 group, but singly, or two together, with pistols in 
 their holsters. 
 
 " We will dine at Winship's tavern in Cambridge, 
 and then go on," he heard one say. 
 
 He also noticed that the grenadiers and light infan 
 try guards were not on duty as on other days.
 
 - THE MIDNIGHT RIDE. 251 
 
 He hastened to inform Doctor Warren, who sent 
 a messenger with a letter to the committee of safety. 
 
 It was evening when Richard Devens and Abraham 
 Watson, members of the committee of safety, shook 
 hands with their fellow members, Elbridge Gerry, Asa 
 Orne, and Colonel Lee at Wetherby's, bade them 
 good-night, and stepped into their chaise to return to 
 their homes in Charlestown. The others would spend 
 the night at Wetherby's, and they would all meet in 
 Woburn in the morning. 
 
 Satisfying to the appetite was the dinner which 
 landlord Winship set before a dozen British officers, 
 roast beef, dish gravy, mealy potatoes, plum-pudding, 
 mince pie, crackers and cheese, prime old port, and 
 brandy distilled from the grapes of Bordeaux. 
 
 " We will jog on slowly ; it won't do to get there 
 too early," said one of the officers as they mounted 
 their horses and rode up past the green, and along 
 the wide and level highways, towards Menotomy, pay 
 ing no attention to Solomon Brown, plodding home 
 ward in his horse-cart from market. When the old 
 mare lagged to a walk, they rode past him ; when he 
 stirred her up with his switch she made the old cart 
 rattle past them. The twinkling eyes peeping out 
 from under his shaggy brows saw that their pistols 
 were in the holsters, and their swords were clanking 
 at times. 
 
 " I passed nine of them," he said to Sergeant Mun- 
 roe when he reached Lexington Common ; and the 
 sergeant, mistrusting they might be coming to nab 
 Adams and Hancock, summoned eight of his company 
 to guard the house of Mr. Clark.
 
 252 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Mr. Devens and Mr. Watson met the Britishers. 
 
 " They mean mischief. We must let Gerry, Orne, 
 and Joe know," Mr. Devens said. 
 
 Quickly the chaise turned, and they rode back to 
 Wetherby's. The moon was higher in the eastern sky, 
 and the hands of the clock pointed to the figure nine 
 when the officers rode past the house. 
 
 "We must put Adams and Hancock on their 
 guard," said Mr. Gerry ; and a little later a messen 
 ger on horseback was scurrying along a bypath to 
 wards Lexington. 
 
 In Boston, Abraham Duncan was keeping his eyes 
 and ears open. 
 
 " What 's the news, Billy ? " was his question to 
 Billy Baker, apprentice to Mr. Hall, who sold toddy 
 to the redcoats. 
 
 " I guess something is going to happen," said Billy. 
 
 " What makes you think so ? " 
 
 " 'Cause a woman who belongs to one of the red 
 coats was in just now after a toddy ; she said the lob 
 sters were going somewhere." 
 
 " Is that so ? " 
 
 " Yes ; and they are packing their knapsacks." 
 
 Abraham whispered it to Doctor Warren, and a few 
 minutes later William Dawes was mounting his old 
 mare and riding toward Roxbury. She was thin in 
 flesh, and showed her ribs ; and the man on her back, 
 who dressed calf-skins for a living, jogged along Corn- 
 hill as if in no hurry. The red-coated sentinels, keep 
 ing guard by the fortifications on the Neck, said to 
 themselves he was an old farmer, but were surprised 
 to see him, after passing them, going like the wind
 
 THE MIDNIGHT RIDE. 
 
 253 
 
 out towards Roxbury, to the Parting Stone, then turn 
 ing towards Cambridge, making the gravel fly from 
 her heels as she tore along the road. 
 
 Berinthia Brandon, sitting in her chamber, looking 
 out into the starlit night, saw the faint light of the 
 rising moon along 
 the eastern horizon. 
 Twilight was still 
 lingering in the 
 western sky. In the 
 gloaming, she saw 
 the sailors of the 
 warships and trans 
 ports were stepping 
 into their boats and 
 floating with the in 
 coming tide up the 
 Charles. What was 
 the meaning of it? 
 She ran downstairs 
 and told her father 
 and Tom what she 
 had seen ; and Tom, 
 seizing his hat, tore along Salem Street and over the 
 bridge across Mill Creek to Doctor Warren's. The 
 clock on the Old Brick Meetinghouse was striking ten 
 when he rattled the knocker. 
 
 " The boats are on their way up the river with the 
 tide," he said, out of breath with his running. 
 
 Abraham Duncan came in, also out of breath. 
 
 " The lobsters are marching across the Common, 
 toward Barton's Point," he said. 
 
 Paul Revere's House.
 
 254 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " All of which means, they are going to take the 
 boats and cross Charles River, instead of marching by 
 way of Roxbury," said the doctor, reflecting a moment. 
 
 He asked Tom if he would please run down to North 
 Square and ask Paul Revere to come and see him. 
 
 A few minutes later Revere was there. 
 
 " I 've already sent Dawes, but for fear Gage's 
 spies may pick him up, I want you to take the short 
 cut to Lexington and alarm people on your way ; 
 you '11 have to look sharp for Gage's officers. Tell 
 Newman to hang out the two signals." 
 
 Revere hastened down Salem Street, whispered a 
 word in the ear of Robert Newman, ran to his own 
 home for his overcoat, told two young men to accom 
 pany him, then ran to the riverside and stepped into 
 his boat. The great black hull of the frigate Somerset 
 rose before him. By the light of the rising moon he 
 could see a marine, with his gun on his shoulder, 
 pacing the deck; but no challenge came, and the 
 rowers quickly landed him in Charlestown. 1 
 
 1 In the Tales of a Wayside Inn, the poet Longfellow represents 
 Paul Revere as impatiently waiting beside his horse, on the Charles- 
 town shore, for the signal lights : 
 
 " On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere. 
 
 Now he patted his horse's side, 
 
 Now gazed at the landscape far and near, 
 
 Then, impetuous, stamped the earth, 
 
 And turned and tightened his saddle-girth ; 
 
 But mostly watched with eager search 
 
 The belfry tower of the Old North Church, 
 
 As it rose above the graves on the hill, 
 
 Lonely and spectral and sombre and still. 
 
 And lo ! as he looks, on the belfry height 
 
 A glimmer, and then a gleam of light ! 
 
 He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns, 
 
 But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight 
 
 A second lamp in the belfry burns ! " 
 
 From the narrative of Paul Revere in the archives of the Massachu-
 
 THE MIDNIGHT RIDE. 255 
 
 Robert Newman, sexton, had gone to bed. The offi 
 cers of one of the king's regiments, occupying the front 
 chamber, saw him retire, but did not see him a min 
 ute later crawl out of a window to the roof of a shed, 
 drop lightly to the ground, make his way to the church, 
 enter, turn the key, lock the door, climb the stairs to 
 the tower, and hang the lanterns in the loft above 
 the bell. It was but the work of a moment. Hav 
 ing done it, he hastened down the stairway, past the 
 organ, to the floor of the church. The full moon was 
 flooding the arches above him with its mellow light ; 
 but he did not tarry to behold the beauty of the scene ; 
 not that he feared ghosts would rise from the coffins 
 in the crypt beneath the church, he was not afraid 
 of dead men, but he would rather the redcoats 
 should not know what he had been doing. He raised 
 a window, dropped from it to the ground, ran down 
 an alley, reached his house, climbed the shed, and 
 was in bed when officers of one of the regiments came 
 to make inquiry about the lanterns. Of course, Rob 
 ert, being in bed, could not have hung them there. 
 It must have been done by somebody else. 1 
 
 setts Historical Society, we learn that the signals were seen before 
 he reached the Charlestown shore : 
 
 " When I got into town, I met Colonel Conant and several others ; 
 they said they had seen our signals ; I told them what was acting, 
 and I went to get me a horse ; I got a horse of Deacon Larkirt. 
 While the horse was preparing, Richard Devens, Esq., who was one 
 of the Committee of Safety, came to me and told me that he came 
 down the road from Lexington after sundown, that evening ; that he 
 met ten British officers, all well mounted and armed, going up the 
 road." 
 
 1 Paul Revere in his narrative says " a friend " made the signals. 
 It has been claimed that John Pulling, and not Robert Newman, 
 hung the lanterns. The evidence favoring Newman and Pulling is
 
 256 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Paul Revere the while is flying up Main Street 
 towards Charlestown Neck. It is a pleasant night. 
 The grass in the fields is fresh and green ; the trees 
 above him are putting forth their young and tender 
 leaves. He is thinking of what Richard Devens has 
 said, and keeps his eyes open. He crosses the narrow 
 neck of land between the Mystic and Charles rivers, 
 and sees before him the tree where Mark was hung 
 ten years before for poisoning his master. The bones 
 of the negro no longer rattle in the wind ; the eyeless 
 sockets of the once ghostly skeleton no longer glare 
 at people coming from Cambridge and Medford to 
 Charlestown, and Paul Revere has no fear of seeing 
 Mark's ghost hovering around the tree. It is for the 
 living Gage's spies that he peers into the night. 
 Bucephalus suddenly pricks up his ears. Ah! there 
 they are! two men in uniform on horseback beneath 
 the tree. He is abreast of them. They advance. 
 Quickly he wheels, and rides back towards Charles- 
 town. He reaches the road leading to Medford, reins 
 Bucephalus into it. He sees one of them riding 
 across the field to cut him off ; the other is follow 
 ing him along the road. Suddenly the rider in the 
 field disappears, going head foremost into a clay 
 pit. " Ha ! ha ! " laughs Revere, as the fleet steed 
 bears him on towards Medford town. He clatters 
 
 in each case circumstantial. Both were Sons of Liberty and intimate 
 with Revere. Newman was sexton in possession of the keys of the 
 church. It is said that Pulling obtained them ; that the suspicion 
 was so strong 1 against him he was obliged to leave the town secretly, 
 not daring to apply for a pass. Newman was arrested, but General 
 Gage could find no direct evidence against him. I have followed the 
 generally accepted opinion, favoring Newman.
 
 THE MIDNIGHT RIDE. 257 
 
 across Mystic bridge, halts long enough to awaken 
 the captain of the minute-men, and then rattles on 
 towards Menotomy. 1 
 
 It is past eleven o'clock. The fires have been cov 
 ered for the night in the farmhouses, and the people 
 are asleep. 
 
 " Turn out ! turn out ! the redcoats are coming ! " 
 
 Paul Revere is shouting it at every door, as Bu 
 cephalus bears him swiftly on. The farmers spring 
 from their beds, peer through their window-panes into 
 the darkness, seeing a vanishing form, and flashing 
 sparks struck from the stones by the hoofs of the 
 flying horse. Once more across the Mystic on to 
 Menotomy, past the meetinghouse and the houses of 
 the slumbering people, up the hill, along the valley, 
 to Lexington Green ; past the meetinghouse, not halt 
 ing at Buckman's tavern, but pushing on, leaping from 
 his foaming steed and rapping upon Mr. Clark's door. 
 
 " Who are ye, and what d' ye want ? " Sergeant 
 Munroe asked the question. 
 
 " I want to see Mr. Hancock." 
 
 "Well, you can't. The minister and his family 
 mustn't be disturbed, so just keep still and don't 
 make a racket." 
 
 1 " After I passed Charlestown Neck, and got nearly opposite where 
 Mark was hung in chains, I saw two men on horseback under the tree. 
 When I got near them I discovered they were British officers. One 
 tried to get ahead of me, and the other to take me. I turned my 
 horse quick and galloped towards Charlestown Neck, and then pushed 
 for the Medford road. The one who chased me, endeavoring to cut 
 me off, got into a clay pond. I got clear of him and went through 
 Medford over the bridge up to Menotomy. In Medford I awaked the 
 captain of the minute-men, and after that I alarmed every house till I 
 got to Lexington." Revere's Narrative.
 
 258 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " There '11 be a racket pretty soon, for the redcoats 
 are coming," said Paul. 
 
 " Who are you and what do you wish ? " asked 
 Reverend Mr. Clark in his night-dress from the win 
 dow. 
 
 " I want to see Adams and Hancock." 
 
 "It is Revere ; let him in ! " shouted Hancock 
 down the stairway. 
 
 " The regulars are coming, several hundred of them, 
 to seize you ! " 
 
 " It is the supplies at Concord they are after," cried 
 Mr. Adams. 
 
 A moment later other hoofs were striking fire from 
 the stones, and another horseman, -William Dawes, ap 
 peared, confirming what Revere had said.
 
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 XVI. 
 
 THE MOENING DRUMBEAT. 
 
 " RING the bell ! " 
 
 Samuel Adams said it, and one of Sergeant Munroe's 
 men ran to the green, seized the bell-rope, and set the 
 meetinghouse bell to clanging, sending the alarm far 
 and wide upon the still night air. 
 
 In the farmhouses candles were quickly lighted, 
 and the minute-men, who had agreed to obey a sum 
 mons at a moment's warning, came running with mus 
 ket, bullet-pouch, and powder-horn, to the rendezvous. 
 They formed in line, but, no redcoats appearing, broke 
 ranks and went into Buckman's tavern. 
 
 Silently, without tap of drum, the grenadiers and 
 light infantry under Colonel Francis Smith, at mid 
 night, marched from their quarters to Barton's Point, 
 together with the marines under Major Pitcairn. 
 
 " Where are we going ? " Lieutenant Edward Gould 
 of the King's Own put the question to Captain 
 Lawrie. 
 
 " I suppose General Gage and the Lord, and per 
 haps Colonel Smith, know, but I don't," the captain 
 replied, as he stepped into a boat with his company. 
 
 It was eleven o'clock when the last boat-load of 
 troops reached Lechmere's Point, not landing on
 
 260 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 solid ground, but amid the last year's reeds and 
 marshes. The tide was flowing into the creek and 
 eddies, and the mud beneath the feet of the king's 
 troops was soft and slippery. 
 
 "May his satanic majesty take the man who or 
 dered us into this bog," said a soldier whose feet sud 
 denly went out from under him and sent him sprawl 
 ing into the slimy oose. 
 
 " By holy Saint Patrick, is n't the water nice and 
 warm ! " said one of the marines as he waded into the 
 flowing tide fresh from the sea. 
 
 " Gineral Gage intends to teach us how to swim," 
 said another. 
 
 With jokes upon their lips, but inwardly cursing 
 whoever had directed them to march across the marsh, 
 the troops splashed through the water, reached the 
 main road leading to Menotomy, and waited while the 
 commissary distributed their rations. It was past two 
 o'clock before Colonel Smith was ready to move on. 
 Looking at his watch in the moonlight and seeing how 
 late it was, he directed Major Pitcairn to take six 
 companies of the light infantry and hasten on to 
 Lexington. 
 
 From the house of Reverend Mr. Clark, Paul 
 Revere, William Dawes, and young Doctor Prescott of 
 Concord, who had been sparking his intended wife in 
 Lexington village, started on their horses up the road 
 towards Concord. From the deep shade of the alders 
 a half dozen men suddenly confronted them. 
 
 " Surrender, or I will blow out your brains ! " 
 shouts one of the officers.
 
 THE MORNING DRUMBEAT. 261 
 
 Revere and Dawes are prisoners ; but Doctor Pres- 
 cott, quick of eye, ear, and motion, is leaping his horse 
 over the stone wall, riding through fields and pastures, 
 along bypaths, his saddle-bags flopping, his horse, 
 young and fresh, bearing him swiftly on over the mea 
 dows to the slumbering village, with the news that the 
 redcoats are coming. 1 
 
 " Tell us where we can find those arch traitors to 
 his majesty the king, or you are dead men," the threat 
 of an officer. 
 
 Paul Revere sees the muzzle of the pistol within a 
 foot of his breast, but it does not frighten him. 
 
 " Ah, gentlemen, you have missed your aim." 
 
 "What aim?" 
 
 " You won't get what you came for. I left Boston 
 an hour before your troops were ready to cross Charles 
 River. Messengers left before me, and the alarm will 
 soon be fifty miles away. Had I not known it, I 
 would have risked a shot from you before allowing 
 myself to be captured." 
 
 From the belfry of the meetinghouse the bell was 
 
 1 Longfellow in his poem has Revere riding on to Concord bridge. 
 
 " It was two by the village clock, 
 When he came to the bridge in Concord town." 
 
 Revere's account reads : 
 
 " We had got nearly half way ; Mr. Dawes and the Doctor stopped 
 to alarm the people of a house. I was about one hundred rods ahead 
 when I saw two men, in nearly the same situation as those officers 
 were near Charlestown. I called for the Doctor and Dawes to come 
 up ; in an instant I was surrounded by four. . . . We tried to get 
 out there ; the Doctor jumped his horse over a low stone wall and got 
 to Concord. I observed a wood at a small distance and made for 
 that. When I got there, out rushed six officers on horseback and 
 ordered me to dismount."
 
 262 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 sending its peals far and wide over fields and wood 
 lands. 
 
 " Do you not hear it ? The town is alarmed," said 
 Revere. 
 
 " Rub-a-dub-dub ! rub-a-dub-dub ! rub-a-dub, rub-a- 
 dub, rub-a-dub-dub ! " It was the drummer beating 
 the long roll. 
 
 " The minute-men are forming ; you are dead men ! " 
 said Dawes. 
 
 The drumbeat, with the clanging bell, was breaking 
 the stillness of the early morning. The officers put 
 their heads together and whispered a moment. 
 
 " Get off your horses," ordered Captain Parsons of 
 the king's Tenth Regiment. 
 
 Revere and Dawes obeyed. 
 
 " We '11 keep this ; the other is only fit for the 
 crows to pick," said one of the officers, cutting the 
 saddle-girth of Dawes's horse, turning it loose, and 
 mounting Bucephalus. Then all rode away, dashing 
 past the minute-men on Lexington Green. 
 
 " The minute-men are forming, three hundred of 
 them," reported the officers to Colonel Smith, who was 
 marching up the road. 1 
 
 The bell and the drumbeat, the lights in Buckman's 
 tavern and the other houses, the minute-men in line by 
 the meetinghouse, had quickened the imagination of 
 the excited Britishers. 
 
 " The country is alarmed. It is reported there are 
 
 1 " We heard there were some hundreds of people collected there, 
 intending to oppose us and stop our going out. At five o'clock we 
 arrived there, and a number of people, I believe between two and 
 three hundred, formed on a common in the middle of the town." 
 "Diary of a British Officer," Atlantic Monthly, April, 1877.
 
 THE MORNING DRUMBEAT. 263 
 
 five hundred rebels gathered to oppose me. I shall 
 need reinforcements." Such was the message of Colo 
 nel Smith to General Gage. 
 
 He directed Major Pitcairn to push on rapidly with 
 six companies of light infantry. 
 
 " Jonathan ! Jonathan ! Get up quick ! The red 
 coats are coming and something must be done ! " 1 
 
 Abigail Harrington shouted it, bursting into her 
 son Jonathan's chamber. He had not heard the bell, 
 nor the commotion in the street. Jonathan was only 
 sixteen years old, but was fifer for the minute-men. 
 In a twinkling he was dressed, and seizing his fife ran 
 to join the company forming in line by the meeting 
 house ; answering to their names, as clerk Daniel 
 Harrington called the roll. 
 
 John Hancock and Samuel Adams hear the drum 
 beat ; Hancock seizes his gun. 
 
 " This is no place for you ; you must go to a place 
 of safety," said Keverend Mr. Clark. 
 
 " Never will I turn my back to the redcoats," said 
 Hancock. 
 
 " The country will need your counsels. Others 
 must meet the enemy face to face," was the calm, wise 
 reply of the patriotic minister. 
 
 Other friends expostulate ; they cross the road and 
 enter a thick wood crowning the hill. 
 
 " Stand your ground. If war is to come, let it begin 
 here. Don't fire till you are fired upon," said Captain 
 John Parker, walking along the lines of his company. 
 
 1 There were two Jonathan Harringtons. The fifer to the Lexington 
 minute-men was sixteen years old. He died March 27, 1854, the last 
 survivor of the battle, and was buried with distinguished honors. See 
 Hist. Lexington.
 
 264 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 The sun is just rising. Its level beams glint from 
 the brightly polished gun-barrels and bayonets of the 
 light infantry of King George, as the battalion under 
 Major Pitcairn marches towards Lexington meeting 
 house. The trees above them have put forth their 
 tender leaves. The rising sun, the green foliage, the 
 white cross-belts, the shining buckles, the scarlet coats 
 of the soldiers, and the farmers standing in line, firmly 
 grasping their muskets, make up the picture of the 
 morning. 
 
 Major Pitcairn, sitting in his saddle, beholds the 
 line of minute-men, rebels in arms against the sover 
 eign, formed in line to dispute his way. What right 
 have they to be standing there? King George is 
 supreme ! 
 
 " Disperse, you rebels ! Lay down your arms and 
 disperse ! " he shouts. 
 
 Captain John Parker hears it. The men behind 
 him, citizens in their everyday clothes, with powder- 
 horns slung under their right arms, hear it, but stand 
 firm and resolute in their places. They see the 
 Britisher raise his arm ; his pistol flashes. Instantly 
 the front platoon of redcoats raise their muskets. A 
 volley rends the air. Not a man has been injured. 
 Another volley, and a half dozen are reeling to the 
 ground. John Munroe, Jonas Parker, and their com 
 rades bring their muskets to a level and pull the 
 triggers. With the beams of the rising sun falling 
 on their faces, they accept the conflict with arbitrary 
 power. 
 
 " What a glorious morning is this ! " the exclama 
 tion of Samuel Adams on yonder hill.
 
 
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 ' THE MORNING DRUMBEAT. 265 
 
 Seven minute-men have been killed, nine wounded. 
 Captain Parker sees that it is useless for his little 
 handful of men to contend with a force ten times 
 larger, and orders them to disperse. 
 
 The redcoats look down exultantly upon the dying 
 and the dead, give a hurrah, and shoot at the fleeing 
 rebels. 1 
 
 Jonas Parker will not run. 
 
 " Others may do as they will, I never will turn my 
 back to a redcoat," he said a few minutes ago. He 
 is on his knees now, wounded, but reloading his gun. 
 The charge is rammed home, the priming in the pan, 
 but his strength is going ; his arms are weary ; his 
 hands feeble. The redcoats rush upon him, and a 
 bayonet pierces his breast. He dies where he fell. 
 
 With the blood spurting from his breast, Jonathan 
 Harrington staggers towards his home. His loving 
 wife is standing in the doorway. He reaches out his 
 arms to her, and falls dead at her feet. 
 
 Caleb Harrington falls by the meetinghouse step. 
 A ball plows through the arm of John Comee, by Mr. 
 Monroe's doorway. 
 
 The Britishers are wild with excitement, and re 
 morselessly take aim at the fleeing provincials. They 
 have conquered and dispersed the rebels. Colonel 
 Smith joins Major Pitcairn, and, glorying over the 
 easy victory, they swing their hats, hurrah for King 
 George, and march on towards Concord. 
 
 1 " We then formed on the Common, but with some difficulty. The 
 men were so wild they could hear no orders. We waited a consider 
 able time, and at length proceeded on our way to Concord, which we 
 then learned was our destination." "Diary of a British Officer," 
 Atlantic Monthly, April, 1877.
 
 XVII. 
 
 BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. 
 
 ROGER STANLEY, asleep in the old farmhouse on 
 the banks of Concord River, was aroused from slumber 
 by his mother. 
 
 " Roger ! Roger ! the meetinghouse bell is ringing ! " 
 she shouted up the stairs to him. 
 
 With a bound he was on his feet, raised the window 
 and heard the sweet-toned bell. He understood its 
 meaning, that the redcoats were coming. Quickly 
 putting on his clothes, he seized the powder-horn and 
 bullet-pouch which his father carried at Louisburg. 
 
 " You must eat something, Roger, before you go," 
 said his mother. 
 
 A moment later and his breakfast was on the table, 
 bread and butter, a slice of cold beef, a mug of cider. 
 
 " There 's no knowing when I shall be back, mother, 
 for if the war has begun, as I fear it has, I shall be 
 in the ranks till the last redcoat is driven from the 
 country." 
 
 " I know it, Roger. Your father would have done 
 just what you are doing. I know you '11 do your duty. 
 You won't show the white feather. Here 's some lunch 
 for you," she said, putting a package into his knap 
 sack. 
 
 " Good-by."
 
 w 
 
 C3 rt 
 O <u~ 
 
 o 
 O
 
 BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. 
 
 267 
 
 Her arms were about his neck ; tears were on her 
 cheeks as she kissed his lips. 
 
 He ran across the meadow to the village. The 
 minute-men and militia were gathering. In the still 
 ness of the morning they could hear the report of 
 guns far away, and knew that they of Sudbury and 
 
 Acton were hearing 
 the alarm. People 
 were hurrying to and 
 fro in the village, 
 
 of flour into 
 carts, removing 
 the supplies pur 
 chased by the 
 committee of 
 safety. Rever 
 end Mr. Emer 
 son was there 
 with his gun and 
 powder - horn. 
 Many times 
 Roger had listened to his preaching. It was gratify 
 ing to see him ready to stand in the ranks with his 
 parishioners. He told the women not to be fright 
 ened, and smiled upon the boys who took off their 
 hats, and the girls who courtesied to him. 
 
 Route of the British to Concord.
 
 268 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 They heard, far away, the drumbeat of the advan 
 cing British. 
 
 No messengers had arrived to inform the minute- 
 men of Concord what had happened at Lexington ; 
 for Doctor Prescott did not know that British muskets 
 had fired a fatal volley. 
 
 From the burial ground Roger could look far down 
 the road and see the sunlight glinting from the bayo 
 nets of the grenadiers, as the red-coated platoons 
 emerged from the woodland into the open highway. 
 
 Major Buttrick with the minute-men and Colonel 
 Barrett with the militia formed in line by the liberty 
 pole. 
 
 " Prime and load ! " his order. 
 
 Roger poured the powder into the palm of his hand, 
 emptied it into the gun, and rammed it home with a 
 ball. Never had he experienced such a sensation as 
 at the moment. He was not doing it to take aim at 
 a deer or fox, but to send it through the heart of a 
 fellow-being if need be ; to maintain justice and lib 
 erty. He could die in their defense ; why should it 
 trouble him, then, to think of shooting those who were 
 assailing what he held so dear? 
 
 " I am doing right. Liberty shall live, cost what 
 it may," he said to himself as he poured the priming 
 into the pan. 
 
 On in serried ranks came the British. 
 
 " We are too few, they are three to our one. We 
 must cross the river and wait till we are stronger," 
 said Colonel Barrett. 
 
 They were only two hundred. They filed into the 
 road, marched past the Reverend Mr. Emerson's house
 
 BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. 269 
 
 to the north bridge, crossed the river, and came to a 
 halt on a hill overlooking the meadows, the village, and 
 surrounding country. They could see the British divid 
 ing, one party crossing the south bridge and going 
 towards Colonel Barrett's house to destroy the supplies 
 collected there ; another party advancing to the north 
 bridge. Roger saw groups of officers in the grave 
 yard using their spy-glasses. A soldier was cutting 
 down the liberty pole. Other soldiers were entering 
 houses, helping themselves to what food was left on 
 the breakfast-tables or in the pantries. Colonel Smith 
 and Major Pitcairn rested themselves in Mr. Wright's 
 tavern. 
 
 " I '11 stir the Yankee blood before night, just as I 
 stir this brandy, " said Pitcairn, stirring the spirit in 
 his tumbler with his finger. 
 
 A party of British crossed the south bridge, made 
 their way to Colonel Barrett's house, and burned the 
 the cannon carriages stored in his barn. 
 
 Roger was glad to see Captain Isaac Davis and the 
 minute-men of Acton march up the hill to join them. 
 Captain Davis was thirty years old. He had kissed 
 his young wife and four children good-by. 
 
 " Take good care of the children, Hannah," he said 
 as he bade her farewell. 
 
 Twice a week he had drilled his company. He was 
 brave, resolute, kind-hearted. His men loved him be 
 cause he demanded strict obedience. They had stopped 
 long enough at his home for his young wife to powder 
 their hair, that they might appear neat and trim like 
 gentlemen when meeting the British. They were 
 thirty-five, all told. Keeping step to Luther Blan-
 
 270 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 chard's fifing of the White Cockade, and Francis 
 Barker's drumming, they marched past the men from 
 Concord and formed on their left. 
 
 THE WHITE COCKADE. 
 
 =t=; 
 
 ^ 
 
 -0 - 
 
 = 

 
 BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. 271 
 
 " Order arms ! " They rested their muskets on the 
 ground and wiped the perspiration from their fore 
 heads. 
 
 Men from Westford, Lincoln, and Carlisle are arriv 
 ing. They are four hundred now. The officers stand 
 apart, talking in low tones. The redcoats had 
 crossed the bridge to the western bank. 
 
 " Let us drive the redcoats across the river," said 
 Captain Smith. 
 
 "I haven't a man that is afraid," said Captain 
 Davis. 
 
 He was heavy-hearted in the early morning when 
 he kissed the young wife and took the baby from the 
 cradle in his arms, but is resolute now. 
 
 " Attention, battalion ! Trail arms ! Left in front ! 
 March ! " Luther Blanchard pipes the tune, and the 
 battalion the men of Acton leading descends the 
 hill. 
 
 The redcoats had recrossed the river and were tak 
 ing up the planks of the bridge. A moment later 
 muskets flash beneath the elms and maples along the 
 farthest bank and there is a whistling of bullets in 
 the air. Roger's heart is in his throat, but he gulps 
 it down. Another volley, and Captain Davis, Abner 
 Hosmer, and Luther Blanchard reel to the ground. 
 Never again will Hannah receive a parting kiss, or the 
 father caress the baby crooning in the cradle. 1 
 
 " Fire ! For God's sake, fire ! " shouts Major But- 
 trick. Roger cocks his gun, takes aim at the line of scar- 
 
 1 " The fire soon began from a dropping shot on our side, when 
 they and the front company fired almost at the same instant." 
 " Diary of a British Officer," Atlantic Monthly, April, 1877.
 
 272 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 let beneath the trees and pulls the trigger. Through 
 the smoke he sees men throw up their arms and tum 
 ble to the ground. The scarlet line dissolves, the 
 soldiers fleeing in confusion. No longer is Roger's 
 heart in his throat. His nerves are iron and the hot 
 blood is coursing through his veins. King George 
 has begun the war ; no longer is he his subject, but a 
 rebel, never more to owe him allegiance. 
 
 The forenoon wore away. The British were return 
 ing from Colonel Barrett's, having destroyed the cannon 
 carriages, thrown some bullets into a well, and broken 
 open several barrels of flour. It was past noon when 
 they formed in line once more to return to Boston. 
 
 " We will head them off at Merriam's Corner," said 
 Colonel Barrett. 
 
 The planks which the British had removed from 
 the bridge were quickly replaced. The minute-men 
 crossed the stream, turned into a field to the left, and 
 hastened over the meadow to the road leading to Bed 
 ford. It was past three o'clock when they reached Mr. 
 Merriam's house. Roger saw the British marching 
 down the road. Suddenly a platoon wheeled towards 
 the minute-men and brought their guns to a level. 
 There was a flash, a white cloud, and bullets whistled 
 over their heads. Once more he took aim, as did 
 others, and Several redcoats fell. Before he could 
 reload, the serried ranks disappeared, marching rapidly 
 towards Lexington. The minute-men hastened on, 
 and at the tavern of Mr. Brooks he sent another 
 bullet into the ranks of the retreating foe. 1 
 
 1 " We set out upon our return. Before the whole had quitted the
 
 BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. 273 
 
 " Scatter now ! Get upon their flank ! Pepper 
 'em from behind walls and trees ! " shouted Colonel 
 Barrett, who saw that it would be useless to follow the 
 retreating enemy in battalion order, but each man, 
 acting for himself, could run through fields and pas 
 tures and keep up a tormenting fire. 
 
 Acting upon the order, Roger and James Heywood 
 ran through a piece of woods towards Fiske Hill. 
 They came upon a British soldier drinking at a well 
 by a house. 
 
 " You are a dead man," shouted the redcoat, rais 
 ing his gun. 
 
 " So are you," said Heywood. Their muskets 
 flashed and both fell, the Britisher with a bullet 
 through his heart, and Heywood mortally wounded. 
 
 From -rock heap, tree, fence, and thicket the guns of 
 the minute-men were flashing. The soldiers who had 
 marched so proudly, keeping step to the drumbeat in 
 the morning, were running now. No hurrah went up 
 as at sunrise on Lexington Common. There was no 
 halting at Buckman's tavern, where they had fired 
 their first volley. Their ranks were in confusion. 
 Officers were trying to rally them, threatening to cut 
 them down with their swords if they did not show a 
 bold front to the minute-men, but the Yankees seemed 
 to be everywhere and yet nowhere. Bullets were 
 coming from every direction, yet the British could see 
 no men in line, no ranks at which they could take aim 
 or charge with the bayonet. They were still twelve 
 
 town we were fired on from houses and behind trees, and hef ore we 
 had gone half a mile we were fired on from all sides, but mostly from 
 the rear, where the people had hid themselves in houses till we passed." 
 " Diary of a British Officer," Atlantic Monthly, April, 1877.
 
 274 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 miles from Boston, and their ammunition failing. 
 They were worn and weary with the all-night march, 
 and were hungry and thirsty. The road was strewn 
 with their fallen comrades. The wounded were in 
 creasing in number, impeding their retreat. Their 
 ranks were broken. All was confusion. Every mo 
 ment some one was falling. 1 Blessed the sight that 
 greeted them, the brigade of Earl Percy, drawn up 
 in hollow square by Mr. Munroe's tavern, with two 
 cannon upon the hillocks by the roadside. They 
 rushed into the square and dropped upon the ground, 
 panting and exhausted with their rapid retreat. 
 
 Roger halted a few minutes on Lexington Green, 
 where the conflict began in the morning. He saw the 
 ground stained with the blood of those who had fallen, 
 crossed the threshold where Jonathan Harrington 
 had died in the arms of his wife. Across the Common 
 the house and barn of Joseph Loring were in flames, 
 set on fire by the British. 
 
 Earl Percy's troops were ransacking the houses a 
 little farther down the road. In Mr. Munroe's tav 
 ern they were compelling old John Raymond to bring 
 them food, and because he could not give them what 
 they wanted, sent a bullet through his heart. 2 
 
 1 " They were so concealed there was hardly any seeing them. In 
 this way we marched between nine and ten miles, their numbers increas 
 ing from all parts, while ours was reducing by deaths, wounds, and 
 fatigue, and we were totally surrounded with such an incessant fire 
 as it is impossible to conceive. Our ammunition was likewise near 
 expended." " Diary of a British Officer," Atlantic Monthly, April, 1877. 
 
 1 " We marched pretty quiet for about two miles, when they began 
 to pepper us again. We were now obliged to force almost every house 
 in the road, for the rebels had taken possession of them and galled us 
 exceedingly ; but they suffered for their temerity, for all that were
 
 BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. 275 
 
 Once more the British were on the march. 
 
 Roger, rested and invigorated, ran through a 
 pasture, crouched behind a bowlder, rested his gun 
 upon it, and sent a bullet into the ranks. He was 
 delighted when Doctor Joseph Warren came galloping 
 over the hill. The doctor said he left Boston in the 
 morning, rode to Cambridge and Watertown, then 
 hastened on to Lexington. He was glad the minute- 
 men and militia had resisted the British. While 
 talking with Roger and those around him, a bullet 
 whizzed past the doctor's head, knocking a pin from 
 his ear-lock. 
 
 The rattling fire of the minute-men was increasing 
 once more, answered by volleys from Percy's pla 
 toons. The British, smarting under the tormenting 
 fusilade, angry over the thought that they were being 
 assailed by a rabble of farmers and were on the de 
 fensive, became wanton and barbaric, pillaging houses, 
 and murdering inoffensive old men. 
 
 Roger was delighted to hear from Jonathan Lor- 
 ing, one of the Lexington minute-men, how his sister 
 Lydia, fearing that the British would steal the com 
 munion cups and platters belonging to the church of 
 which her father was deacon, took them in her apron, 
 ran out into the orchard, and hid them under a pile 
 of brush. 
 
 found in the houses were put to death." " Diary of a British Officer," 
 Atlantic Monthly, April, 1877. 
 
 Earl Percy made the tavern of Mr. Munroe his headquarters. 
 
 " A party entered the tavern and, helping themselves, or rather 
 compelling the inmates of the house to help them to whatever they 
 wanted, they treacherously and with ruthlessness shot down John 
 Raymond, an infirm old man, only because he, alarmed at this rough 
 ness and brutal conduct, was about leaving the house to seek a place 
 of greater safety." Hudson's Hist, of Lexington.
 
 276 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Pitiful it was to see Widow Mulliken's house in 
 flames, wantonly set on fire by the red-coated 
 ruffians. 
 
 Roger saw a soldier deliberately raise his gun, take 
 aim, and send a bullet through the heart of Jason 
 Russel, an old gray-haired man, standing in his own 
 door. Again, at closer range, he took aim at the 
 retreating column. 
 
 His indignation was aroused as he listened to the 
 story told by Hannah Adams, a few minutes later. 
 She was in bed in her chamber, with a new-born babe 
 at her breast, when two redcoats entered the room. 
 One pointed his musket at her. 
 
 " For the Lord's sake, do not kill me," she said. 
 
 " I am going to shoot you," the soldier replied, 
 with an oath. 
 
 " No, you must n't shoot a woman," said the other, 
 pushing aside the gun, " but we are going to set the 
 house on fire, and you must get out." 
 
 With the babe in her arms, she crawled down 
 stairs and into the yard. 
 
 The soldiers scattered the coals from the fireplace 
 around the room, and left, but the older children ran 
 in and put out the flames. 
 
 At Mr. Cooper's tavern was a ghastly sight ; upon 
 the floor lay the mangled bodies of Jason Wyman 
 and Jesse Winship, two old men, who had come from 
 their homes to learn the news. They were drinking 
 toddy, when the head of Earl Percy's retreating 
 troops arrived, and fired a volley into the house. The 
 landlord and his wife fled to the cellar. The British 
 swarmed into the tavern, mangled the bodies of the
 
 BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. 277 
 
 two old men with bayonet thrusts, and scattered their 
 brains around the room. 
 
 In the morning Roger had felt some qualms of 
 conscience as he took aim at the scarlet line of men 
 by Concord River, but now to him the redcoats 
 were fiends in human form. It gave him fresh cour 
 age to see Samuel Whittemore, eighty years old, 
 come running with his musket, taking deliberate aim, 
 firing three times, and bringing down a redcoat 
 every time he pulled the trigger. But a soldier 
 leaped from the ranks, ran upon and shot the old 
 man, stabbed him with his bayonet, beat him with 
 the butt of his musket, leaving him for dead. 1 
 
 Roger swung his hat to welcome Captain Gideon 
 Foster of Danvers, and his company, who had marched 
 sixteen miles in four hours, coming upon the British 
 at Menotomy meetinghouse. A moment later they 
 were in the thick of the fight. 
 
 It was a thrilling story which Timothy Monroe had 
 to tell, how he and Daniel Town send fired, and each 
 brought down a redcoat, and then ran into a house ; 
 how the British surrounded it, and killed Townsend ; 
 how he leaped through a window and ran, with a 
 whole platoon firing at him, riddling his clothes with 
 bullets, yet escaping without a scratch. 
 
 Again Roger rejoiced when he learned that before 
 Earl Percy reached Menotomy a company of men 
 had captured his baggage wagons, killing and wound 
 ing several British soldiers, and that the attacking 
 party were led by Reverend Philip Payson, the min 
 ister of Chelsea. 
 
 1 He was not dead, however, but lived many years.
 
 278 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 It was almost sunset when Roger held his horn up 
 to the light once more, and saw there was little more 
 than enough powder for one charge, and that there 
 were only two bullets in the pouch. He decided to 
 put in all the powder and both bullets for his parting- 
 shot. Another half hour and they would be under the 
 protection of the guns of the frigate Somerset. The 
 minute-men were getting so near and were so deter 
 mined that Earl Percy ordered the cannon to unlim- 
 ber and open fire, while the soldiers, almost upon the 
 run, hastened towards Charlestown. 
 
 Roger, having reloaded his gun, made haste to 
 overtake them. Looking along the road, he saw a 
 crowd of panic-stricken people men, women, and 
 children fleeing from their houses. The picture of 
 the scene of Menotomy had stamped itself into his 
 memory. This last shot should be his best. Not 
 now would he crouch behind a fence, a tree, or 
 bowlder. He would confront the murderers like a 
 man. He walked deliberately forward. He was by 
 a farmhouse, so near the last file of soldiers which 
 had halted to ward off the minute-men a moment, 
 that he could see the whites of their eyes. He aimed 
 at the cross-belt of a man in the middle of the file, 
 and pulled the trigger. He caught a glimpse of a 
 man falling, but found himself reeling to the ground. 
 A bullet had pierced his breast. The British passed 
 on. A woman came from the house, and looked 
 down into his face. 
 
 " A drink of water, please marm," he said. 
 
 She ran to the well, sank the bucket into it, 
 brought a gourd full, and came and crouched by his 
 head while he drank.
 
 BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. 279 
 
 " Thank you, marm." 
 
 He looked up into her face a moment. 
 
 " I think I am going," he whispered. 
 
 She pillowed his head upon her arm, laid back the 
 hair from his manly brow, and fanned him with her 
 apron. 
 
 " Please tell her," he whispered. 
 
 "Tell who?" 
 
 She bowed her head to catch the word. 
 
 "Tell Rachel." 
 
 The mild blue eyes were looking far away. A 
 smile like the light of the morning came upon his 
 face. One more breath, and he was one of the forty- 
 nine who, during the day, gave their lives that they 
 might inaugurate a new era in the republic of God.
 
 XVIII. 
 
 BESIEGED. 
 
 THOMAS GAGE, governor, commanding his majesty's 
 forces in America, was sitting in the Province House, 
 greatly disturbed in mind. The expedition to Con 
 cord had not resulted as he expected. The troops 
 had marched out bravely, destroyed a few barrels of 
 flour, disabled half a dozen old cannon, burned some 
 carriage wheels, but had returned to Boston on the 
 run like a flock of sheep worried by dogs. The 
 Tories had informed him that a couple of regiments 
 could march from one end of the continent to the 
 other, but the events of the preceding day were open 
 ing his eyes to a far different state of affairs. Till 
 within a few hours the country had been at peace : 
 farmers following the plow ; blacksmiths hammering 
 iron ; carpenters pushing the plane. All had changed. 
 Thousands were under arms, gathering at Cambridge 
 and Roxbury. The Colonies were aflame, not 
 only Massachusetts, but New Hampshire, Rhode 
 Island, and Connecticut. The troops which marched 
 to Concord so proudly were back in Boston, not all : 
 twenty-three had been killed, two hundred wounded 
 and missing. Eighteen of the officers had been killed 
 or wounded. Governor Gage could not gainsay the 
 fact that the citizens were victors. They had followed
 
 BESIEGED. 
 
 281 
 
 the troops to Charlestown till nightfall, like a swarm 
 of angry hornets. A great army was closing around 
 him, cutting off his supplies. No more fresh beef 
 or mutton would be for sale in the market ; no teams 
 would bring potatoes and cabbages for the soldiers. 
 
 Province House. 
 
 What would King George say ? What would the min 
 istry think ? What would they do ? How would the 
 people of England regard his administration of affairs ? 
 The unexpected had happened He had not dreamed 
 of such an uprising. What course should he pursue ?
 
 282 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 All Boston was in commotion. People were packing 
 their goods on carts, loading them on boats to flee 
 from the town. Women were wringing their hands, 
 children crying, fathers walking the streets with care 
 worn faces, not knowing whither to go or what to do. 
 Officers were gathering at the Province House await 
 ing orders and talking of what had happened, and 
 smarting under the thought that the retreat had been 
 a flight and almost a panic. It was a humiliating 
 reflection that disciplined soldiers had been put upon 
 the run by a rabble of countrymen. Earl Percy, after 
 a sleepless night, weary and travel-worn, was gladly 
 welcomed by Governor Gage. He told the story of 
 the retreat. 
 
 "If it had not been, your excellency, for my timely 
 arrival, I fear few of Lieutenant-Colonel Smith's 
 troops would have escaped, as they were completely 
 exhausted, their ammunition gone, and the men upon 
 the run. I am free to say that I was completely 
 astonished. I formed my brigade in hollow square, 
 and his men threw themselves on the ground with 
 their tongues lolling from their mouths," he said. 
 
 " It is plain that you marched none too soon," the 
 governor replied. 
 
 " I cannot account for such a sudden uprising. I 
 saw very few rebels. There were no organized bodies 
 of rebels to be seen, not more than twenty or thirty 
 in a group ; but they were all around us, firing from 
 fences, rocks, trees, ditches, houses. If we charged 
 and drove them, they were back again the moment we 
 resumed our march. I must admit they were brave 
 and persistent. They were like so many wasps," 
 said the earl.
 
 BESIEGED. 283 
 
 " I learn," said the governor, " that several thou 
 sand armed men have already gathered at Cambridge 
 and Roxbury. A loyal citizen informs me they have 
 been arriving through the night in great numbers. It 
 seems probable that we are to be hemmed in by the 
 provincials for the present, and must make prepara 
 tions accordingly." 
 
 Fast and far the alarm had gone. Twenty-four 
 hours and it was one hundred miles away, and Robert 
 Walden of Rumford with bullet-pouch, powder-horn, 
 and musket was on his way, as were Colonel John 
 Stark, Captain Daniel Moore of Derryfield, and hun-' 
 dreds of others in New Hampshire, Israel Putnam, 
 Thomas Knowlton of Connecticut, and their fellow- 
 citizens, all animated by one thought, to resist the 
 armed aggressions of the myrmidons of the king. 
 There was a brave heart behind Rachel's quivering 
 lips when she pressed them to Robert's. 
 
 " Roger is sure to be there. Tell him I think of 
 him every night before I go to sleep." Little did 
 they know that he was being borne to his last resting- 
 place on the banks of the winding river. 
 
 Robert was glad to learn when he reached Medford 
 that John Stark was to be colonel of the New Hamp 
 shire troops. 
 
 Tom Brandon was working day and night to help 
 people obtain passes from General Gage and leave the 
 town. More than five thousand closed their houses 
 and took their departure. 1 The governor would not 
 
 1 For a week after the affair at Lexington and Concord, Governor 
 Gage refused the request of the people to leave the town, but the 
 growing scarcity of provisions compelled him to permit their departure.
 
 284 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 allow any one to take their guns or swords, or any 
 thing- which would in any way contribute to the suc 
 cess of the provincials. 
 
 The soldiers from Rumford, having unbounded con 
 fidence in Robert Walden, elected him lieutenant. 
 When General Artemus Ward, commanding the troops 
 at Cambridge, asked Colonel Stark if he had a trust 
 worthy young man whom he could recommend to exe 
 cute an important order, Lieutenant Walden was se 
 lected and directed to report at general headquarters. 
 He was kindly received and informed he was to 
 negotiate with the British for an exchange of prisoners. 
 
 Mounted upon his horse, Lieutenant Walden rode 
 to Charlestown Neck, and from thence to the top of 
 Bunker Hill to obtain a view of Boston and the har 
 bor. He saw the warships were swinging at anchor 
 in the stream. Across the river were the silent streets 
 of the besieged town. He could distinguish the home 
 of Captain Brandon, and the Green Dragon Tavern, 
 its doors closed. It was not these buildings, however, 
 that most interested him, but a mansion on the slope 
 of Beacon Hill, with its surrounding grounds, - the 
 Newville home. The window of Miss Newville's 
 chamber was open, the curtain drawn aside. His spy 
 glass made it seem very near. How would she greet 
 him were they to meet again ? Would she be changed 
 by the changing circumstances ? Would she, daughter 
 of a loyalist, deign to notice him, a rebel? Blessed 
 vision ! A figure in white appeared at the window. 
 It was she for whom he could lay down his life, if 
 need be. Oh, if he could but reach out his hand to 
 her, hear once more the voice that had thrilled him
 
 BESIEGED. 285 
 
 in the past ! She stood by the window, looking upon 
 the flowers blooming in the garden. The vision was 
 but for a moment, for the window was soon closed 
 and the curtain drawn. He descended the hill, rode 
 through the village to the ferry landing, displaying a 
 white flag. It was answered by the waving of an 
 other on the deck of the Lively warship. Then a 
 boat brought a lieutenant of the fleet to the shore. 
 
 "Who are you and what do you want?" the curt 
 question of the Britisher. 
 
 " I am commissioned by the commander-in-chief of 
 the provincial army to ask if it will be agreeable to 
 General Gage to make an exchange of prisoners?" 
 
 " The rebel army, you mean." 
 
 " I said provincial, but if it suits you any better to 
 think of the Americans as rebels, I will not object. 
 We are rebels against tyranny and oppression, as I 
 trust we always shall be. We have several officers of 
 the king's troops in our hands, and you have some of 
 our men. If an exchange is desired by General Gage, 
 I am empowered to arrange the details," Robert said 
 with calm dignity. 
 
 The Britisher bowed, and the boat pulled back to 
 the ship, returning again after a time with an officer 
 commissioned to make arrangements for the transfer. 
 
 The sun was nearing the hour of noon, three days 
 later, when Lieutenant Walden, accompanied by Gen 
 eral Putnam, Doctor Warren, and a detail of soldiers, 
 conducted the British officers and men to the ferry 
 landing, meeting Major Moncrief and other British 
 officers, with the provincial prisoners in their keeping. 
 The British soldiers, with tears upon their faces,
 
 286 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 thanked Doctor Warren for the kind treatment they 
 had received. The Americans had no thanks to give 
 for what they had received 011 the strawless floor of 
 the jail, the prison fare for food. Lieutenant Walden 
 had engaged a dinner in the tavern. The landlord set 
 forth his choicest wine. Putnam and Moncrief , being 
 old acquaintances, chatted of the days at Ticonderoga 
 while partaking of the viands and quaffing glasses of 
 madeira. 
 
 "While the white flag is waving we will not let 
 our differences mar the pleasure of the hour," said 
 Doctor Warren, who delighted the company with his 
 wit. Dinner over, there was a shaking of hands, 
 expressions of personal good-will, and courteous salutes. 
 With the furling of the white flag they were enemies 
 once more. 
 
 Ships were arriving from England bringing Gen 
 eral William Howe, General Henry Clinton, and 
 General John Burgoyne, with several thousand troops 
 to carry on the war. Every morning Miss Newville 
 heard the drums beating the reveille and in the even 
 ing the tattoo. Many officers called at the hospitable 
 home of Honorable Theodore Newville to enjoy the 
 society of his charming daughter, who received them 
 with grace and dignity. 
 
 With no fresh provisions in the market, the dinners 
 given by Mr. Newville to the generals Howe, Clinton, 
 and Burgoyne was not so elaborate as that to Lord 
 Upperton, but more appetizing than those on ship 
 board while crossing the Atlantic. It was a plea 
 sure to General Howe to escort Miss Newville to the 
 dining-room, sit by her side, and listen to a voice that
 
 BESIEGED. 287 
 
 charmed him by its purity and sweetness. A lady so 
 highly endowed, and with such grace of manner, would 
 adorn any home, even the drawing-room of her ma 
 jesty the queen. 
 
 The home of Mrs. Martha Duncan, with its shrub 
 bery and garden neatly kept, was selected by General 
 Howe as a residence. He hoped it would not greatly 
 inconvenience her ; he would gladly remunerate her 
 for any trouble he might make. It would be a plea 
 sure to have her for a hostess. His own servant 
 would attend to his personal wants. 
 
 " Of course, mother," said Abraham, " we cannot 
 prevent him from taking possession of our home ; we 
 may as well make the best of it, accept the inevitable, 
 and spoil the Egyptians if we can. He seems to be a 
 gentleman, a man of honor, and will, doubtless, pay us 
 well. Besides, possibly we may learn something that 
 can be turned to good account, if we keep our eyes. 
 and ears open, and our wits about us." 
 
 " It will be only a plain table, my lord, I can provide. 
 Since the provincials have closed around us, the mar 
 ket has been bare of provisions," said Mrs. Duncan. 
 
 " I am aware of it, madam, but I doubt not you 
 will be able to furnish appetizing food, possibly a joint 
 of roast mutton from the flocks of sheep accessible to 
 us on the islands in the harbor, a fresh mackerel or 
 cod. We are not yet shut in from the sea, and possi 
 bly we may soon have free access to the surrounding 
 country, for I hear there is much discontent among the 
 provincials, and their numbers are rapidly melting 
 away, now that the first excitement is over," responded 
 Lord Howe.
 
 288 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Possibly I may be able to provide early vegeta 
 bles, lettuce, dandelions, greens, asparagus, and 
 water-cresses, my lord, if you will allow my negro ser 
 vant, Cato, to pass the patrol to Charlestown," said 
 Mrs. Duncan. 
 
 " I will give him such permission," he replied, writ 
 ing a pass, directing the sentinels along the wharves, 
 and the marine patrol in the harbor, to pass the 
 negro servant, Cato. 
 
 Not only Cato, but Mrs. Duncan and her son, Abra 
 ham, ship-carver and artist, were attentive to the wants 
 of General Howe, receiving shining guineas in return. 
 It was a pleasure to the British commander, just ar 
 rived from England, to talk with a young gentleman 
 so well informed and of such attainments as the son of 
 his hostess. 
 
 " I dare say, Mr. Duncan, you are quite well ac 
 quainted with the country around Boston ? " said his 
 lordship. 
 
 " I have been up the Charles and Mystic by boat 
 many times, my lord, and visited Cambridge to enjoy 
 the festivities of Class Day, and the orations of gradu 
 ates at Commencement. I have rambled the Roxbury 
 fields and pastures for strawberries, and am pretty 
 well acquainted with the various localities." 
 
 General Howe spread out a map and asked many 
 questions in regard to the surrounding hills, valleys, 
 woods, and cleared lands. He was surprised to see 
 how well Mr. Duncan could sketch them in with his 
 pencil upon the map which Ensign De Berniere had 
 drawn. Lord Howe introduced him to Generals 
 Pigot and Clinton, who were pleased with the intelli 
 gent replies to their questions.
 
 BESIEGED. 289 
 
 There came a day in June when Abraham heard 
 General Howe say to the other commanders that the 
 Charlestown Hills ought to be occupied at once, for 
 fear the rebels might seize them. Were they to do 
 so, Boston might be bombarded, and the ships driven 
 from their anchorage. 
 
 " Doctor Warren and General Ward ought to know 
 that," Abraham said to himself. 
 
 There were only a few words in the letter which 
 Abraham Duncan tucked under the cuff of Cato's 
 coat-sleeve the next morning, when he stepped into his 
 boat to cross the river and gather young asparagus 
 and water-cresses for General Howe's dinner. Cato 
 was directed to hand the slip of paper to Deacon Lar- 
 kin's negro, Jim, who would know what to do with it. 
 
 Faithful and true to their kind-hearted masters 
 were Cato and Jim, passing the letter from hand to 
 hand, till it reached Doctor Joseph Warren in consul 
 tation with General Artemus Ward and the committee 
 of safety in Cambridge. 
 
 " Bunker's Hill is to be occupied at once." l 
 
 That was all, except an ink blot. 
 
 " It is authentic, from a trustworthy Son of Lib 
 erty," said Doctor Warren. 
 
 " It has no signature," said General Ward. 
 
 " Therefore is not treasonable. Besides, it does not 
 state who is to occupy Bunker's Hill, the British or 
 ourselves," the doctor replied. 
 
 1 The two eminences in Charlestown were named Breed's and Bun 
 ker's Hill respectively, that upon which the redoubt was constructed 
 was Breed's Hill ; the rail fence behind which the troops from New 
 Hampshire fought was on the slope of Bunker's Hill.
 
 290 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " How do you know it is genuine from the writ- 
 ing?" 
 
 " No ; the hand is disguised. Nevertheless, I know 
 the writer. He informs me that the British intend to 
 take possession of Charlestown Heights." 1 
 
 " Are you sure it is authentic information ? " 
 
 " I have no doubt of it. The writer is in position 
 to learn what they intend to do. He is a very quiet 
 man, but has his eyes and ears open. It is not the 
 first time he has shown his devotion to our cause. 
 You say he has not signed it ; true he has not written 
 his name, not even the initials, yet his signature is 
 upon the sheet, the insignificant ink-blot. It would 
 not be accepted as testimony in a court-martial, but 
 it is sufficient for me," said Doctor Warren. 
 
 With the letter came a copy of a proclamation is 
 sued by General Gage. No longer were the selectmen 
 of any towns in the Province of Massachusetts to have 
 anything to say. Martial law was to supersede civil 
 authority. The provincial soldiers were rebels and 
 traitors who must lay down their arms at once and go 
 home, if they would hope for pardon ; but there was 
 no pardon for Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who 
 must pay the extreme penalty of the law for inciting 
 the people to rebel against their kind and lenient 
 king. 
 
 " We ask no favor of King George ; he began the 
 war, we will end it," said the soldiers as they read 
 the proclamation. 
 
 1 General Gage at the outset saw the value of Charlestown Heights 
 from the military standpoint, but was not able to make any move 
 ment to take possession of the ground till the arrival of his reinforce 
 ments.
 
 XIX. 
 
 BUNKEE HILL. 
 
 IF the British regarded Charlestown Heights of 
 such importance, why should not the provincials seize 
 them ? It must be done. Twilight was still linger 
 ing on the western horizon when the troops selected 
 for the expedition paraded on Cambridge Common. 
 Colonel William Prescott was to command them. He 
 had fought at Louisburg, and was cool and brave* 
 With uncovered heads the regiments stood in front 
 of the meetinghouse while Reverend Mr. Langdon, 
 president of the college, offered prayer. Lieutenant 
 Walden, having been upon Bunker Hill, led the way, 
 followed by soldiers from Connecticut and Massachu 
 setts, and two carts loaded with picks and shovels. 
 They marched in silence. Lieutenant Walden con 
 ducted them across the Neck and up the slope of the 
 Hill. It was nearly midnight before it was decided 
 just where Colonel Gridley should mark out the con 
 templated fortifications. 1 Lieutenant Walden con- 
 
 1 The orders to Prescott contained no definite instructions in regard 
 to which of the hills should be fortified, and the veteran engineer, 
 Gridley, doubted whether it would be best to begin the works on the 
 highest eminence, or the lower one, nearer the shipping. It seems 
 probable his intention was to construct works on both hills, but a lack 
 of picks and shovels compelled him to confine his work to the single 
 redoubt on Breed's Hill.
 
 292 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 ducted Captain Nutting and ten sentinels to the 
 ferry landing. They were but a little distance from 
 the frigate Somerset at anchor in the stream. Far 
 ther up, towards Lechmere's Point, were the Glasgow, 
 Cerberus, and Symetry. Down the river, off Moul- 
 ton's Point, lay the Lively and Falcon. 
 
 Leaving the sentinels to guard the shore, he rode to 
 the summit of the hill, where the men were hard at 
 work, delving in silence with pick and spade. There 
 were not sufficient implements for all, but when one 
 was out of breath, another took his place, and before 
 the first glimmer of dawn appeared, the trench had 
 been made breast deep. 
 
 " Four o'clock and all 's well ! " came from the sen 
 tinel on the Somerset, but a moment later a sheet of 
 flame and a white cloud burst from the side of the 
 Lively, and the roar of a gun broke the stillness of 
 the morning. 
 
 The thunder rolled far away, arousing the British 
 army, the people of Boston, General Gage, and Lord 
 Howe from their slumbers. Berinthia Brandon, from 
 her chamber window, beheld the warship Lively 
 shrouded in smoke. Upon the green hill, where, the 
 day before, the farmers had been swinging their 
 scythes, and where the partially cured hay was lying- 
 in windrows, she could see a bank of yellow earth. 
 Again the thunder of the guns jarred her window, but 
 at a signal from the Somerset the firing ceased. 
 
 Before sunrise all Boston was astir, moving towards 
 Copp's Hill, gazing from windows and roofs upon the 
 growing fortifications. Generals Gage and Howe 
 ascended the steeple of Christ Church and looked at
 
 BUNKER HILL. 293 
 
 the embankment with their telescopes. 1 A little later 
 officers were hurrying along the streets with orders to 
 the several regiments to be ready to march at a mo 
 ment's notice. Drums were beating; battalions mov 
 ing towards Long Wharf, the selected rendezvous, 
 from whence the troops were to be transported in 
 boats to Moulton's Point, ascend the hill, and send the 
 provincials flying from their chosen position. 
 
 Such was the information brought to the Brandon 
 home by Abraham Duncan. 
 
 " You will have a splendid chance to see the battle 
 from the housetop," he said to Captain Brandon. 
 
 Cannon carriages were rumbling through the street, 
 passing the Brandon home, wheeling into the burial 
 ground, and coming into position. The gunners 
 loaded the pieces and lighted their port fires, waved 
 their lint-stocks, and touched them to the priming. 
 Flames and smoke belched from the muzzle of the 
 guns with deafening roar, sending the missiles upon the 
 fortification. 
 
 While the cannoneers were reloading the guns, 
 Berinthia, upon the housetop with a telescope, saw a 
 man leap up from the intrenchment and stand in full 
 view upon the bank of earth, swinging his hat and 
 shaking his fist. 
 
 " Oh father ! mother ! it is Tom ! He 's swinging 
 his hat ! Just see him ! " she cried. 
 
 Again the cannon flamed, but with the flashing 
 Tom leaped back into the trench and was safe from 
 the shot. 
 
 1 The headquarters of General Gage were in the house of Mr. Gal- 
 loup, on Hull Street, a stone's-throw from Christ Church The house, 
 a two-story wooden building with a gambrel roof, is still standing 
 
 (1895).
 
 294 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I 'm glad he 's there. He 's got the true stuff in 
 him," said Mr. Brandon. 
 
 " I 'm afraid he '11 be killed ! " exclaimed Mrs. Bran 
 don, manifesting the mother's solicitude and love. 
 
 " I glory in his pluck," said Berinthia. 
 
 People came from other sections of the town to be 
 hold the impending battle. 
 
 " May we presume to trespass upon your hospitality, 
 Captain Brandon," asked Mr. Newville, " and, if you 
 have room, see this approaching contest from your 
 housetop ? " 
 
 " Certainly. We give you and your family hearty 
 welcome. We doubtless shall see it from different 
 political standpoints ; you are truly loyal to the king ; 
 my sympathies, as you know, are with the provincials, 
 but that shall not diminish our personal friendship or 
 my hospitality," Captain Brandon replied, escorting 
 Mr. and Mrs. Newville and Miss Newville to the top 
 of the house and providing them seats. 
 
 The forenoon wore away ; Mrs. Brandon was busy 
 preparing a lunch, and Chloe soon had the table elab 
 orately supplied with ham, tongue, the whitest bread, 
 appetizing cheese, doughnuts, and crumpets. The 
 company partook of the collation, drank each a glass 
 of wine, and then ascended to the roof again. 
 
 Berinthia informed Ruth that Tom was in the re 
 doubt. She had seen him through the telescope, 
 standing on the embankment and waving his hat. 
 
 Lieutenant Robert Walden, at the moment, was 
 five miles away, in Medford town, delivering a message 
 to Colonel John Stark to hasten with his regiment to 
 Bunker Hill.
 
 BUNKER HILL. 295 
 
 The meetinghouse bell was ringing the hour of noon 
 when the drummer beat the long roll for the parading 
 of the regiment. The men filed past the quarter 
 master's tent and each received a gill of powder in his 
 horn. And then with quickened step they crossed 
 the Mystic and hastened along the road. 
 
 With the shot from the Symetry screeching around 
 them, tossing the gravel in their faces, the men from 
 New Hampshire crossed the neck of land, ascended 
 the hill, and came into position by a low stone wall 
 surmounted by rails. Lieutenant Walden's com 
 pany was nearest the Mystic River. Captain Daniel 
 Moore's came next in line. The regiment with Colo 
 nel Reed's New Hampshire regiment extended to the 
 foot of the hill, in the direction of the redoubt. 
 
 " You will inform Colonel Prescott that I have 
 arrived with my regiment and am in position," said 
 Colonel Stark. 
 
 Riding towards the redoubt, Robert saluted General 
 Putnam, who, mounted on a white horse, was going 
 along the lines, telling the men to keep cool, save their 
 powder, and aim at the cross-belts of the British. 
 
 It was a pleasure once more to meet Doctor War 
 ren, who had been appointed general, but who had 
 come as a volunteer to take part in the battle. 
 
 Colonel Prescott thanked Lieutenant Walden for 
 the information sent by Colonel Stark. He did not 
 doubt the men from New Hampshire would be as true 
 as they were in the battles of Louisburg and Ticon- 
 deroga. 1 
 
 1 There is no evidence that Colonel Stark was directed to report to 
 Colonel Prescott or any one else ; neither is there any evidence to
 
 296 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Dismounting from his horse and giving it in charge 
 of a soldier, Lieutenant Walden walked along the 
 trench, looked over the embankment upon the British 
 troops landing at Moulton's Point and forming in two 
 columns, one of which, he concluded, was intending to 
 march along the Mystic to gain the rear of the redoubt 
 and cut off the retreat of those within it. If such 
 were the contemplated movement it would be mainly 
 against the regiments of Stark and Reed. The other 
 body of troops seemed to be forming to advance di 
 rectly upon the redoubt. 
 
 While he was thus gazing, a hand clasped his arm ; 
 turning, he beheld Tom Brandon. 
 
 " I 've been wondering if you would n't be round 
 here somewhere," said Tom. 
 
 " And I have been wondering where you would be," 
 Robert replied. 
 
 " And so you are a lieutenant ? " queried Tom, 
 looking at the epaulet on his shoulder. " I congrat 
 ulate you." 
 
 " The whole family are on the roof to see the 
 battle," he continued. 
 
 " Perhaps you can bring them a little nearer with my 
 telescope," said Robert, handing him the instrument. 
 
 Tom rested it on the embankment and looked to 
 wards the house. 
 
 show that Putnam was in command. We only know that Prescott 
 was directed to occupy Charlestown Heights. Later in the war 
 Putnam, by virtue of his rank, would have been in command, or pos 
 sibly Warren, but Warren was there only as a volunteer, having been 
 appointed general the day before the battle. It seems probable that- 
 no one exercised supreme command, but Prescott, Putnam, Stark, and 
 Reed acted individually with their separate commands, as the exi 
 gencies of the moment demanded.
 
 BUNKER HILL. 297 
 
 " There 's a crowd of 'em on the roof," he said, 
 " father, mother, and Berinthia There 's a man with 
 a white wig, Mr. Newville, I guess ; and there 's a 
 girl talking with Berinthia Ruth Newville." 
 
 With quickened pulse Robert adjusted the glass to 
 his vision. Others than those mentioned by Tom 
 were upon the roof, but one figure alone engaged his 
 attention. Oh, if he could but know how she re 
 garded the impending battle ! Possibly since the 
 events on Lexington Green and at Concord bridge her 
 sympathies had been with the king. No, he could 
 not think it. The instincts of one so noble, good, 
 and large-hearted must ever be opposed to tyranny 
 and oppression. Whether favoring or opposing the 
 course of the Colonies, what matter to him ? What 
 probability of their ever meeting again? If meet 
 ing, would she ever be other than an old acquaint 
 ance ? Never had he opened his heart to her ; never 
 by word or deed informed her that she was all the 
 world to him. To her he would be only a friend of 
 other days. 
 
 He could see a tall man in a general's uniform 
 walking along the British lines. He halted, took off 
 his cocked hat, stood erect, and said something to the 
 soldiers. He concluded it was General Howe, telling 
 them they were a noble body of men, and he did not 
 doubt they would show themselves valiant soldiers. 
 He should not ask them to go any farther than he 
 himself was willing to go. Robert and Tom could 
 hear the cheer which the soldiers gave him. 
 
 The columns began to march, that commanded 
 by General Howe along the bank of the Mystic ; that
 
 298 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 by General Pigot straight up the hill towards the 
 redoubt. 
 
 Robert ran to the spot where he had left his horse, 
 but it was not there. He hastened down the slope, 
 past the Connecticut troops under Colonel Knowlton, 
 and reported to Colonel Stark, who was directing his 
 soldiers to take up a rail fence in front of his line 
 and reset it by the low stone wall, and fill the space 
 between the fences with hay from the windrows. 
 
 " It will serve as a screen," he said. 
 
 Stepping in front a short distance, he drove a stake 
 in the ground. 
 
 " Don't fire till the redcoats are up to it," was his 
 order. 
 
 The sun was shining from a cloudless sky. They 
 upon the roof of the Brandon home saw the scar 
 let columns of the British moving along the Mys 
 tic and towards the redoubt, the sunlight gleaming 
 from their muskets and bayonets, the flags waving 
 above them, the men keeping step to the drumbeat ; 
 the great guns of the fleet and those on Copp's Hill 
 flaming and thundering ; white powder-clouds floating 
 away and dissolving in thin air. They saw puffs of 
 smoke burst from the heads of the advancing columns 
 and heard the rattle of muskets. Cannon-shot 
 plowed the ground and tossed up the gravel around 
 the redoubt. Only the six cannon of the provincials 
 were replying. Nearer moved the scarlet line. Again 
 a rattling volley, with no answering musket shot from 
 fence or embankment. What the meaning of such 
 silence ? Suddenly a line of light streamed from the 
 river to the foot of the hill, and like the lightning's
 
 BUNKER HILL. 299 
 
 flash ran along the embankment and round the re 
 doubt. A rattle and roar like the waves of the sea 
 upon a rocky shore came to their ears across the shin 
 ing waters. Men were reeling to the ground, whole 
 ranks going down before the pitiless storm. The 
 front ranks had melted away. For a few moments 
 there was a rattling like scattered raindrops, and 
 then another lightning flash, and the British were flee 
 ing in confusion. 
 
 Mr. Newville clenched his hands. 
 
 " I fear the king's troops are discomfited," he said. 
 
 Mrs. Newville with a long-drawn sigh covered her 
 face with her handkerchief as if to shut out the un 
 welcome spectacle. 
 
 " The redcoats are beaten ! " Berinthia exclaimed. 
 
 "It is too soon to say that, daughter. The battle 
 is not yet over ; the king's troops would be cowardly 
 were they to give up with only one attempt." 
 
 Like a statue, her hands tightly grasping the balus 
 trade, her bosom heaving with suppressed emotion, 
 Ruth gazed upon the spectacle, uttering no exclama 
 tion. Taking the telescope, she turned it upon the 
 scene, beholding the prostrate forms dotting the newly 
 mown fields. It was not difficult to distinguish Lord 
 Howe, the centre of a group of officers. He was evi 
 dently issuing orders to re-form the broken lines. 
 Colonels, majors, and captains were rallying the dis 
 heartened men. In the intervals of the cannonade 
 from the fleet a confused hum of voices could be 
 heard, officers shouting their orders. Beyond the 
 prostrate forms, behind the low stone wall and screen 
 of hay were the provincials, biding their time. Offi-
 
 300 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 cers were walking to and fro, one middle-aged, with 
 a colonel's epaulets, evidently commanding the troops 
 nearest the Mystic River. A subordinate officer of 
 manly form was receiving orders and transmitting 
 them to others. Where had she seen one like him ? 
 Long she gazed with unwonted bloom upon her cheeks. 
 
 Again the scarlet lines advanced, the foremost 
 platoons halting, firing, filing right and left, that 
 those in the rear might reach the front. Unmindful 
 of the bullets pattering around him, the young officer 
 walked composedly along the provincial line, from 
 which came no answering shot. Seemingly he was 
 telling the men to wait. Suddenly, as before, the 
 screen of hay became a sheet of flame, and the scarlet 
 ranks again dissolved like a straw in a candle's flame, 
 whole ranks reeling and falling, or fleeing to the place 
 of landing. 
 
 Mr. Newville groaned aloud. Again Mrs. New- 
 ville covered her face. Captain Brandon, Mrs. Bran 
 don, and Berinthia, out of respect to their guests, gave 
 no sign of exultation ; but from windows, roofs, door 
 ways, and steeples, like the voice of many waters, came 
 the joyful murmur of the multitude, revealing to Gen 
 eral Gage, up in the tower of Christ Church, the sym 
 pathy of the people with the provincials. 
 
 No exclamation of satisfaction or disappointment 
 fell from the lips of Ruth, still looking with the tele 
 scope towards the provincial line by the Mystic, and 
 the manly figure of the officer receiving instructions 
 from his superior. 
 
 There was a commotion among the troops in the 
 burial ground before them.
 
 BUNKER HILL. 301 
 
 " Fall in ! Fall in ! " General Clinton shouted. 
 They hastily formed in column and marched down the 
 steep descent to the ferry landing. From the tower 
 of Christ Church, together with General Gage, Clin 
 ton had seen the discomfiture of Lord Howe and Gen 
 eral Pigot, and, with three hundred men, was hastening 
 to reinforce them, stepping into boats and crossing the 
 river. 
 
 The people on the housetops needed no telescopes 
 to see what was going on across the stream. Slowly 
 the lines re-formed, the men reluctantly taking their 
 places. They who had fought at Ticonderoga, who 
 had won the victory on the Plains of Abraham at 
 Quebec, never had faced so pitiless a storm. 
 
 " It is downright murder," said the men. 
 
 They upon the housetops could see the British offi 
 cers flourishing their swords, gesticulating, and even 
 striking the disheartened soldiers, compelling them to 
 stand once more in the ranks. Twice they had ad 
 vanced, encumbered with their knapsacks, in accord 
 ance with strict military rule ; now they were laying 
 them aside. There were fewer men in the ranks than 
 at the beginning of the battle, but the honor of Eng 
 land was at stake. The rabble of undisciplined coun 
 try bumpkins must be driven from their position, or 
 the troops of England would be forever disgraced. 
 General Howe had learned wisdom. He had thought 
 to sweep aside the line of provincials behind the low 
 stone wall, gain the rear, cut off the retreat of those in 
 the redoubt, capture them, and win a notable victory. 
 He had not expected such resistance, such a destruc 
 tive fire as had greeted the light infantry along the
 
 302 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 banks of the stream. In the two attempts, he had dis 
 covered the weak place in the provincial line, the 
 space between the redoubt and the low stone wall. In 
 planning the third movement, he resolved to make 
 a feint of advancing once more towards the wall, 
 but would concentrate his attack upon the redoubt, 
 and especially upon that portion of the line least de 
 fended. 
 
 The summer sun, shining from a cloudless sky, was 
 declining towards the western horizon. It was past 
 four o'clock before the lines were ready. Once more 
 the guns of the fleet hurled solid shot and shells upon 
 the redoubt. Captain Brandon, looking from his 
 housetop down upon the guns almost b'eneath him, 
 saw a gunner ramming an inflammable shell into the 
 cannon. The shell, with smoking torch, screamed 
 across the river, aimed not at the bank of yellow earth 
 on Bunker Hill, but at the houses in Charlestown. 
 
 " They intend to burn the village," he said. 
 
 Soon flames were bursting from window, doorway, 
 and roof. The wind, blowing from the south, carried 
 sparks and cinders to the adjoining houses, glowing in 
 the summer heat. A wail of horror from the people 
 rent the air. 
 
 " That is mean, cruel, wicked, dastardly ! " ex 
 claimed Ruth, with flashing eyes. " It 's inhuman. 
 I shall hate the man who has ordered it." l 
 
 Through the previous stages of the conflict no 
 word of approval or disapproval had escaped her lips. 
 
 1 The only defense of the British for the destruction of Charles- 
 town is the assertion that the advancing troops were fired upon by 
 provincials secreted in one of the houses on the outskirts of the town.
 
 BUNKER HILL. ' 303 
 
 " Ruth ! Ruth ! Don't say that ! " Mr. NewviUe 
 cried, astonished by such an outburst of indignation. 
 
 " If General Gage were here I would say it to his 
 face. What have those people done that their homes 
 should be destroyed ? They are not fighting the bat 
 tle. Does he think that by burning the town he will 
 frighten those men in the redoubt into submission? 
 Were I one of them, I would die before I would sur 
 render." 
 
 Her eyes were flashing. In her earnestness she 
 had removed her hat. The gentle breeze was fanning 
 her heated brow. She stood erect, a queen in her 
 dignity and beauty. Never had Mr. and Mrs. New- 
 ville dreamed that there was such pent-up fire in her 
 soul, such energy, fearlessness, and instinctive com 
 prehension of justice and right. Captain and Mrs. 
 Brandon, Berinthia, and all around gazed upon her 
 wonderingly and with admiration. 
 
 The fire was sweeping on, leaping from building 
 to building, licking up houses, stables, and workshop, 
 reaching the meetinghouse, kindling the shingles on 
 its roof, the clapboards upon its walls, bursting from 
 doors and windows, climbing the spire to the gilded 
 vane, burning till beams and timbers gave way ; 
 then came the crash, a single stroke of the bell 
 tolling as it were a requiem. 
 
 Under the cloud from the burning town the scarlet 
 lines once more advanced, not towards the screen 
 of hay, but in the direction of the redoubt. With 
 the glass Ruth saw the manly figure she had seen 
 before, seemingly receiving instructions from his su 
 perior officer, and running towards the threatened
 
 304 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 point of attack. The scarlet lines were mounting the 
 breastwork. Men were firing in each other's faces; 
 thrusting with the bayonet. She could see a stal 
 wart provincial in his shirt-sleeves beat out the 
 brains of a Britisher with the butt of his musket, and 
 the next moment go down with a bayonet through 
 his heart. The manly figure was in the thick of the 
 melee, a half dozen redcoats rushing upon him. 
 His sword was flashing in the sunlight as he parried 
 their bayonets, keeping them at bay. Guns flashed, 
 and the white powder-cloud shut out the scene. 
 When it cleared, he had gone down, and the red 
 coats were swinging their hats. Their shout of vic 
 tory came across the waters. Those around saw Ruth 
 clasp her hand upon her heart. 
 
 " They are beaten, and he is shot ! " she cried, sink 
 ing into Berinthia's arms. 
 
 "Who's shot?" her mother asked. There was no 
 answer from the quivering lips. 
 
 " The excitement is too much for her," said Mrs. 
 Newville, as they bore her to Berinthia's chamber.
 
 XX. 
 
 WHEN THE TIDE WAS GOING OUT. 
 
 TOM BRANDON, lying upon the green grass where 
 the provincials had halted after the retreat, recalled 
 the events of the day with his fellow soldiers, espe 
 cially the last struggle. He had fired away his pow 
 der, as had many others. He had no bayonet, and 
 could only defend himself with the butt of his gun. 
 He remembered how bravely Doctor Warren behaved, 
 telling the men to keep cool ; how he took bandages 
 from his pockets, and bound up the wounds of those 
 disabled at the beginning ; how a Britisher shot him 
 down and stabbed him with a bayonet. As for him 
 self, he hardly knew what he did, except to fight till 
 almost the last of his comrades left the redoubt, when 
 he leaped over the breastwork, and walked towards 
 the British, approaching the western side as if to 
 give himself up, then turned and ran as fast as he 
 could, with the bullets whizzing past him. 1 He won- 
 
 1 The experience of Tom Brandon was that of Eliakim Walker of 
 Tewksbury, Mass., as narrated by him to the author : 
 
 " I had fired away nearly all my powder before the last attack. I 
 fired and was reloading 1 my gun, when I heard a hurrah behind me. 
 I looked round and saw the redcoats leaping 1 over the breastwork. 
 I saw a man beat out the brains of a Britisher with the butt of his 
 gun ; the next moment they stabbed him. Seeing I could n't get out 
 that way, I jumped over the breastwork and ran towards Pigot's 
 men, a rod or two, then turned and ran as fast as I could the other
 
 306 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 dered if Lieutenant Walden had escaped unharmed. 
 He walked a little way to Colonel Stark' s regiment 
 to inquire. 
 
 " I fear," said Captain Daniel Moore, " that Lieu 
 tenant Walden has been killed. During the day he 
 took a conspicuous part. He was sent by General 
 Ward to summon us from Medford. He carried 
 several messages from Colonel Stark to Prescott and 
 Putnam, and was with the men of his company at 
 times. He was with us Just before the last assault, 
 and hastened towards the redoubt a moment before 
 the redcoats swarmed over it. I fear the worst, 
 for he was very brave." 
 
 The people of Boston never had beheld such a 
 scene as that of the day following the battle. The 
 sun shone from a cloudless sky, but its rays fell upon 
 the smouldering ruins of once happy homes ; upon 
 dying and dead soldiers ; upon men groaning in 
 agony as they were transported across the Charles to 
 houses taken for hospitals. The wounded rebels 
 thirty-six in number were laid upon the bare floor 
 of the jail. They were to be treated as felons, and 
 given prison fare. 
 
 Although the genial rays of the sun shone into the 
 spacious apartments of the Province House, they 
 gave no comfort to Thomas Gage, commander-in-chief 
 of his majesty's forces in the Colonies. He was 
 chagrined over the outcome of the battle, the losses 
 sustained. His own officers were criticising the plan 
 
 way. The bullets whizzed past me, or struck the ground around 
 me. I reached a rail fence, and pitched over it. A bullet struck a 
 rail at the moment. I fell on the other side, laid still till I got my 
 breath, then up and legged it again, and got away."
 
 WHEN THE TIDE WAS GOING OUT. 307 
 
 of attack. The soldiers said he had slaughtered their 
 comrades. The people were condemning him for 
 having burned Charlestown. He was conscious that 
 he had gone down in the estimation of those who had 
 given him loyal support. He knew that his military 
 reputation had suffered an eclipse. Women were 
 denouncing him as cruel and inhuman. The convic 
 tion came to General Gage that he was shut up in 
 Boston, and that any attempt upon the position of 
 the rebels at that point, or upon the hills beyond 
 Charlestown, would result in disaster. 
 
 It was cheering news to Tom Brandon and all the 
 soldiers of the provincial army, a few days later, to 
 learn that Congress, sitting in Philadelphia, had 
 selected George Washington of Virginia to command 
 them. His coming was evidence that all the Colonies 
 had united to resist the aggressions of the king. He 
 fought bravely to drive the French from the valley 
 of the Ohio, and saved the army in the battle near 
 Fort Du Quesne. General Gage had been with him 
 in that engagement, but now they would command 
 opposing armies. 
 
 It was a beautiful summer morning, the 3d of 
 July, when the regiments in Cambridge and some of 
 the troops from Roxbury assembled on the Common 
 at Cambridge to receive General Washington. Tom 
 Brandon saw a tall, broad-shouldered man, sitting 
 erect on a white horse, wearing a blue uniform 
 trimmed with buff, accompanied by General Putnam, 
 General Ward, and a large number of officers, ride 
 out from General Ward's headquarters and take posi 
 tion under a great elm-tree.
 
 308 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Attention, the army ! " shouted General Ward. 
 
 The officers repeated it, and every soldier stood 
 erect. 
 
 " Salute your commander, Major-General George 
 Washington ! " 
 
 The soldiers presented arms, the fifes began to play, 
 
 
 Where Washington assumed Command. 
 
 the drums to rattle. General Washington lifted his 
 hat, bowed right and left, drew his sword from its 
 scabbard, and rode along the line. The soldiers saw 
 dignity, decision, and energy, yet calmness, in all his 
 movements. They knew he had a great plantation on 
 the bank of the Potomac River in Virginia ; that he 
 could live at ease and enjoy life in hunting and fish 
 ing at his own pleasure, but he had left all at the call 
 of Congress to take command of the army. His com-
 
 WHEN THE TIDE WAS GOING OUT. 309 
 
 ing gave them confidence and made them more than 
 ever determined to drive the redcoats out of Boston. 
 They kept such a strict guard that the British could 
 not obtain fresh provisions, neither could the inhabit 
 ants of the town. In the home of Captain Brandon, 
 the only meat to be had was the salt pork and beef in 
 the cellar, or the flounders caught by Mark Antony, 
 fishing from the wharves. 
 
 Even General Gage could have io great variety 
 of food. In contrast to this, Tom Brandon and his 
 fellow soldiers were living luxuriously, having fresh 
 beef three times a week, with flour, peas, beans, rice, 
 potatoes, onions, cabbages, turnips, beets, spruce beer, 
 and grog, and plenty of tobacco. 
 
 Tom took his turn standing guard, and found plea 
 sure in chaffing the lobsters on picket, telling them 
 what he had for dinner. A thought came to him, 
 to write a letter and hire a redcoat to take it to his 
 father. He wrote about the battle ; how he saw the 
 family on the roof of the house, from the redoubt, 
 just before it began ; how he escaped ; how Robert 
 Walden went down in the thick of the fight and prob 
 ably had been buried with the others somewhere on 
 Bunker Hill. The Britisher gladly agreed to take 
 the letter to Copp's Hill for the plug of tobacco which 
 Tom gave him. 
 
 Mark Antony, the following afternoon, wondered 
 what the soldier who was rattling the knocker on the 
 front door might want. 
 
 " Here 's a letter for your master, Captain Brandon. 
 One of the rebs gave it to me. Maybe it 's from his 
 son," said the soldier.
 
 310 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 "A letter from Massa Tom," shouted the negro, 
 dancing into the sitting-room. 
 
 Captain Brandon thanked the soldier, and told 
 Mark Antony to mix a toddy for him. 
 
 It was gratifying to know that Tom was safe, but 
 sad the information that Lieutenant Walden was 
 numbered among the killed. 
 
 The fair brow of Ruth Newville through the sum 
 mer months had been growing whiter day by day. 
 
 " I fear she is not well," said Mr. Newville. 
 
 " The battle, the burning of Chaiiestown, the 
 terrible spectacle was too much for her nerves," Mrs. 
 Newville replied. 
 
 " Ought we not to call in the doctor ? " 
 
 " No, she is not sick ; you know how sympathetic 
 she is. Don't you remember what she said when she 
 saw the town in flames, even speaking disrespect 
 fully of General Gage, and swooning when the king's 
 troops won the victory. The burning of so many 
 houses has unstrung her nerves. I trust she will soon 
 get over it. Since the battle she has spent most of 
 her time in her chamber and has pleaded indisposi 
 tion when gentlemen, especially officers, have called." 
 
 " Miss Ruth wants you to come up de stairs to her 
 chamber," said Pompey, when Berinthia called at the 
 Newville home to show her the letter Tom had written. 
 
 " So you have heard from Tom ? " 
 
 " Yes, and he says that Robert Walden was killed 
 at the very last of the battle." 
 
 " It is as I said. I saw him go down and their 
 feet trample him in the dust ! "
 
 WHEN THE TIDE WAS GOING OUT. 311 
 
 " Was it Robert you saw ? " 
 
 "Yes. With the telescope I had seen him all 
 through the battle, walking unharmed where the bul 
 lets were flying thickest." 
 
 " You did not tell us you saw him." 
 
 " No. I did not want to alarm you." 
 
 " And you saw him when he was killed ? " 
 
 " I saw his sword flashing in the sunlight as the 
 men in scarlet closed around him. A half dozen were 
 thrusting with their bayonets, and yet he kept them 
 at bay till they shot him." 
 
 Tears had wet her pillow, but none glistened on 
 her eyelids now. Through the sleepless hours she 
 had seen the stars go down beneath the western hori 
 zon ; in like manner something bright and shining 
 had gone out of her life. The stars would reappear ; 
 but that which had made it beautiful to live never 
 would return. The words " I love you " would never 
 be spoken by a voice forever silent. 
 
 Berinthia kissed the tremulous lips. 
 
 " I see it now, Ruth, dear ; you loved him." 
 
 "Yes, I loved him. He was so noble and true, 
 how could I help it ? He never said he loved me, and 
 yet I think down deep in his heart he had a place for 
 me. I never have confessed it before, not even to 
 myself. I say it to you, because I should die if I 
 could not have some one to whom I could tell my sor 
 row. Let it be our secret, ours alone." 
 
 Through the sultry days of August the streets 
 were silent, except the beating of drums as other 
 regiments arrived, or as soldiers dying from wounds 
 or disease were borne to their burial. The distress of
 
 312 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 the people could but increase. The provincials 
 wounded in the battle were still held as felons in the 
 jail. They were dying very fast. ' It was a spirited 
 letter which the British commander received from 
 General Washington, informing him that unless the 
 prisoners were treated more humanely, British prison 
 ers would be dealt with accordingly. 1 
 
 Many times Abraham Duncan asked permission to 
 see the prisoners confined in the jail, that he might 
 minister to their needs and do something for their 
 comfort and welfare, but as often had he been refused 
 by the gruff red-coated sergeant in charge. Once more, 
 after learning what General Washington had done, 
 he asked permission, received a pass from the provost- 
 marshal, and was admitted. He saw the floor was 
 covered with prostrate forms, men with sunken eyes, 
 emaciated hands, a few with old quilts beneath them, 
 others upon the bare planks. There were festering 
 wounds and cheeks hot with the flush of fever. Some 
 of the sufferers gazed upon him wonderingly, others 
 heeded not his coming. One, whose uniform was still 
 soiled with the dust of the battlefield, lay with closed 
 eyes, minding not his presence. 
 
 " His wound has about healed, but he is going with 
 fever. He was fine-looking when brought here the 
 day after the battle, but he is about done for. After 
 to-morrow we shall have one less to exchange with Mr. 
 Washington," said the sergeant. 
 
 1 Reverend Andrew Eliot, minister of the New North Church, re 
 mained in Boston. The following is from a letter to Samuel Eliot 
 under date of September 6, 1775 : " I am at length allowed to visit 
 the prisoners. They are only eleven out of thirty." Proceedings 
 Mass. Hist. Soc. vol. xvi.
 
 WHEN THE TIDE WAS GOING OUT. 313 
 
 Abraham stooped and parted the matted beard 
 from the fevered lips, and laid back the tangled hair 
 from the brow. The eyes wearily opened, gazed lan 
 guidly, then wonderingly. 
 
 " Do you know me ? " 
 
 The words were faintly spoken. 
 
 " Know you ! What, Robert Walden ! " 
 
 There was not strength in the arm sufficient to lift 
 the weary hand. Abraham grasped it, looked one 
 moment at the closing eyes, and hastened from the 
 room. Breathless with running, he reached the Bran 
 don home, telling the story. 
 
 " We must have him brought here instantly ; he 
 must not die there," said Mr. Brandon, who accom 
 panied Abraham to the jail, only to find that the ser 
 geant in charge could not permit the removal. Sadly 
 they returned. 
 
 " I must tell Ruth about it," said Berinthia, putting 
 on her bonnet and hastening from the house. 
 
 Ruth was sitting in her chamber. A strange, yet 
 sweet peace had come into her soul. The heart that 
 had struggled so sorely was at rest. She was repeat 
 ing to herself the words spoken by the world's best 
 friend, " My peace I leave you ; not as the world 
 giveth, give I unto you." 
 
 The summer birds were no longer singing ; the swal 
 lows had gone. The melocotoons were no longer upon 
 the trees, neither the early pears and ripening apples ; 
 the soldiers had plucked them. Her father's face was 
 growing grave ; her mother's step less elastic. There 
 was sorrow and desolation around her, and yet she was 
 happy. She saw Berinthia walking up the path.
 
 314 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Come right up," the cheerful invitation from the 
 chamber window. 
 
 " Oh, Kuth, I 've something to tell you. He 's 
 alive!" 
 
 "Who?" 
 
 " Robert a prisoner in the jail." 
 
 She told the story; he was still breathing, but dy 
 ing. Her father had been to get him, but no prisoner 
 could be removed without an order from General Gage. 
 
 " We will go to the Province House," said Ruth 
 quietly, rising and putting on her bonnet. 
 
 Her calmness, the manifest quiet, the business-like 
 procedure of Ruth, amazed Berinthia. They hastened 
 to the governor's home. General Gage received 
 them courteously. He was pleased to welcome Miss 
 Newville to the Province House, and recalled with 
 pleasure the evening when he had the honor to escort 
 her to her father's hospitable table. 
 
 "I have a favor to ask," said Ruth, "which I am 
 sure your excellency will be pleased to grant. One of 
 your prisoners, Lieutenant Robert Walden, in the jail, 
 is a cousin of my friend Miss Brandon. I learn that 
 he is far gone with fever and seemingly has not many 
 hours to live, and I have come to ask if you will 
 kindly permit his removal to her home ? " 
 
 " Most certainly, my dear Miss Newville ; it gives 
 me pleasure to do this little office for you and your 
 friend," he replied. 
 
 General Gage touched a bell and a sergeant entered 
 the apartment. 
 
 " Sergeant, take two men of the guard, with a bier, 
 and accompany these ladies to the jail to remove one
 
 WHEN THE TIDE WAS GOING OUT. 315 
 
 of the sick prisoners, as they shall direct. See to it 
 that the man is gently handled. Here is the order of 
 delivery for the officer in charge." 
 
 " You are very kind, General, and I thank you not 
 only for Miss Brandon, but for myself," said Ruth. 
 
 Never before had the people living along Hanover 
 Street seen such a spectacle as that a few minutes 
 later, a sergeant in advance, two soldiers bearing a 
 rebel officer, worn and wasted by disease, his life ebb 
 ing away, and two ladies looking anxiously to see if 
 the flickering life would last a little longer. 
 
 In Tom's chamber the soiled uniform was removed, 
 the matted hair laid back, the parched lips moistened, 
 the unconscious invalid clothed in linen white and 
 clean. A doctor came, bowed his ear to Robert's 
 breast to catch the beating of the heart, and moistened 
 the parched lips. 
 
 " Fever has burned him up. The tide is nearly out. 
 It is only a question of a few hours," he said. 
 
 Through the night, Ruth, sitting by his bedside, in 
 the cahn and stillness, heard the clock strike the pass 
 ing hours. At times she heard, through the open 
 windows, the faint ripple of the surf rolling in from 
 the restless sea. Soon for him the waves of life would 
 break upon a shoreless ocean. It was her hand that 
 fanned him ; that wiped the death-damp from his fore 
 head ; dropped the refreshing cordial on his tongue ; 
 held the mirror to his nostrils to ascertain if still, 
 perchance, he breathed. The tides of the ocean had 
 reached their farthest ebb and were setting towards 
 the flood once more, bringing sweet and refreshing 
 odors from the ever-heaving sea. The night winds
 
 316 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 were drying the dampness from, the marble brow. 
 Day was dawning, its amber light flowing along the 
 horizon. The fluttering heart was beating more 
 strongly ; more deep the breathing. 
 
 " Oh, 'Rinthia ! He is n't going ; he 's coming back. 
 God has heard my prayer," said Ruth. 
 
 The sun was rising, and its rays streaming into the 
 chamber. The closed eyes slowly opened and gazed 
 wonderingly. Where was he ? What the meaning 
 of this flood of light? No longer straggling beams 
 through iron-grated windows, no longer the bare floor 
 and earth-polluted garments, but linen white and clean. 
 Was it an angel bending over him, whose eyes of 
 love and infinite tenderness looked into his own? 
 Was it one of the seraphim that pressed her lips to 
 his, that dropped tears upon his cheeks? Were there 
 tears in Heaven ? Surely this must be Paradise ! 
 The eyes closed, the vision faded, but the angel still 
 was fanning the fevered cheeks. 
 
 As shone the face of Moses, the lawgiver of Israel, 
 when he descended from the Mount of God, so the 
 countenance of Ruth Newville was illuminated by a 
 divine radiance when once more she entered her home. 
 During the night she had been transfigured. 
 
 " What has happened, daughter ? " her father 
 asked. 
 
 "Where have you been? what is it?" the excla 
 mation of the mother, gazing with wonder and amaze-* 
 nient upon the face of her child. 
 
 " Sit down, please, and I will tell you. I must go 
 back to the beginning. Do you remember a day, six 
 years ago, one September afternoon, when I came
 
 WHEN THE TIDE WAS GOING OUT. 317 
 
 into the house greatly agitated? and when you 
 asked, as you have now, what had happened, I would 
 not make reply ? " 
 
 "Yes, Ruth, and you have been a mystery to me 
 ever since that afternoon," said Mrs. Newville. 
 
 " I would not tell you then that I had been insulted 
 by ruffian soldiers, that a stranger had rescued me 
 from their clutches, for I knew it would trouble you. 
 Who the gentleman was I did not know. I only saw 
 he was noble and manly. I thanked him and has 
 tened away. Right after that we had our last gar 
 den party, to which 'Rinthia brought her cousin, Mr. 
 Walden, when I discovered it was he who rescued 
 me." 
 
 " Mr. Walden ! " Mrs. Newville exclaimed. 
 
 " A noble young man ! I always liked his appear 
 ance," said Mr. Newville. 
 
 " Why did n't you tell us about it, Ruth, so we 
 could have shown him some attention ? " Mrs. New 
 ville asked. 
 
 " It is not too late to do it now, mother." 
 
 She told the story, that he was a lieutenant, a pris 
 oner, wounded, hovering between life and death ; how 
 she had brought about his removal from the jail to 
 the Brandon home, watched over him during the 
 night, wondering if the next moment would not be the 
 last ; that just before sunrise the tide had turned and 
 he was going to live. 
 
 " You saving him ! Wonderful ! " Mrs. Newville 
 exclaimed. 
 
 " It is just like you, daughter," said the father, 
 clasping his arms around her and kissing her lips.
 
 318 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 "I will go and help care for him, even if he is a 
 rebel," said Mrs. Newville. 
 
 " Ruth, daughter," said the father, when they were 
 alone, " did you keep that to yourself because you 
 thought it would trouble us to hear that the soldiers 
 of King George were vile ruffians ? " 
 
 " Yes, father ; I knew your loyalty to the king, and 
 I would not disturb it. I did not want to pain you. 
 And do you wonder I have hated the sight of a red 
 coat ever since? But, father dear, it was not the 
 assault of the villains that led me to sympathize with 
 the provincials, as you know I have done, but the 
 conviction that they were in the right and the king and 
 his ministers in the wrong. I can understand why 
 you and mother do not see the conflict as I see it. 
 Your high sense of honor, your oath of allegiance to 
 the king, your position as an official, have made you 
 loyal and true to King George, and you cannot see the 
 side espoused by the people. This attempt of the 
 ministry and king to subdue them by force of arms, 
 by burning their houses, by treating them as felons, 
 as they have Robert Walden, thrusting them into 
 jail, allowing them to die uncared for, will fail ; jus 
 tice and right are on their side. I know it pains 
 you, father dear, to have me say this, but I could 
 not, even for the sake of pleasing you, be false to my 
 self." 
 
 " I would not have you be false to yourself, my 
 child, but always true to your convictions, no matter 
 what may happen." He drew her to him and tenderly 
 caressed her. 
 
 " I see it now, daughter. For a long while I have
 
 WHEN THE TIDE WAS GOING OUT. 319 
 
 not been able to comprehend you, but it is plain at 
 last." 
 
 They sat in silence, her head pillowed on his breast, 
 his arm around her. 
 
 " Ruth, daughter, I suspect you have not told me 
 all ; you need not unfold anything you may choose to 
 keep to yourself, but I can understand that a very 
 tender feeling may have sprung up between Mr. 
 Walden and yourself." 
 
 " He never has said that he loved me. You would 
 not have me ask him if he does, would you, father 
 dear ? " she said playfully, patting his lips with her 
 fingers. 
 
 " I understand, daughter. Things of the heart are 
 sacred and not to be talked about," he replied, kiss 
 ing her once more and feeling as never before the 
 greatness and richness of the treasure he had in her. 
 
 " Ah ! I see," he said to himself as he paced the 
 room. " It is all clear, now, why Lord Upperton and 
 the rest of them have had no chance."
 
 XXI. 
 
 THE ESCAPE. 
 
 THE October days were bright and clear, but the 
 sun shone upon a home invaded by sickness. In the 
 Brandon home, Lieutenant Walden was slowly recov 
 ering. Mrs. Brandon was an invalid, worn down with 
 care and anxiety. Life upon the sea, hardship, and 
 exposure had brought rheumatism to the joints of 
 Captain Brandon, who was only able to hobble with 
 his cane. One countenance in the home was always 
 bright and cheerful ; there was ever a smile upon 
 'Rinthia's face. Abraham Duncan was the ever 
 helpful friend, not only ministering to their wants but 
 giving information of what was going on, that Gen 
 eral Gage had been called to England, and General 
 Howe was to succeed him as commander. 
 
 " The British soldiers," said Abraham, " are not 
 sorry to have Gage go ; they are ready to throw up 
 their caps for General Howe, who showed his bravery 
 at Bunker Hill, while Gage looked on with his spy 
 glass from the steeple of Christ Church. The soldiers 
 think Gage has been too kind-hearted in permitting 
 you to have charge of Lieutenant Walden. Rebels 
 are not entitled to mercy." 
 
 There came a night in October when the people 
 were awakened by the thunder of cannon and the
 
 THE ESCAPE. 321 
 
 rattle of muskets. In the morning Abraham said 
 that a party of Americans came down Charles River 
 in flatboats and on rafts, and opened fire upon the 
 troops encamped on the Common. Only one or two 
 were injured, but it gave the British a great fright. 
 
 The sound of the strife stirred Robert's blood. He 
 wanted to be there, to take part in driving the red 
 coats into the sea. The thought nerved him ; but 
 when the uproar died away, he found himself weak, 
 with his tongue parched and his blood at fever heat. 
 Would strength ever come ? Would he ever be able 
 to take part again in the struggle for freedom ? 
 
 Day after day there came one to see him, the sound 
 of whose footsteps was more inspiring than the roll of 
 the drums, the touch of whose hand gave him strength, 
 whose presence was a benediction. She sat by his side 
 and read to him from the poets ; told him pleasant 
 stories ; laid her soft hand upon his brow. When he 
 was a little stronger, she and 'Rinthia supported his 
 faltering steps up the stairway to the roof of the man 
 sion, where he could sit in the sunshine, gaze upon the 
 beautiful panorama, inhale the life-giving air from the 
 hills, and the odors wafted from the sea. Across the 
 Charles was the line of yellow earth behind which he 
 went down in the melee. Upon the higher hill were 
 the new and stronger fortifications constructed by the 
 British. The fields, where so many of the redcoats 
 were cut down by the fire of the New Hampshire 
 men, were dotted with white tents. At the base of 
 the hill were the blackened ruins of Charlestown. On 
 Prospect Hill were the earthworks of the provin 
 cials. He could not discover any fortifications on
 
 322 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Dorchester Heights, and wondered why either Gen 
 eral Washington or the British commander had not 
 taken possession of such a commanding position. 
 The Americans ought to seize it ; for, with cannon 
 planted there, they could drive the warships from the 
 harbor. He doubted if General Washington knew 
 the value of the position. He was able now to go up 
 and down the stairs without assistance ; a few more 
 days, and he would be strong and vigorous. Then 
 what ? He was a prisoner, and had not been paroled. 
 If the British were to learn he was getting well, would 
 they not be likely to send him on board one of the 
 ships and pack him off to Halifax ? Even if they did 
 not take such a course, how could he remain there 
 doing nothing. Oh, if he could only be with the 
 army again ! But were he to go, he must say good-by 
 to her who had saved his life. Why not remain and 
 enjoy the blessedness of her presence ? But would 
 she not think him wanting in manliness ? On the 
 other hand, if he were to make his escape and go back 
 to the army, would he not in a sense be lifting his 
 hand against her father and mother in his efforts to 
 drive the British from Boston ?. More than that, was 
 it not becoming plain, that were the British to go, the 
 Tories must also go? for the bitterness between those 
 who stood for the king and those who supported Con 
 gress was deepening. Mr. Newville sided with the 
 king ; he was holding an office under the crown. If 
 the British were driven out, he would be compelled 
 to leave, and in all probability his estate would be 
 confiscated. If he himself were to make his escape to 
 the army, would he ever again behold the face of
 
 THE ESCAPE. 323 
 
 Ruth Newville, ever again see the love beaming from 
 her eyes, or feel the touch of her hand ? How could 
 he go and leave her with such uncertainty before him ? 
 And yet, would it not be ignoble to remain ? If he 
 could get away, was it not his duty to do so ? Was 
 not his country calling him ? 
 
 Captain Brandon learned that General Howe had 
 issued a proclamation threatening with death any one 
 who might attempt to escape without a permit from 
 himself. " More than this," said Mr. Brandon, " he 
 has issued another proclamation for us to organize our 
 selves into companies to preserve order. He will fur 
 nish us with arms and supply us with provisions the 
 same as the troops receive. We are commanded to re 
 port to Peter Oliver within four days. Being stiff in 
 the joints, I shall not comply. Besides, I don't intend 
 to leave such fare as you give me, Berinthia, for the 
 salt' junk and tainted pork doled out to the soldiers." 
 
 Once more there was a familiar step in the hall, 
 and Ruth entered the room. The rich bloom of other 
 days was once more on her cheeks, the old-time smile 
 illumining her countenance. Her quick perception 
 detected a mind disturbed. They sat down by the 
 fire. She laid her hand in his, and leaned her head 
 upon his shoulder. 
 
 " What is it ? " she asked, smoothing the troubled 
 brow. 
 
 " I have been thinking that I am still a prisoner, 
 liable to be seized at any moment and sent far away 
 or put in confinement. What ought I to do ? Shall 
 I attempt to escape, run the chance of being shot, or 
 captured and executed, as threatened by the procla-
 
 324 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 motion ? If I make the attempt and succeed, possi 
 bly we may never meet again," he said with faltering- 
 voice. 
 
 " Never meet again ! Why not ? " 
 
 Planning the Escape. 
 
 " I may be captured and hanged. If I reach the 
 army, I shall do what I can to drive the British from 
 Boston. If we do, the probabilities are that your 
 father, holding office under the crown, will be obliged 
 to leave the Colony ; and his daughter "
 
 THE ESCAPE. 325 
 
 He could say no more. His lips were quivering, 
 and tears coursing his cheeks. Her hand wiped them 
 away ; and her arm pillowed his bowed head. 
 
 "You are all the world to me. It is for you to 
 say. Shall I go, or shall I stay ? " he said. 
 
 The words were faintly spoken. 
 
 " Go, and God be with you. If it be his will, we 
 shall meet again." 
 
 Oh brave heart ! The world's redemption rests 
 with such as you ! 
 
 The busy brain of Berinthia planned the way. 
 The British had seized all the boats along the 
 wharves, and sentinels were guarding them, but there 
 was an Indian canoe in the loft of the shipyard. 
 Abraham Duncan would put it in trim and render 
 all possible assistance. 
 
 No tears dimmed Ruth Newville's eyes when she 
 bade him good-by and gave him a parting kiss. Not 
 till she was in the seclusion of her own chamber were 
 the fountains unsealed. Alone, she gave way to grief, 
 to be comforted by her faith in One Unseen. 
 
 Many soldiers had deserted, so every night, at sun 
 down, sentinels patroled the wharves, and boats manned 
 by sailors and marines kept vigilant watch in Charles 
 River and far down the harbor. Robert must go to 
 the shipyard before sundown and remain secreted till 
 well into the night. The new moon would go down at 
 nine o'clock ; the tide then would be half flood. What 
 route should he take ? Were he to go directly up the 
 Charles River to join the army at Cambridge, he must 
 run the gauntlet, not only of three or four of the war 
 ships, but of the marine patrol in the river and the
 
 326 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 sentinels on both banks. If he were to strike eastward 
 toward the Mystic, he would encounter the guard in 
 that direction and the warship Scarborough anchored 
 in the channel. The route up the Charles was most 
 direct and inviting, though beset with greatest danger. 
 
 During the day Abraham placed the canoe beneath 
 the wharf of the shipyard. Bidding his friends 
 good-by, with an overcoat to protect him from the cold, 
 Robert made his way to the shipyard, secreting him 
 self in one of the buildings just before the hour for 
 placing the sentinels. The young tide was already 
 setting up the bay, and a gentle wind blowing from 
 the east, alike favorable for the execution of his plan ; 
 but with the sea-breeze came the fog, thick and 
 dense, shrouding ship and shore. He rejoiced in the 
 thought that it would cover all his movements and 
 hide him from observation. But upon reflection 
 there was another serious and disquieting aspect ; 
 how should he make his way and by what objects 
 could he mark out his course? Would he not run 
 upon the boats of the marine patrol and be hailed by 
 the sentinels on the Boyne, Somerset, and other ves 
 sels of the fleet ? He must run the chances and do 
 the best he could. 
 
 The sentinels had been set along the wharves. 
 The soldier guarding the shipyard was pacing his 
 beat immediately in front of Robert's hiding-place. 
 A thought came ; why not seize his musket and have 
 a weapon of defense ? .Noiselessly Robert opened the 
 door ; stealthy his step ; one wrench, and the weapon 
 was his, greatly to the astonishment of the surprised 
 and frightened soldier, who saw his own bayonet
 
 THE ESCAPE. 327 
 
 pointed at his breast and heard the click of the gun- 
 lock. 
 
 " Don't fire ! Don't fire ! " stammered the soldier. 
 
 " Take off that belt and cartridge box ! " 
 
 The soldier obeyed the peremptory order. 
 
 " About face ! " 
 
 Accustomed to obey orders, he faced as directed. 
 
 " March ! " 
 
 Again he obeyed, taking the regulation step as if at 
 drill, Robert following a short distance, then halting 
 while the soldier continued the march. With the 
 musket and cartridge box well filled, Robert seated 
 himself in the canoe. He knew the Boyne with 
 seventy guns, Preston with fifty, Phoenix, Lively, 
 Scarborough, Empress of Russia, and several other 
 smaller vessels of the fleet were anchored at different 
 points. He had noted their positions during the day, 
 but in the darkness and fog could make no calcu 
 lations in regard to them. The flowing tide would 
 be his only guide. By drifting with it, he would be 
 borne to the Cambridge shore of the Charles, to 
 General Washington's army, providing he could dodge 
 the ships, floating batteries, and picket boats. Using 
 the paddle, he struck out from the wharf, peering into 
 the mist, his ears open to catch the faintest sound. 
 
 " Boat ahoy ! " 
 
 The startling shout seemed to come from the sky. 
 Looking up he saw the great black hull of the Boyne, 
 recognizing the vessel by her triple tier of guns. 
 He was almost beneath the bowsprit. 
 
 " Round to under the stern or I '11 fire," said the 
 voice.
 
 328 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Aye, aye, sir ! " Robert replied. 
 
 While drifting past the ship, so near that he could 
 touch the hull with his hands, he was deciding what 
 to do. Reaching the stern, with a stroke of the pad 
 dle the canoe whirled under it, then shot up the other 
 side of the ship into the teeth of the tide, back once 
 more to the stern, and while the puzzled sentinels on 
 the deck were wondering what had become of the 
 canoe he was disappearing in the fog, the success 
 of his strategy giving zest to his enterprise. He had 
 kept his bearings as best he could, but was not quite 
 certain of his position, as he drifted once more. 
 
 " Boat ahoy ! Who goes there ? " 
 
 The challenge came, not from overhead, but from 
 the fog before him. A backward stroke arrested his 
 movement. Again the hail and no reply. 
 
 " Up with the anchor ! Out with your oars ! " 
 
 Evidently he had drifted upon one of the boats 
 anchored in the ferry- way. Paddling away, he sud 
 denly heard the swash of waves, and found himself 
 approaching a wharf, but on which side the river he 
 could not say. 
 
 " Boat ahoy ! Halt, or I '11 fire," the hail that came 
 to him. 
 
 Peering into the mist, he saw the dim outline of a 
 soldier raising his musket. 
 
 " Hold on. Don't fire. Please point me in the 
 direction of the Boyne," said Robert. 
 
 The sentinel lowered his musket as if saying to 
 himself, " This must be one of the officers of the fri 
 gate who has been on shore having a good time." 
 
 " The Boyne is right out in that direction," said
 
 THE ESCAPE. 329 
 
 the sentinel, pointing with his musket, "but my orders 
 are not to let any one pass along the wharf after ten 
 o'clock without they give the countersign." 
 
 " All right ; always obey orders. I '11 come to the 
 wharf." 
 
 Robert could hear the dip of oars in the fog, and 
 knew it must be the patrol boat pursuing him. He 
 paddled towards the wharf as if to give the counter 
 sign, but the next moment shot under it as the other 
 boat approached. 
 
 " Boat ahoy ! " he heard the sentinel shout. 
 
 " Ahoy yourself ! We are the patrol. Have you 
 seen a canoe ? " 
 
 " Yes, and the man inquired where the Boyne was 
 lying, and disappeared quicker than greased lightning 
 when he heard you coming." 
 
 Robert was making his way, the while, amid the 
 piles of the wharf. He knew the tide must be near 
 its full flood, for he had to crouch low in the canoe, 
 and the barnacles upon the piles were nearly covered 
 with the water. He doubted if the patrol could fol 
 low him. Should he remain secreted? No. They 
 might light a torch and discover him. Noiselessly he 
 paddled amid the piles to the farther side of the wharf, 
 and then glided from its shelter along the shore, 
 screened from the patrol by the projecting timbers, 
 and was once more in the stream. He could no longer 
 be guided by the tide or drift with it. The wind had 
 died away. It was blowing from the east when he 
 started, but now only by waving his hand could he 
 ascertain its direction. Whether it had changed he 
 could not know. It was a welcome sound that came
 
 330 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 to his ears the clock on the Old Brick Meetinghouse 
 striking the hour. He thought of Ruth, asleep in her 
 white-curtained chamber so near the bell, and of her 
 goodness, her brave heart, that bade him go. The 
 tones came to him over his right shoulder, when they 
 ought to be over the left. He must be headed in the 
 wrong direction. It was not easy for him to reason 
 it out ; yet, if he would reach Cambridge, he must 
 turn squarely round. It was plain that he had not 
 made much progress. He knew that several warships 
 and floating batteries and picket-boats must be lying 
 between his position and the Americans, but he must 
 go on. Suddenly a dark object loomed before him, 
 and a hail as before came from the deck of a ship. 
 
 " Come alongside, or I '11 fire." 
 
 What should he do ? He saw a blinding flash. A 
 bullet whizzed over his head, and the report of the 
 musket awoke the echoes along the shore. It was 
 from the stern of the ship. Again, a flash from the 
 bow, and a bullet pattered into the water. Suddenly 
 the light of a torch brought into full view a marine 
 holding it over the side of the vessel. Another ma 
 rine by his side was reloading his musket. A thought 
 came they had opened fire upon him ; why not pay 
 them in the same coin. Dropping the paddle, he 
 raised the musket he had wrenched from the sentinel. 
 The torch revealed the form of him who held it, 
 a man with weather-beaten features, hard and cold. 
 He was so near that it would be easy to send a bullet 
 through his heart. Should he do it? Why not? 
 Had he not been down to death's door through brutal 
 treatment from the redcoats ? Why not take revenge ?
 
 THE ESCAPE. 331 
 
 No, he could not quench life forever, bring sorrow, 
 perchance, to some household far away ; but he would 
 put out that torch. He ran his eye along the gun- 
 barrel, pulled the trigger, and sent the bullet through 
 the upraised arm. The torch fell into the water, and 
 all was dark. 
 
 " We are attacked ! Beat to quarters," was the 
 shout on the ship. 
 
 He heard the roll of drums. Men leaped from their 
 hammocks. There was hurrying of feet, rattling of 
 ropes, and shouting of orders. Again a musket flashed 
 and a bullet pierced the canoe, reminding him he was 
 near enough to the ship to be seen. A few strokes of 
 the paddle and he was beyond their aim. Suddenly 
 he discovered the canoe was filling with water through 
 the hole made by the bullet. Several minutes passed 
 before he could find it, in the darkness ; the canoe 
 gradually sinking the while. When found, at last, 
 he thrust in his finger and reflected what next to do. 
 It was plain that the leak must be stopped, but how ? 
 He could not sit with his finger in the hole and drift 
 wherever the tide might take him. Removing his 
 finger, he woidd soon be sinking. 
 
 " Ah ! I have it," he said to himself. It was but 
 the work of a moment to cut a bit of rope from the 
 coil at his feet and thrust it into the opening, stopping 
 the leak. 
 
 But the canoe was water-logged ; how should he get 
 rid of it ? To scoop out with the paddle would at 
 tract attention and bring the whole patrol to the spot ; 
 there was a better way. 
 
 " I '11 use my hat for a bucket," he said to himself.
 
 332 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 He bailed the canoe and reloaded the musket, drift 
 ing the while. Where he was he could 'not determine. 
 Suddenly a musket flashed, high up in the air, and a 
 bullet fell into the water by his side. He could see 
 the faint outline of topmasts and yardarms, and the 
 figure of a man upon the shrouds. He aimed as best 
 he could and pulled the trigger. 
 
 " I 'm shot ! " were the words that came to him 
 through the mist. 
 
 " Give 'em the six-pounder with grape," said a voice, 
 followed by a blinding flash, a swish in the water, the 
 roar of a cannon. It had been fired at random, and 
 he was unharmed. Once more he used the paddle, 
 wondering what next would happen. 
 
 What the meaning of that flash in the distance ? 
 What that plunge in the water not far away ? What 
 that deep, heavy roar reverberating along the shore ? 
 Surely it must be a shot from General Washington's 
 cannon. And now all around he heard voices, and 
 boatswains' whistles. Soon the great guns of the 
 warships were flashing ; shot were plunging into the 
 water, and shells bursting in the air. 
 
 " I have kicked up a big racket," said Robert to 
 himself as he listened to the uproar. 
 
 What should he do ? The tide was beginning to 
 ebb. Why not go with it down the harbor, reach one 
 of the islands, wait till daylight, and then shape his 
 course, instead of attempting to pass the pickets pa 
 trolling the river with everybody on the alert. While 
 the cannon were flashing he drifted with the ebbing 
 tide. Another dark object suddenly loomed before 
 him, but no hail came from its deck. Plainly it was
 
 , THE ESCAPE. 333 
 
 one of the transports. Another, and still no hail. 
 The cannonade was dying away ; suddenly, bells all 
 around him were striking. He must be in the midst 
 of the fleet of transports ; it was four o'clock, the 
 hour to change the watch. He heard once more the 
 bell of the Old Brick, he could tell it by its pitch. 
 Wind, tide, and the meetinghouse bell enabled him to 
 calculate his position : he could not be far from the 
 Castle ; he resolved to make for Dorchester Heights. 
 
 Day was breaking and the fog lifting. In the dawn 
 ing light he shaped his course. No patrol challenged 
 him. Through the rising mist he discerned the out 
 line of the shore and heard the gentle ripple of waves 
 upon the beach. To leave the canoe was like bidding 
 good-by to a faithful friend, but with cartridge-box 
 and musket he stepped ashore and soon found himself 
 upon the spot which he had scanned with the telescope 
 from the Brandon home. 
 
 It was plain that he had not miscalculated its value 
 as a military position, that cannon planted there 
 coidd plunge their balls upon the great fleet of trans 
 ports, or upon a vessel attempting to enter or depart 
 from the harbor. He descended the western slope of 
 the hill, reached a narrow path leading across the 
 marsh land, and made his way to Roxbury, to be 
 warmly welcomed by General Nathanael Greene. 
 
 " You must tell General Washington about Dor 
 chester Heights. I am going to dine with him to-day, 
 and you must go with me," said General Greene, who 
 informed Robert that Lieutenant Robert Walden was 
 supposed to have been killed about the same time that 
 Doctor Warren fell.
 
 334 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " But I am here and ready to give an account of 
 myself," Robert replied. 
 
 It was a pleasure to be in the saddle once more, 
 to ride with General Greene along the works which 
 his troops had constructed,, They dismounted at the 
 house of Mr. Vassall in Cambridge, where General 
 Washington had established his headquarters. The 
 
 Washington's Headquarters. 
 
 commander-in-chief was pleased to welcome him and 
 listen to his story. 
 
 " I think, General Washington, that if cannon 
 could be planted there the British fleet could be 
 driven from the harbor. It is a high hill and very 
 commanding. Troops ascending it would do so in the
 
 THE ESCAPE. 335 
 
 face of a plunging fire from those on the summit. It 
 occurred to me while standing there, that if hogsheads 
 were to be filled with stones and sent rolling upon 
 an assaulting force, it would be an effective means of 
 defense." 
 
 " You must dine with me to-day, Lieutenant Walden. 
 I want Colonel Knox, who commands the artillery, and 
 who is to be here with his estimable wife, to hear what 
 you have to say." 
 
 It was a pleasure to meet Colonel Henry Knox 
 and Mrs. Knox. 
 
 " We all thought you went down in the melee at 
 Bunker Hill, and yet here you are," said Colonel 
 Knox. 
 
 " Yes, and ready to do what I can to drive the red 
 coats into the sea." 
 
 Mrs. Knox was delighted to hear from her old-time 
 associate, Berinthia Brandon. She said that Tom 
 was giving a good account of himself. There were 
 tears in the eyes of all when he told them how Miss 
 Ruth Newville had used her influence, she the daugh 
 ter of a Tory, to save him. 
 
 " That is the noblest type of womanhood," said 
 General Washington. " Perhaps," he added, " you 
 may wish to visit your parents for a few days, but a 
 little later I shall desire you to assist Colonel Knox in 
 executing an important trust." 
 
 " I am ready to do what I can in any capacity for 
 which I am fitted," Robert replied. 
 
 A flag of truce went out from the headquarters : 
 among the letters to people in Boston was one directed
 
 336 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 to Miss Ruth Newville. The red-coated officer who 
 inspected the letters read but one word. 
 
 Safe." 
 
 To her who received it the one syllable was more 
 than a page of foolscap.
 
 XXII. 
 
 BRAVE OF HEART. 
 
 THE king's plan to punish Boston because the East 
 India Company's tea had been destroyed was not 
 working very satisfactorily. Ten thousand troops 
 were cooped up in the town with little to eat. They 
 could obtain no fresh provisions. Lord North was send 
 ing many ships, and the ship-owners were asking high 
 prices for the use of their vessels; for the Yankee 
 skippers of Marblehead, Captain Manly and Captain 
 Mugford, were darting out from that port in swift- 
 sailing schooners, with long eighteen-pounders amid 
 ships, and the decks swarming with men who had 
 braved the storms of the Atlantic and knew no fear, 
 capturing the ships dispatched from England with 
 food and supplies for the army. The ministers had 
 paid twenty-two thousand pounds for cabbages, pota 
 toes, and turnips ; as much more for hay, oats, and 
 beans ; half a million pounds for flour, beef, and pork. 
 They purchased five thousand oxen, fourteen thou 
 sand sheep, and thousands of pigs, that the army 
 three thousand miles away might have something to 
 eat. There were plenty of cattle, sheep, and pigs 
 within fifty miles of Boston, but General Howe could 
 not lay his hand on one of them. The winter storms 
 were on, and the ships sailing down the Thames or
 
 338 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 from Bristol Channel had a hard time of it before 
 losing sight of the hills of Devon. The people along 
 the Cornwall shores beheld the seashore strewn with 
 carcasses of cattle, sheep, and pigs, tossed overboard 
 from the decks of foundering vessels. The few 
 cattle that survived the six weeks' tossing on the sea 
 were but skin and bones when the ships dropped 
 anchor by Castle William. 
 
 In contrast, Tom Brandon and the soldiers under 
 General Washington had plenty of good food. It 
 was a tantalizing handbill which Benjamin Edes 
 printed on his press at Watertown. 
 
 Tom Brandon, on picket at Charlestown Neck, 
 hailed the Britisher a few rods distant. 
 
 " How are you, redcoat? " 
 
 " How are you, rebel ? " 
 
 " Say, redcoat, if you won't pop at me, I won't at 
 you." 
 
 " Agreed." 
 
 " Would n't ye like a chaw of tobacco, redcoat ? " 
 
 " I would n't mind." 
 
 " All right. Here 's a plug with my compliments ; 
 't ain't poisoned. Ye needn't be afraid of it," said 
 Tom, tossing it to him. 
 
 The Britisher opened the paper and read : 
 
 American Army, English Army. 
 
 1. Seven dollars a month. 1. Three pence a day. 
 
 2. Fresh provisions in plenty. 2. Rotten salt pork. 
 
 3. Health. 3. The scurvy. 
 
 4. Freedom, ease, affluence, 4. Slavery, beggary, and want. 
 
 and' a good farm. 
 
 Other pickets besides Tom were tossing the hand-
 
 BRAVE OF HEART. 339 
 
 bills to the Britishers. Abraham Duncan, going 
 here and there along the streets, saw the redcoats 
 reading them, and night after night soldiers disap 
 peared, never again to shoulder a musket in the ser 
 vice of the king. 
 
 Shut up in the town with nothing to do, the troops 
 became lawless, breaking into houses and plundering 
 the people. In vain were the efforts of General Howe, 
 by severe punishments, to prevent it ; giving one sol 
 dier four hundred lashes on his bare back ; another 
 six hundred ; hanging a third. 
 
 Hard times had come to the people of Boston. In 
 the autumn, General Howe had issued a proclama 
 tion, threatening with execution any one who should 
 attempt to steal away from the town without his con 
 sent; but now he would gladly have them go, only 
 they must obtain permission. He could not supply 
 them with food, neither with fuel. He gave the 
 soldiers leave to rip the boards from the Old North 
 Meetinghouse, and cut its timbers into kindlings. 
 After much hacking they leveled the Liberty Tree, 
 not only to obtain the wood, but to manifest their 
 hatred of the tree. Not being able to feed the people, 
 he sent three hundred and fifty from the town, land 
 ing them at Point Shirley, to make their way over 
 the marshes to Lynn as best they could. Others were 
 directed to go. 
 
 " We shall not go. I do not propose to let the 
 redcoats make themselves at home in this house," 
 said Berinthia to the sergeant who asked if the fam 
 ily would like to leave the town. 
 
 " What will you live on ? Butcher Thurbal, whom
 
 340 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 General Howe has appointed to take charge of all 
 the cattle, says he has but six left, and here it is De 
 cember, with winter only just begun. You will starve 
 before spring," the sergeant replied. 
 
 " We have a little flour, and there is a kit of 
 mackerel ; a layer of pork is still left in the barrel. 
 We will not go till the last mouthful of food is gone," 
 Berinthia said resolutely. 
 
 The knocker rattled. 
 
 " One of Massa Genral Howe's ossifers," said Mark 
 Antony. 
 
 A young lieutenant entered ; but seeing a fair-faced 
 young lady he removed his cap. 
 
 " I would like to see the mistress of the house," he 
 said. 
 
 " I am mistress. What is it you wish ? " 
 
 " I come to inform you that Colonel Hardman de 
 sires to occupy these premises for himself and staff, 
 of which I have the honor to be a member. I am 
 directed to inform you that you can have twenty-four 
 hours to effect your removal." 1 
 
 " Colonel Hardman desires to take our house, does 
 he?" 
 
 " That is his wish." 
 
 " Has he ordered you to take possession of it for 
 him ? " 
 
 " No, he has directed me to inform you of what he 
 intends to do, that you may make preparations at once 
 for your removal." 
 
 1 Under date of September 13, 1775, is the following from the 
 letter of Reverend Andrew Eliot to S. Eliot : " Every house is now 
 taken as the officers please. General Clinton is in Mr. Hancock's, Bur- 
 goyne in Mr. Bowdoin's."
 
 BRAVE OF HEART. 341 
 
 " You will please say to Colonel Hardman that we 
 cannot accede to his wish." 
 
 It was said with such firmness and quiet dignity 
 that the lieutenant was amazed. He waited to hear 
 some reason why she would not comply with the de 
 mand. She stood silent before him, composedly look 
 ing him in the face. Not being able to find words to 
 reply, the lieutenant bowed stiffly and departed. 
 
 "You haven't got through with Colonel Hard- 
 man," said Abraham. " He likes the looks of this 
 house, evidently. He is a new officer just arrived." 
 
 " He will find that an American girl can make some 
 resistance to force," Berinthia replied. 
 
 Once more the knocker rattled, and the lieutenant 
 entered. 
 
 " I believe I have the honor to address Miss Bran 
 don," he said, bowing. 
 
 " That is my name." 
 
 " I am extremely sorry, Miss Brandon, to be obliged 
 to execute an order of this kind, but I am directed by 
 Colonel Hardman to take possession of these premises, 
 as you will see by this order," he said, handing her a 
 paper. 
 
 " By what right does Colonel Hardman seize these 
 premises ? " 
 
 " Well, really I suppose because you are a 
 a rebel, you know," the lieutenant replied. 
 
 " How does he know that I am a rebel ? " 
 
 " I don't mean exactly that. Of course, you are 
 not in arms personally against his majesty, King 
 George, but then, the people are, you know." 
 
 " You mean, that because the king's troops began
 
 342 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 a war, firing upon the people at Lexington and Con 
 cord, your colonel proposes to turn me, my invalid 
 father and -mother, out of our home, that he may take 
 possession and live in comfort." 
 
 " It is awfully bad business, Miss Brandon, but I 
 can't help it, you know." 
 
 " I do not doubt, sir, that it is mortifying to you, 
 personally, to be compelled to execute an order of 
 this sort. Please say to Colonel Hardman that this 
 is our home, and we shall not leave it voluntarily. If 
 he desires to occupy it, he will do so only by force of 
 arms." 
 
 The lieutenant took his hat, not knowing what to 
 make of a young lady so calm and self-possessed, who 
 did not cry or wring her hands. 
 
 " Oh, Euth, you are just the one I want to see," 
 said Berinthia, as Miss Newville entered a few min 
 utes later. " Just look at this ! Colonel Hardman 
 proposes to turn us out of doors, that he may take 
 possession of our home." 
 
 " Are n't you going to protest ? " 
 
 " I have protested." 
 
 " Are n't you going to do something ? " 
 
 " What can I do ? " 
 
 " We will see. General Howe is to dine with us 
 this afternoon, and I have come to get you to help me 
 entertain him and the others. We will ask him what 
 he thinks of such arbitrary action on the part of his 
 subordinate officer." 
 
 " I will be there to hear what he has to say," Be 
 rinthia said. 
 
 The hard times and the want of fresh provisions
 
 BRAVE OF HEART. 343 
 
 ruffled the temper of Phillis in the Newville kitchen. 
 No longer could she baste a fat turkey roasting by the 
 fire, or a joint of juicy beef, and yet the dinner she 
 was preparing for his excellency General Howe, and 
 Mr. Newville's other guests, was very appetizing, 
 oysters raw and fried, clam soup, broiled halibut, fresh 
 mackerel, corned beef and pork, plum-pudding and 
 pie. 
 
 Lord William Howe, commander-in-chief of his 
 majesty's forces in America, was a gentleman, polite, 
 affable, who delighted to make himself agreeable to 
 beautiful ladies. At Bunker Hill he had shown the 
 army that he coidd be brave on the battlefield. The 
 other guests were Brigadier-General Timothy Ruggles, 
 appointed commander of the militia, loyal to the king, 
 and Captain John Coffin of his staff. General Howe 
 solicited the honor of escorting Miss Newville to the 
 dinner-table ; Captain Coffin, possibly preferring the 
 society of the girl with whom he often had romped to 
 that of the mother, offered his arm to Berinthia, leav 
 ing to General Ruggles the honor of escorting the 
 hostess. 
 
 " The state of the times," said Mr. Newville, " does 
 not enable me to provide an elaborate repast, but 
 Phillis has done her best with what she had." 
 
 " I am sure your dinner will be far more elaborate 
 .than anything I have upon my own table," said Gen 
 eral Howe. " There being no fresh provisions in the 
 market, I have to put up with salt junk." 
 
 " Do you think the present scarcity of food will 
 continue long?" Ruth inquired. 
 
 " I trust not. It will be some time before the gov-
 
 344 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 ernment supplies reach me from England, but I have 
 dispatched vessels to Halifax and the West Indies, 
 which, with fair winds, ought to be here in the course 
 of a week." 
 
 " It is tantalizing to know there are abundant sup 
 plies of vegetables in the farmers' cellars, not twenty 
 miles away, that droves of cattle and sheep come to 
 Mr. Washington, and we cannot get a joint of mutton 
 or a cabbage," said Mr. Newville. 
 
 " If the provincial pirates do not intercept the ves 
 sels, we shall have fresh provisions soon ; but they are 
 a daring set of rebels who live down towards Cape 
 Ann. A schooner darted out the other day from 
 Marblehead, and captured the brig Nancy and a rich 
 cargo which I could ill afford to lose, two thousand 
 muskets, one hundred thousand flints, thirty thousand 
 cannon-balls, and thirty tons of musket-balls, and a 
 thirteen-inch mortar. I understand Mr. Washington 
 is greatly elated by the capture, as well he may be." 
 
 " Cannot Admiral Graves protect the transports ? " 
 Mr. Newville asked. 
 
 " Perhaps a little more enterprise on the part of 
 the marine force would be commendable. The pro 
 vincials, I must admit, show far greater zeal than^ is 
 seen in the king's navy." 
 
 " It is commonly remarked that the navy is not 
 doing much," said General Ruggles. 
 
 "The army, although it is not marching into the 
 country, is far more active, judging from the firing 
 which I hear through the day," Berinthia remarked. 
 
 General Howe scanned her face, wondering if there 
 was not a trifle of sarcasm in the words. He knew
 
 BRAVE OF HEART. 345 
 
 he was being criticised by the Tories for his inactivity ; 
 that Admiral Graves and the officers of the navy were 
 asking when the army was going to scatter Mr. Wash 
 ington's rabble. 
 
 " I was relying upon the muskets captured in the 
 Nancy," said General Howe, " to supply the gentle 
 men in General Robertson's command; also the loyal 
 Irish Volunteers under Captain Forest, and the Fenci- 
 bles under Colonel Graham, and those whom Colonel 
 Creen Brush, a loyalist from New York, expects to 
 raise. I am greatly gratified by this exhibition of 
 loyalty on the part of the citizens. Doubtless other 
 vessels will soon be here with arms, provided that au 
 dacious Captain Manly does not slip out from Marble- 
 head and nab them while the warships are getting up 
 their anchors. I have sent several ships along the 
 shore to obtain supplies if possible, but it seems the 
 madness of the people in revolting against our gracious 
 sovereign is widespread. I learn there are many who 
 are still loyal, but who do not dare to sell provisions 
 through fear of their neighbors." 
 
 " I do not doubt it," General Ruggles remarked. 
 "If it were not for the presence of the troops, we who 
 are loyal would have a rough time. Even as it is, I 
 see scowls upon the faces of my old-tinie friends when 
 ever I go along the street." 
 
 " Since I accompanied your excellency to Bunker 
 Hill and manifested my loyalty," said Captain Coffin, 
 " and especially since I have taken part in organizing 
 the loyal citizens to aid in upholding the government, 
 I find some of my former friends, notably some of the 
 young ladies, shutting their doors in my face."
 
 346 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I suppose you can hardly wonder at it ? " Ruth 
 remarked. 
 
 "Why should they? I have not changed. Every 
 body knows how I have stood from the beginning," 
 the captain replied. 
 
 " It is not that Captain Coffin is not as agreeable 
 and entertaining as ever, but they regard the king as 
 attempting to deprive the people of their rights and 
 liberties ; the appeal to arms has been made ; if you 
 actively support his majesty, do you not cut yourself 
 off from their society ? Can you expect them to be 
 as gracious as in former days ? " said Berinthia. 
 
 " Perhaps not, from the standpoint you have taken ; 
 but it is rather uncomfortable to have a young lady 
 who has welcomed you to her fireside pass you by on 
 the street as if you were a cold-blooded villain." 
 
 " It comes to this," said Ruth. " One cannot be 
 loyal to the king, neither to liberty, without suffering 
 for it. Miss Brandon's brother Tom had to give up 
 his lady-love because he sided with the provincials. 
 Young ladies shut the door in Captain Coffin's face 
 because he adheres to King George. If his majesty 
 only knew the disturbance he is making over here in 
 love affairs, perhaps he would withdraw the army." 
 
 " Of course he would," exclaimed General Howe. 
 " I don't believe that side of the question has ever 
 been laid before him. I am sure, Miss Newville, if 
 you were to go as special envoy and present the case, 
 showing him how the sword is cutting young heart 
 strings asunder, he would at once issue an order for 
 us to pack up and be off, that the course of true love 
 might run smoothly once more."
 
 BRAVE OF HEART. 347 
 
 The company laughed heartily. 
 
 " Perhaps," continued General Howe, " we may 
 have to pack up any way, for want of something to 
 eat. Before I succeeded to the command, General 
 Gage seriously thought of evacuating the town, but 
 had not enough vessels to transport the troops. I 
 could not, when I was invested with the command, 
 send a portion away; to do so would invite an attack 
 upon those remaining." 
 
 Berinthia saw a startled look upon Mr. Newville's 
 face. 
 
 " Do you think, your excellency, the time will ever 
 come when his majesty's troops will take their depar 
 ture?" 
 
 " I trust not ; but this rebellion, which we thought 
 would be confined to this Province, has become a 
 continental question. Neither the king nor his min 
 isters anticipated it, but it is upon us, and we shall 
 be obliged to treat it in all its vastness. Large rein 
 forcements are to be sent. An agreement is being 
 made to employ several thousand Hessian troops, and 
 everything will be done to put down the rebellion." 
 
 "I expect to see," said General Ruggles, "the 
 army of Mr. Washington crumble to pieces very 
 soon. I hear that the Connecticut troops demanded 
 a bounty as the condition of their staying any longer, 
 and when it was refused, broke ranks and started for 
 their homes." 
 
 "So I am informed," General Howe remarked, 
 "though, to tell the truth, two thousand fresh men 
 came from the New Hampshire province to take their 
 places. I must say the provincials, thus far, have
 
 348 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 shown commendable zeal and persistence in maintain 
 ing the rebellion. They have constructed formidable 
 earthworks on Cobble Hill, so near my lines that they 
 have compelled the warships to drop down the river 
 to a safer anchorage." 
 
 " If by any chance the town should be evacuated, 
 what think you, your excellency, those of us who are 
 loyal to the king ought to do?" Mr. Newville asked. 
 
 " That is really a very difficult question to answer. 
 Your loyalty and that of all ladies and gentlemen 
 who stand by the king undoubtedly will make you 
 obnoxious to the rebels. The bitterness is increasing. 
 I fear you will not be shown much leniency." 
 
 " Would you think it strange, your excellency, if 
 they were not lenient ? " Ruth inquired. 
 
 " Why should they not be, Miss Newville ? " 
 
 "Would they not be likely to regard those who 
 support the king as their enemies ? " 
 
 " Why should they ? You have not taken up arms. 
 Of course, General Ruggles and Captain Coffin might 
 be regarded as obnoxious, and would have to take care 
 of themselves." 
 
 " But will they not say we have given moral sup 
 port to their enemies, and is not moral support likely 
 to be as heinous in their sight as the taking of arms ? 
 If we ask them to be lenient, will they not inquire if 
 the king's troops were merciful when they set Charles- 
 town on fire ? " Ruth asked. 
 
 A flush came upon the face of General Howe. Al 
 though he commanded the troops at Bunker Hill, he 
 had not ordered the burning of the town. General 
 Gage was responsible for that act. He felt a little
 
 BRAVE OF HEART. 349 
 
 uncomfortable over the question, for the latest news 
 papers from London told him the people of England 
 condemned the destruction of the homes of so many 
 inhabitants. 
 
 " I am free to say it was rather hard on them thus 
 to have their homes destroyed without a moment's 
 notice," he replied. 
 
 " Will not," Ruth inquired, " the provincials think 
 his majesty's forces were wanting in leniency when 
 they recall what was done at Falmouth a few days 
 ago, where the inhabitants were given only two hours 
 to remove from the town ? Not one minute over that 
 would Captain Mowatt grant them, though women 
 went down on their knees before him. Was it not 
 inhuman for him to fire bombs among the panic- 
 stricken multitude, setting the buildings on fire, 
 destroying the homes of five hundred people? If 
 his majesty's officers do these things, what may we 
 not expect from the provincials, should it ever come 
 our turn ? " 
 
 "We will do what we can, Miss Newville, not to 
 have it your turn." 
 
 " I do not doubt it, my lord ; but I was thinking of 
 possible contingencies." 
 
 Again Berinthia noticed a flush upon the face of 
 General Howe. 
 
 " I will admit, Miss Newville, that in war the un 
 expected may sometimes happen, and possibilities are 
 not comforting subjects for contemplation. I do not 
 anticipate disaster to the troops under my command." 
 
 " Shall we drink the health of our gracious sover 
 eign? " said Mr. Newville.
 
 350 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 The others drained their glasses, but Miss New- 
 ville's and Berinthia's were not lifted from the table. 
 
 " What, daughter ! What is the meaning of this ? 
 Not drink the health of the king ! " Mr. Newville 
 exclaimed. 
 
 " No, father. I could drink to his own personal 
 welfare, wish him health, happiness, and long life, but 
 pur drinking to the sentiment means approval of his 
 government. I cannot do that. I never can think it 
 right to burn 'the homes of innocent people without 
 a moment's warning, as was done at Charlestown. 
 The people of Falmouth never had done anything 
 against the king except to prevent Captain Mowatt 
 from loading masts and spars on board his ship for 
 the use of the king's navy. That was their offense, 
 and yet the town was wantonly destroyed. I cannot 
 think such a course is likely to restore the alienated 
 affections of the people to the king. More, I fear the 
 contingencies of war may yet compel us to suffer be 
 cause of these unwarranted acts." 
 
 Mr. Newville sat in silence, not knowing what to 
 say. He had been outspoken in his loyalty. He 
 never had contemplated the possibility of failure on 
 the part of the king to put down the rebellion, but if 
 General Howe were to evacuate Boston, what treat 
 ment could he expect from the provincials ? The 
 words of Ruth brought the question before him in a 
 startling way. 
 
 " Those are my sentiments, also," said Berinthia. 
 
 " I see, Miss Brandon, that you are of the same 
 opinion, which, of course, I expected in your case, but 
 hardly from Miss Newville," said Captain Coffin.
 
 BRAVE OF HEART. 351 
 
 " Yes, I am of the same way of thinking," Berin- 
 thia replied. 
 
 " You will not, ladies, decline to drink the health of 
 the queen, I trust ? " said General Howe, as Pompey 
 refilled the glasses. 
 
 " Oh no, I will drink it with pleasure. The queen, 
 of course, does not stand for mismanagement, as does 
 the king, and we will not spoil our dinner by talking 
 about the sad events," Ruth replied. 
 
 General Howe entertained them with an account of 
 his boyhood days, his service with General Wolfe at 
 Quebec, how the troops climbed the steep river bank 
 at night and won the battle on the Plains of Abraham. 
 Captain Coffin laughed with Berinthia and Ruth over 
 good times he had enjoyed with them. Yet all were 
 conscious that spectres unseen had come to the ban 
 quet. The ghost confronting General Howe was whis 
 pering of starvation, of possible humiliation .through 
 forced evacuation; the one glaring at Mr. and Mrs. 
 Newville told of a possible departure from their home, 
 to become aliens in a foreign land. 
 
 " May I ask Miss Newville to favor us with music ? " 
 said General Howe, when they were once more in the 
 parlor. 
 
 " With pleasure, your excellency," said Ruth, seat 
 ing herself at the harpsichord and singing " The Frog 
 he would a-wooing go," " The Fine Old English Gen 
 tleman," and then with a pathos that brought tears 
 to the eyes of the commander-in-chief, "True Love 
 can ne'er forget." 
 
 During the dinner, and while Ruth was singing, they 
 could hear the deep reverberations of the cannonade.
 
 352 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 The provincials in Roxbury were sending their shot 
 at General Howe's fortifications on the Neck, and his 
 cannon in reply were thundering towards the works 
 at Cobble Hill. 
 
 " Miss Newville," said General Howe, " I cannot 
 express my thanks to you for your entertainment. 
 While listening to your charming melodies I have 
 been thinking of the strange, incongruous accompani 
 ment, the uproar of the cannonade, but I have, in a 
 measure, been able to forget for the moment the 
 worries and perplexities that surround me. I trust I 
 may be able to do something to add to your happiness 
 some day." He rose to take his departure. 
 
 " Thank you, your excellency ; I am glad if I have 
 been able in any way to make it a pleasant hour to 
 you and General Ruggles, and my old acquaintance, 
 Captain Coffin. Your excellency can add much to 
 my happiness and that of Miss Brandon. One of 
 your subordinate officers, who I think has not been 
 long here, Colonel Hardman, has notified Miss Bran 
 don that he is going to take possession of her home 
 to-morrow and turn her and her invalid parents out of 
 doors. Berinthia, you have the colonel's order, I 
 think?" 1 
 
 Berinthia took the document from her pocket and 
 handed it to General Howe, who ran his eye over it 
 and seemed to be thinking. 
 
 " Is your father loyal to the king, Miss Brandon? " 
 he asked. 
 
 1 " I am by a cruel necessity turned out of my home ; must leave 
 my books and all I possess, perhaps to be destroyed by a licentious 
 soldiery." Andrew Eliot to Thomas Hollis, Proceedings Mass. Hist. 
 Society, vol. xvi.
 
 BRAVE OF HEART. 353 
 
 "In the same sense that I am, your excellency. 
 You know that I did not drink the health of the king 
 because I protest against the course he is pursuing 
 towards the Colonies ; my father does the same." 
 
 " You have a brother, I think, in the provincial 
 army ? " 
 
 " I suppose that Tom is there. He did what he 
 could to defeat your excellency at Bunker Hill. Pos 
 sibly it was his bullet that went through your excel 
 lency's coat. He attempted to defeat the king's 
 troops just as they attempted to defeat him. and suc 
 ceeded. You give your allegiance to the king; he 
 gives his to liberty, and is fighting for it just as con 
 scientiously as your excellency is fighting for King 
 George and the crown." 
 
 " As your father sides with the provincials, and as 
 your brother is in arms against our most gracious 
 sovereign, may I ask if you can give any good reason 
 why my subordinate officer should not take possession 
 of your home ? " 
 
 "Pardon me, may I ask if your excellency will 
 kindly favor me with any good reason why my par 
 ents should be driven from their beds in midwinter, 
 that one of the king's officers may have comfortable 
 quarters ? Does your excellency think such a course 
 of conduct will tend to restore to the king the alien 
 ated affections of his late subjects ? " 
 
 " Then, Miss Brandon, you do not consider your 
 self, at this moment, one of his subjects ? " 
 
 " I do not. I cannot own allegiance to a sovereign 
 who burns the homes of an inoffensive community, 
 standing for their rights and ancient liberties."
 
 354 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " I admire your frankness, Miss Brandon, as I do 
 that of Miss Newville. Have you a pen at hand ? " 
 
 Ruth brought a pen and ink-horn ; General Howe 
 wrote upon the document, and handed it to her. 
 
 " I cannot go back on my promise to do something 
 for you, Miss Newville, to add to your happiness and 
 Miss Brandon's, and I trust I never shall do any 
 thing that will lead you to think I am insensible to 
 the claims of humanity," he said, bowing, and taking 
 his departure. 
 
 Berinthia read what he had written : 
 
 It is hereby ordered by the general-in-chief com 
 manding his majesty's forces, that Miss Brandon shall 
 be allowed to remain in possession of her home till 
 this order shall be countermanded. 
 
 HOWE, Major-General. 
 
 In bright uniform, with stars upon his breast, 
 Colonel Hardman, accompanied by the members of 
 his staff, knocked at the door of the Brandon home. 
 Mark Antony was unceremoniously pushed aside, and 
 the officers entered the hall. 
 
 "You can inform the lady of the house, nigger, 
 that Colonel Hardman and staff have come to take 
 possession of the premises and " 
 
 The sentence was not finished, for Berinthia, 
 queenly in her dignity, stood before him. Colonel 
 Hardman, obedient to etiquette, removed his hat. It 
 was not an old woman, wrinkled and toothless, but a 
 young lady, calm and self-possessed, confronting him. 
 
 " Is this Colonel Hardman ? "
 
 BRAVE OF HEART. 355 
 
 " I have the honor to bear that name, lady." 
 " You have come to take possession of my house ? " 
 "That is my errand. I trust it will not greatly 
 inconvenience you. I see you have my order of yes 
 terday in your hand, and so are not unprepared for 
 my coming." 
 
 " It is your order, and I am not unprepared, as 
 you will see," she said, handing him the paper. 
 
 He read the writing, bit his lips, grew red in the 
 face, returned the document, bowed stiffly, and left 
 the hall, followed by his astonished suite. 
 
 " Outwitted by a petticoat," he muttered, with an 
 oath, as he passed down the street.
 
 XXIII. 
 
 SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS. 
 
 IT was as if one had risen from the dead, when 
 Robert Walden once more entered the old home. 
 Father, mother, Rachel, all, had thought of him as 
 lying in a grave unknown, having given his life 
 for liberty. It was a joyful home. All the town 
 came to shake hands with him. His father and 
 mother were older, the gray hairs upon their brows 
 more plentiful, and sorrow had left its mark 011 
 Rachel's face ; but her countenance was beautiful in 
 its 'cheerful serenity. 
 
 A few days at home, and Robert was once more 
 with the army, commissioned as major upon the staff 
 of General Washington. Colonel Knox the while was 
 transporting the cannon captured by Ethan Allen at 
 Ticonderoga across the Berkshire Hills to Cambridge 
 fifty guns mounted on sleds, drawn by one hundred 
 oxen. 
 
 The commander of the army had not forgotten 
 what Major Walden had said about the military 
 value of Dorchester Heights. The cannon were 
 placed in position, but not till winter was nearly 
 over were the preparations completed for the bom 
 bardment of Boston. 
 
 When the sun set on the afternoon of March 2d
 
 SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS. 357 
 
 little did Lord Howe and the ten thousand British 
 soldiers imagine what was about to happen. Sud 
 denly from the highlands of Roxbury, from Cobble 
 Hill, from floating batteries in Charles River, cannon- 
 balls were hurled upon the town. Bombs exploded 
 in the streets ; one in a guard-house, wounding six 
 soldiers. The redcoats sprang to their guns, to give 
 shot for shot. Little sleep could the people get, 
 through the long wearisome Saturday night. During 
 Sunday the lips of the cannon were silent, but with 
 the coming of night again they thundered. General 
 Howe was wondering what Mr. Washington was in 
 tending to do, not mistrusting there was a long line 
 of ox-carts loaded with picks and spades, bales of 
 hay, and casks rilled with stones; the teamsters wait 
 ing till Major Walden should give a signal for them 
 to move. 
 
 While the cannon were flashing, General Thomas, 
 with two thousand men, marched across the marshes 
 along Dorchester Bay and up the hill overlooking the 
 harbor. Major Walden gave the signal, and the 
 farmers started their teams, those with picks, and 
 spades, and casks following the soldiers ; those with 
 hay halting on the marsh land, unloading, and piling 
 the bales in a line so as to screen the passage. Major 
 Walden, General Rufus Putnam, and Colonel Grid- 
 ley hastened to the summit of the hill in advance of 
 the troops. Colonel Gridley marked the lines for a 
 fortification ; the soldiers stacked their arms, seized 
 picks and spades, and broke the frozen earth. The 
 moon was at its full. From the hill, the soldiers 
 could look down upon the harbor and see the warships
 
 358 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 and great fleet of transports, with masts and yardarms 
 outlined in the refulgent light. Eobert expected to 
 see a cannon flash upon the Scarborough, the nearest 
 battleship ; but the sentinel pacing the deck heard no 
 sound of delving pick or shovel. Walden piloted the 
 carts to the top of the hill, and placed the casks in 
 such position that they could be set rolling down the 
 steep at a moment's notice. The soldiers chuckled at 
 the thought of the commotion they would make in the 
 ranks of the redcoats, were they to make an assault 
 and suddenly see the casks rolling and tumbling, 
 sweeping all before them ! 
 
 General Howe was astonished, when daylight 
 dawned, to see an embankment of yellow earth crown 
 ing the hill overlooking the harbor. 
 
 " The rebels have done more in a night than my 
 army would have done in a month," he said, after 
 looking at the works with his telescope. What should 
 he do ? Mr. Washington's cannon would soon be 
 sending shot and shell upon the warships, the trans 
 ports, and the town. The provincials must be driven 
 from the spot at once ; otherwise, there could be no 
 safety for the fleet, neither for his army. He called 
 his officers together in council. 
 
 " We must drive the rebels just as we did at Bun 
 ker Hill, or they will drive us out of the town. There 
 is nothing else to be done," said General Clinton. 
 
 General Howe agreed with him. A battle must be 
 fought, and the sooner the better. Every moment 
 saw the fortifications growing stronger. But what 
 would be the outcome of a battle ? Could he embark 
 his army in boats, land at the foot of the hill, climb
 
 SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS. 359 
 
 the steep ascent, and drive the rebels with the bayonet ? 
 At Bunker Hill there was only a rabble, regiments 
 without a commander ; but now Mr. Washington 
 was in command ; his troops were in a measure disci 
 plined. That he was energetic, far-seeing, and calcu 
 lating, he could not doubt. Had he not transported 
 heavy cannon across the country from Lake Cham- 
 plain to bombard the town? Evidently Mr. Wash 
 ington was a man who could bide his time. Such 
 men were not likely to leave anything at haphazard. 
 One third of those assaulting Bunker Hill had been 
 cut down by the fire of the rebels. Could he hope 
 for any less a sacrifice of his army in attacking a more 
 formidable position, with the rebels more securely 
 intrenched ? It was not pleasant to contemplate the 
 possible result, but an assault must be made. 
 
 From the housetop, Berinthia saw boats from 
 the vessels in the harbor, gathering at Long Wharf. 
 Drums were beating, troops marching. Abraham 
 Duncan came with the information that four or five 
 thousand men were to assault the works and drive the 
 provincials pell-mell across the marshes to Roxbury. 
 At any rate, that was the plan. He was sure it would 
 be a bloody battle. Possibly, while General Howe 
 was engaged at Dorchester Heights, Mr. Washington 
 might be doing something else. 
 
 Neither General Howe nor any one within the 
 British lines knew just what the provincial comman 
 der had planned, that the moment the redcoats 
 began the attack, General Israel Putnam, on Cobble 
 Hill, between Charlestown and Cambridge, with four 
 thousand men, would leap into boats, cross the
 
 360 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 Charles, and land on the Common ; that General Na- 
 thanael Greene with a large force would advance from 
 Roxbury, and together they would grind the British 
 to powder, like corn in a mill. 
 
 It was mid-forenoon when Major Walden escorted 
 General Washington across the marsh land and along 
 the path to Dorchester Heights. The troops swung 
 their hats and gave a cheer when they saw their com 
 mander ascending the hill. He lifted his hat, and 
 thanked them for having constructed such strong in- 
 trenchments in so short a time. 
 
 " It is the fifth of March," he said, " and I am 
 sure you will remember it is the anniversary of the 
 massacre of the Sons of Liberty." 
 
 In Boston drums were beating, regiments marching ; 
 but suddenly the wind, which had blown from the 
 west, changed to the east ; and the sea waves were 
 rolling up the bay, making it impossible for the Som 
 erset, Scarborough, Boyne, and the other ships, to 
 spread their sails and take position to bombard the 
 works of. the rebels ; neither could General Howe em 
 bark the troops upon the dancing boats. The clouds 
 were hanging low, and rain falling. Not till the wind 
 changed and the sea calmed could there be a battle ; 
 General Howe must wait. 
 
 Night came ; the rain was still pouring. The pro 
 vincials wrapped their overcoats closely around them, 
 kindled fires, ate their bread and beef, told stories, 
 sang songs, and kept ward and watch through the 
 dreary hours. 
 
 Morning dawned ; the wind was still east, and the 
 waves rolling in from the sea. With gloom upon
 
 SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS. 361 
 
 his brow, General Howe with his telescope examined 
 the fortifications. Could he hope to capture them? 
 Doubtful. Exasperating, humiliating, the reflection 
 that Mr. Washington was in a position to compel him 
 to evacuate the town. Only a few days before, Ke 
 had written Lord Dartmouth he was in no danger 
 from the rebels ; he only wished Mr. Washington 
 would have the audacity to make a movement against 
 him ; but now he must pack up and be off, give up 
 what he had held so long, and confess defeat. What 
 would the king say ? What the people of England ? 
 He did not like to think of what had come. But he 
 must save the army. What of the citizens who had 
 maintained their loyalty to the king? Should he 
 leave them to the tender mercies of the exasperated 
 provincials whose homes had been burned ? He could 
 not do that. If Theodore Newville, Nathaniel Coffin, 
 or any of the thousand or more wealthy citizens were 
 willing to remain loyal, if they were ready to become 
 aliens and fugitives and exiles, he must do what he 
 could for them. 
 
 " What is it, husband ? " Mrs. Newville asked as 
 Mr. Newville entered his house, and she beheld his 
 countenance, white, haggard, and woe-begone. 
 
 " What has happened, father ? " Ruth asked, lead 
 ing him, trembling and tottering, to his chair. 
 
 " It has come," he gasped, resting his elbows on his 
 knees and covering his face with his hands. 
 
 " What has come ? " Mrs. Newville inquired. 
 
 " The end of the king's authority in this town." 
 
 " What do you mean ? "
 
 362 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " The army is going, and we have got to go." 
 
 " Go where ? " 
 
 " I don't know ; only we have got to leave this 
 home, never to see it again, and be aliens the rest of 
 our lives," he said, groaning and sobbing. 
 
 " Why must the army go ? " Mrs. Newville ex 
 claimed. 
 
 " Because General Howe cannot stay. The provin 
 cials are in a position to sink his ships and set the 
 town on fire with their bombs." 
 
 " Can't General Howe drive Mr. Washington from 
 the hill just as he did at Charlestown ? " 
 
 "He was going to do it yesterday, but the sea 
 wouldn't let him, and now it is too late." 
 
 "He must do it, and I will go and tell him so. 
 Leave our home and become wanderers and vaga 
 bonds ? Never ! " she cried with flashing eyes. 
 
 "It is decided. Orders have been issued. The 
 fear is that the provincials may open fire upon the 
 fleet and sink the ships before the army can get away." 
 
 " Why did n't General Howe take possession of the 
 hill, and prevent the provincials from doing it ? " 
 
 "The Lord knows, and perhaps General Howe 
 does, but I don't. I have seen for some time what 
 might happen, and now we have it. We have got to 
 go, and God help us." 
 
 Mrs. Newville,- overwhelmed, tottered to a chair. 
 
 " So this is what Sam Adams and John Hancock 
 have done. I hate them. But why must we go? 
 Why not stay ? We have as good a right to stay as 
 they. Give up our home ? Never ! Never ! " 
 
 With flashing eyes, and teeth set firmly together,
 
 SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS. 363 
 
 she rose, and took a step or two as if ready to con 
 front a foe. 
 
 " We cannot stay," said Mr. Newville. " We have 
 given our allegiance to the king ; I have held office 
 under the crown, and the Great and General Court 
 will confiscate my estate, and we shall be beggars. 
 More than that, I probably shall be seized and thrown 
 into jail. There 's no knowing what they will do. 
 Possibly my lifeless body may yet dangle from the 
 gallows, where murderers have paid the penalty of 
 their crimes." 
 
 Mrs. Newville wrung her hands, and gave way to 
 sobs and moans. Ruth had stood a silent spectator, 
 but sat down now by her mother, put an arm around 
 her, and wiped away the tears coursing down her 
 cheeks. 
 
 "I haven't told you all," said Mr. Newville. 
 " General Howe threatens to burn the town if Mr. 
 Washington opens fire upon the ships." 
 
 " General Howe threatens that ? " exclaimed Mrs. 
 Newville. 
 
 " Yes ; John Scollay and several of us have asked 
 General Robertson to intercede with Howe. He has 
 done so, but Howe will make no promise. He has 
 permitted a flag of truce to go out to Mr. Washington 
 to let him know if the British are molested he will 
 set the town on fire. If Mr. Washington is the 
 kind-hearted man they say he is, probably he will 
 not make an attack. He wants to compel Howe to 
 get out and to have the town spared. We are not 
 the only ones who will suffer, but everybody who has 
 stood for the king will have to go or take the con-
 
 364 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 sequences when the provincials march in. They will 
 be implacable in their retaliation for the burning of 
 Charlestown and Falmouth, and for the destruction 
 of the Old North Meetinghouse, the desecration of the 
 Old South, and the pulling down of hundreds of 
 houses. They will confiscate the property of every 
 one who has adhered to the crown, and make them 
 beggars, or send them out of the Province, or perhaps 
 do both. We may as well look the matter squarely 
 in the face, for we have got to face it." 
 
 It was spoken with quivering lips. Several vessels 
 had been designated on which the friends of the king 
 might embark for Halifax, the only port near at hand 
 where they could find refuge. He looked around 
 the room, gazed mournfully at the portraits of his 
 ancestors on the walls, at the rich mahogany furni 
 ture, the mirrors above the mantel reflecting the 
 scene. In the dining-room was the buffet with its 
 rich furnishings. Upon the stairs was the clock, 
 its pendulum swinging as it had swung since the days 
 of his boyhood. Upon the sideboard were the tea- 
 urns used on many convivial afternoons and evenings. 
 Whichever way he turned he saw that which had con 
 tributed to his ease, comfort, and happiness. Looking 
 out of the window, he saw the buds were beginning to 
 swell upon the trees under the genial rays of the sun. 
 The bluebirds and robins had arrived and were sing 
 ing in the garden. A few more days and the grass 
 would be springing fresh and green, the asparagus 
 throwing up its shoots, the cherry-trees white with 
 blooms, the lilacs and roses perfuming the air ; but 
 never again was he to sit beneath the vine-clad arbor
 
 SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS. 365 
 
 as he had sat in former years, listening to Nature's 
 symphony rehearsed by singing birds ; never again 
 was he to see the coming of ecstatic life in bud and 
 blossom. He must bid farewell forever to all the 
 enchanting scenes, pull up by the roots, as it were, all 
 cherished things. What should he take ? What leave 
 behind? There would be little room on shipboard 
 for the richly carved mahogany chairs, sideboard, sofa, 
 portraits of his ancestors. What use would he have 
 for them in exile? How dispose of them? Who 
 would purchase them ? No one. How would he live 
 in a foreign land ? How occupy his time ? His man 
 sion was his own ; he was possessor of other houses 
 and lands, but all would be seized. He could take 
 his silver plate, his gold and silver coin ; not much else. 
 
 " Oh dear ! oh dear ! has it come to this ! " Mrs. 
 Newville exclaimed, " when we might have been far 
 away, having everything heart could wish ! " 
 
 She cast a reproachful look upon Ruth. 
 
 " Oh, if you had only done as I wanted ! " 
 
 A gentle hand wiped the tears from the mother's 
 face. 
 
 " Mother, dear, the past is gone, never to return. 
 If it were to come again, bringing Lord Upperton, 
 my answer to him would be as it was. We will let 
 that pass. I know your every thought has been for 
 my welfare and happiness. I trust I have not been 
 ungrateful for all you have done for me and for all 
 you thought to do. I have not seen things as you 
 have seen them. You have been loyal to King 
 George ; you could hardly do otherwise with father 
 holding an office under the crown. I have given my
 
 366 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 sympathies to the provincials, because I believe they 
 are standing for what is right. My heart has gone 
 out to one who, I doubt not, is over on yonder hill in 
 arms against the king. I know the greatness of his 
 love, that he will be always true to me, as I shall be 
 to him." 
 
 The hand was still wiping away the tears ; she was 
 sitting between her father and mother, and laid the 
 other hand upon the father's palm. 
 
 "Through these winter nights, dear father and 
 mother, while hearing the cannon and the bursting 
 shells, I have been looking forward to this hour which 
 has come at last." 
 
 Tears stood in her eyes, and her voice became trem 
 ulous. 
 
 " We have come to the parting hour. You will go, 
 but I shall stay, stay to save the house, so that, by 
 and by, when the heat of passion has cooled, and the 
 fire of hate is only ashes, when the war is over and 
 peace has come, as come it will, you can return to the 
 old home." 
 
 " Leave you behind, Ruth ! " 
 
 " Yes, mother." 
 
 " To be insulted and abused by the hateful rebels ! 
 Never ! " 
 
 " I shall not be insulted. I am sure I shall be 
 kindly treated. Do you think my old friends will do 
 anything to annoy me ? Why should they, when they 
 know that I myself am a rebel ? Mr. Sam Adams has 
 always been my good friend. Have I not sat in his 
 lap in my girlhood? Are not Lucy Flucker Knox, 
 Dorothy Quincy, and Abigail Smith Adams my
 
 SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS. 367 
 
 friends? Has not Mr. John Hancock danced with me? 
 Have I done anything that should cause them to turn 
 against me ? Pompey and Phillis will be here to care 
 for me. And now, dear father, I have one or two 
 requests to make. This is your house, but I want you 
 to give it to me, make out a deed and execute it 
 in my name ; and one thing more, I want you to give 
 me a bill of sale of Pompey and Phillis, so that I 
 shall be absolute mistress here. T^hen the Colonies, 
 by their valor and the righteousness of their cause, 
 have become independent of the king, when the last 
 cannon has been fired, in God's good time you will 
 come back and find me here in the old home." 
 
 Mr. Newville sat in silence a moment, then put his 
 arm around her and drew her to him. 
 
 " Oh Ruth, daughter, you are dearer to me this 
 moment than ever before. Your clear vision has seen 
 what I have not been able to see, till now, the 
 possible end of this conflict. The provincials are 
 stronger than I supposed them to be, the disaffection 
 wider, and the king is weaker than I thought. It 
 never seemed possible that an army of ten thousand 
 men could be forced to evacuate this town, but so it 
 is, and I must go. I will not be so selfish as to ask 
 you to go. I know your love has gone out to Robert 
 Walden. I have no right to ask you to thrust a sword 
 into your own loving heart. I do not doubt he will 
 protect you with all the strength of a noble manhood. 
 This house shall be yours, together with Pompey and 
 Phillis, who will be as dutiful to you as they have been 
 to your mother and me. You speak of our coming 
 back, but when we once leave this house we never shall
 
 368 DAUGHTERS OP THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 behold it again ; nor shall we ever look again upon 
 your face unless you come where we may be. Where 
 that will be, God only knows ; we shall be fugitives 
 and wanderers without a home. Your mother and I 
 will not long need an earthly home. Such a wound 
 as this goes down deep into our souls, Ruth." 
 
 He could say no more, but hid his face in his hands 
 to hide the agony of a breaking heart. 
 
 " Father, have ^ou forgotten who it is that feeds 
 the ravens and cares for the sparrows ? Will He not 
 care for you? Of one thing you may be sure, so soon 
 as it is 'possible to do so I shall seek you wherever you 
 may be : and now we will prepare for your going." 
 
 She kissed the tears from his face, cheered the de 
 sponding mother, and began to select whatever would 
 most contribute to their comfort. 
 
 Abraham Duncan, as he walked the streets, beheld 
 men with haggard faces and women wringing their 
 hands and giving way to lamentations. In their loy 
 alty to the king, they never had dreamed that the 
 provincials could compel a disciplined army to quit 
 the town. They had been informed that with the 
 opening of spring the rebels would be scattered to the 
 winds. In their loyalty they had organized them 
 selves into militia and received arms from General 
 Howe to fight for King George. As by a lightning 
 flash all had been changed. Those who had thus or 
 ganized knew they would be despised by the provin 
 cials and hardly dealt with ; that houses and lands 
 would be seized and sold to make restitution for the 
 burning of Charlestown and buildings torn down in
 
 SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS. 369 
 
 Boston. They who had lived in affluence, who had 
 delightful homes on the slopes of Beacon Hill, must 
 leave them. All dear old things must be sacrificed 
 and family ties ruthlessly sundered. Fathers had 
 sons whose sympathies were with the provincials ; 
 mothers, other than Mrs. Newville, had daughters 
 whose true loves were marshaled under flags floating 
 on Dorchester Heights. Had not Colonel Henry 
 Knox sighted the cannon which sent the ball whirling 
 towards the early home of his loving wife, the home 
 where her father and mother and sisters were still 
 living, which they must leave ? The sword drawn on 
 Lexington Common was severing tender heartstrings. 
 There was a hurly-burly in the streets, drums 
 beating, soldiers marching, a rumbling of cannon 
 and wagons, the removal of furniture. Eleven hun 
 dred men and women were preparing to bid farewell 
 to their native land and homes. 
 
 The final hour came. Pompey had seen the trunks 
 and boxes safely stowed upon the ship in which Mr. 
 and Mrs. Newville,' Nathaniel Coffin, the king's 
 receiver-general, and Thomas Flucker were to find 
 passage. With a cane to steady his tottering steps, 
 Mr. Newville took a last look of the home where his 
 life had been passed ; the house in which his eyes first 
 saw the light ; where a mother, many years in her 
 grave, had caressed him ; where a father had guided 
 his toddling steps ; the home to which he had brought 
 his bride in the bloom of a beautiful maidenhood; 
 where Ruth had come to them as the blessing of God 
 to make the house resound with prattle and laughter,
 
 370 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 and fill it with the sunlight of her presence ; make it 
 attractive by her grace and beauty, the soul beauty 
 that looked out from loving eyes and became, as it 
 were, a benediction. He was to go, she to stay. God 
 above would be her guardian. 
 
 Mrs. Newville walked as in a daze from parlor to 
 chamber, from dining-room to hall and kitchen. 
 Was she awake or dreaming? Must she leave her 
 home, the home that had been so blissful, so hos 
 pitable? Was she never again to welcome a guest 
 to that table, never hear the merry chatter of voices 
 in parlor or garden? Oh, if Sam Adams and John 
 Hancock had only been content to let things go on as 
 they always had gone ! If Ruth had only accepted 
 Lord Upperton's suit ! Why could n't she ? What 
 ought she to take, what would she most need? 
 What sort of accommodations would they find at Hali 
 fax ? Why could n't Ruth go with them ? It was the 
 questioning of a mind stunned by the sudden stroke ; 
 of a spirit all but crushed by the terrible calamity. 
 
 " I have put in everything I could think of that 
 will in any way make you comfortable, mother dear," 
 said Ruth, mentioning the articles. 
 
 " I 've put up some jelly and jam for ye, missus," 
 said Phyllis. 
 
 Berinthia Brandon and Abraham Duncan came to 
 bid them farewell, and to help Ruth prepare for their 
 departure. 
 
 It was Ruth's strong arm that upheld her mother 
 as they slowly walked the street on their way to the 
 ship. It was a mournful spectacle. Not they alone, 
 but Mr. Shrimpton and Mary, Nathaniel Coffin and
 
 SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS. 371 
 
 wife and John, and a hundred of Ruth's acquaintances 
 were on the wharf preparing to go on board the ships. 
 
 " This is what has come from Sam Adams's med 
 dling," said Mr. Shrimpton. " May the Devil take 
 him and John Hancock. They ought to be hanged, and 
 I hope King George will yet have a chance to string 
 'em up curse 'em ! I 'd like to see 'em dangling 
 from the gibbet, and the crows picking their bones," 
 he said, smiting his fists together, walking to and fro. 
 
 He was bidding farewell to home, to the house 
 in which he was born. He had farms in the county, 
 wide reaches of woodland, fields, and pastures. The 
 provincials would confiscate them. In his declining 
 years all his property was to slip through his fingers, 
 and he was to totter in penury to his grave. 
 
 " I shall enlist in the service of the king and fight 
 'em," said John Coffin, who had shown his loyalty by 
 accompanying General Howe to the battle of Bunker 
 Hill. 
 
 " And I hope you '11 have a chance to put a bullet 
 through the carcass of Sam Adams," said Mr. Shrimp- 
 ton. 
 
 It was his daughter's hand that guided him over 
 the gang-plank to the deck of the Queen Charlotte. 
 
 " Let me put this muffler round your neck ; the air 
 is chill and you are shivering," said Mary, gently 
 leading him. 
 
 With chattering teeth and curses on his lips for 
 those whom he regarded as authors of his misfortunes, 
 Abel Shrimpton, led by his daughter, descended the 
 winding stairs to the cabin of the ship. 
 
 " Here are the rugs and shawls, mother, and here
 
 372 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 is the wolf -skin, father, to wrap around you," said 
 Kuth. 
 
 They were in the stifling cabin, the departing loyal 
 ists sitting as in a daze, stupefied, stunned by the 
 sudden calamity, wondering if it were not a horrid 
 dream. 
 
 To Mary Shrimpton and Ruth Newville it was no 
 phantom, no hallucination, but a reality, an exigency, 
 demanding calm reflection, wise judgment, and prompt, 
 decisive action. They had talked it over, each in 
 the other's confidence. 
 
 " You must go and I will stay ; you will care for 
 them all ; I will look after things here. This war 
 will not last always. You will all come back some 
 time," said Ruth, her abiding faith rising supreme 
 above the agony of the parting. 
 
 " I will care for them," had been the calm reply of 
 Mary. 
 
 " Oh, missus ! I can't bear to have ye go, you 's 
 been good to me always. I 'se packed a luncheon for 
 ye," said Phillis, kneeling upon the floor, clasping the 
 knees of her departing mistress, crying and sobbing. 
 
 "Oh, massa and missus, old Pomp can't tell ye 
 how good ye 've been to him. He '11 be good to Miss 
 Ruth. He '11 pray for de good Lord to bless ye, every 
 night, as he always has,"- the benediction of the 
 slave kneeling by Phillis's side. 
 
 Long and tender was the last embrace of the mother 
 and daughter, of the father and his beloved child. 
 With tears blinding her eyes, with tottering steps, 
 Ruth passed across the gang-plank. A sailor drew 
 it in, and unloosed the cable. The vessel swung with
 
 SUNDERING OF HEARTSTRINGS 373 
 
 the tide from its moorings, the jib and mainsail 
 filled with the breeze, and glided away. The weeping 
 crowd upon its deck saw Ruth standing upon the 
 wharf, her countenance serene, pure, and peaceful, 
 with tears upon her face, gazing at the receding ship. 
 Those around her beheld her steady herself against 
 the post which had held the cable, standing there till 
 the Queen Charlotte was but a white speck dotting 
 the landscape in the lower harbor, then walking with 
 faltering steps to her desolate home.
 
 XXIV. 
 
 IN THE OLD HOME. 
 
 " HERE, Miss Ruth, I lias a cordial for ye. Drink 
 it, honey," said Phillis as Ruth sank into a chair. 
 
 " Don't be down-hearted, Miss Ruth ; old Pomp will 
 take keer of ye." 
 
 " I do not doubt it. You and Phillis have always 
 been good to me, and now I have something to say to 
 both of you. Would you like to be free, Pompey ? " 
 
 " Would I like to be free, Miss Ruth ? " the negro 
 asked, hardly knowing what to make of the question. 
 
 " Yes, would you like to be free, to own yourself, 
 to come and go as you please ? " 
 
 "'Deed I would, Miss Ruth. Massa and missus 
 was always very good to old Pomp, but 'pears I would 
 like to be myself." 
 
 She rose and took Pompey and Phillis by their 
 hands. 
 
 " Your old master has given you both to me, and 
 now I give you to yourselves. You are both free now 
 and forever," said Ruth. 
 
 " Free ! Miss Ruth ! Did you say we is free ? " 
 
 " Yes, you are no longer slaves ; you can go and 
 come, now and always ; you are your own." 
 
 " Oh, Miss Ruth, old Pomp never will leave ye, 
 never. Old Pomp free ! 'Pears like de New Jerusa-
 
 IN THE OLD HOME. 375 
 
 lem has come," said the negro, sinking upon his knees, 
 kissing her hand and bathing it with tears. 
 
 " Oh, Miss Ruth, honey, I has held ye in my arms 
 when ye was a little baby, toted ye in de garding when 
 de flowers was bloomin', rocked ye to sleep when ye 
 was pinin' ; I 've seen ye grow to be a woman, and 
 now ye is my missus tellin' me I 'm free. I '11 cook 
 de chicken and de johnny-cake for ye till I can't cook 
 no more," said Phillis, clasping Ruth in her arms, 
 with tears rolling down her cheeks and laughter bub 
 bling from her lips. 
 
 The foresight that had seen the probable departure 
 of the British troops was forecasting the immediate 
 future ; that the interval before the arrival of General 
 Washington's army would be one of peril, from vaga 
 bonds, camp-followers, and the ragamuffins enlisted 
 by Green Brush, commissioned by General Howe to 
 organize a battalion of Tories. Through the day the 
 British regiments were sullenly taking their departure. 
 Pompey informed Ruth that the vagabonds had begun 
 to plunder the stores and break into houses. 
 
 " Dey won't git into dis yeer house, honey. I 'se got 
 de water b'ilin' hot in de kitchen for 'em," said Phillis. 
 
 Ruth did not doubt a mansion like hers would 
 attract the villains, and determined to defend herself 
 against all intruders. General Howe was going on 
 shipboard; no longer would she recognize his author 
 ity or that of any subordinate officer. Years before, 
 her father had been member of a battalion of horse 
 men. The pistols he carried then were in a closet. 
 Pompey brought them, fixed the flints, oiled the locks, 
 and found a horn of powder, but no bullets.
 
 376 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " Perhaps it is just as well, Pompey, for if I were 
 to have a bullet, I might kill somebody, and I would 
 not like to do that," she said. 
 
 " If ye are goin' to shoot, better shoot to kill, Miss 
 Ruth," said Pompey. 
 
 " I never have fired a pistol, Pompey ; how do you 
 doit?" 
 
 " I '11 show ye, missus," said the negro, putting 
 some powder in the pan and cocking the pistol. 
 
 " Now, Miss Ruth, you jes' pull de trigger and it 
 will flash." 
 
 They were in the kitchen. Ruth pointed the weapon 
 toward the fireplace and pulled the trigger. There 
 was a flash and a bang. 
 
 " O Lord ! Missus ! " shouted Phillis, dropping on 
 the floor. 
 
 " 'Pears, Miss Ruth, like she 's been loaded all 
 dese years," said Pompey, his eyeballs rolling in as 
 tonishment. 
 
 " It appears I have found out how to fire," said 
 Ruth, laughing. " But how do you load it ? " she asked. 
 
 Pompey poured a charge of powder into his hand, 
 emptied it into the barrel, and rammed it down with 
 a wad of paper. 
 
 " We have n't any bullets, but we can use gravel- 
 stones or dried peas or a tallow candle. I 've seen a 
 candle fired right through a board, Miss Ruth," he 
 said. 
 
 " We '11 load them with powder now ; perhaps we 
 shan't need anything else," Ruth replied. 
 
 In the gathering darkness Phillis saw a redcoat re 
 connoitring the grounds. He rapped upon the door
 
 IN THE OLD HOME. 377 
 
 leading to the kitchen. She did not unloose the 
 chain, but opened it sufficiently wide to talk with the 
 fellow. 
 
 " What d' ye want ? " she asked. 
 
 " I want to come in." 
 
 " What d' ye want to come in for ? " 
 
 " To see if ye have anything belonging to the king. 
 People have seized the king's property and taken it 
 into their houses." 
 
 " We have n't anything belonging to King George." 
 
 " Open the door or I '11 break it down." 
 
 " Go away. Dere can't no lobster come into dis 
 yeer kitchen," said Phillis, attempting to close the door. 
 But she saw the muzzle of a gun thrust into the open 
 ing. Her hands grasped it. One vigorous pull and 
 it was hers, and the villain was fleeing. 
 
 " I 'se got it ! I 'se got de villin's gun. Wid 
 de pistils, de musket, and de b'ilin' water we '11 fight 
 'em ! " she shouted. 
 
 Ruth, keeping watch, saw a squad of men. One 
 of them rattled the knocker. 
 
 " What do you wish ? " she asked, raising a window. 
 
 " I am commissioned to search for property belong 
 ing to the crown." 
 
 " Who are you ? " 
 
 "I am a lieutenant in the command of Colonel 
 Brush." 
 
 " I do not recognize your authority, neither that of 
 Colonel Brush nor General Howe, who has taken his 
 departure." 
 
 " I shall be under the necessity of entering by force 
 if you do not open the door."
 
 378 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 " You will do so at your peril." 
 
 " Break down the door, men ! " 
 
 The soldiers pounded with the butts of their nius- 
 kets, but the panels did not yield. 
 
 " Smash a window ! " 
 
 A bayonet was thrust through a pane, and the glass 
 rattled to the ground ; the butt of a musket smashed 
 the sash, and a pair of hands grasped the window-sill. 
 Memory recalled a day when two soldiers assaulted 
 her ; from that hour a redcoat had been hateful. 
 She seized one of the pistols. Remembering what 
 Pompey had said, she picked the lighted candle from 
 its socket and thrust it into the weapon. The ruffian 
 was astride the window-sill. There was a flash, a 
 loud report, and he dropped with a thud to the ground. 
 
 From the balcony came a flood of boiling water 
 upon the astonished ruffians. 
 
 " I '11 give it to ye, b'ilin' hot ! " shouted Phillis. 
 The ruffians saw the muzzle of a gun pointed towards 
 them from the window, and the stalwart form of 
 Pompey as he raised it to take aim. The astonished 
 villains fled, leaving Ruth, Pompey, and Phillis vic 
 tors in the encounter. 
 
 Morning dawned fair and beautiful. The robins 
 and bluebirds were singing in the garden. Ruth 
 heard again the beating of drums, the blast of bugles. 
 General Washington was entering the town. By his 
 side rode Major Robert Walden. 
 
 What surprise ! A white handkerchief was waving 
 from the balcony of the Newville home. She was 
 there, more beautiful and queenly than ever before !
 
 IN THE OLD HOME. 379 
 
 Not an alien, not an exile, but loyal to liberty, to 
 him ! He must leap from his saddle and clasp her 
 in his arms ! No. He must accompany his great 
 commander in the triumphal entry. That accom 
 plished, then the unspeakable joy. 
 
 There came an evening when the Newville home 
 was aglow with lights, and Pompey was bowing low 
 to General and Mrs. Washington, Generals Greene, 
 Putnam, Thomas, to colonels, majors, captains, coun 
 cilors, the selectmen of the town, Reverend Doctor 
 Cooper, Colonel Henry and Lucy Knox, Captain and 
 Mrs. Brandon, Berinthia, Abraham Duncan, Major 
 Tom Brandon, Rachel Walden ; young ladies in the 
 bloom of maidenhood, matronly mothers, fathers reso 
 lute of countenance, all rejoicing that the redcoats 
 were gone. 
 
 Down from the chamber, passing the old clock on 
 the stairs, came Major Robert Walden, in bright, 
 new uniform, and Ruth Newville in satin, white and 
 pure. 
 
 Reverend Doctor Cooper spoke of the bravery of 
 the bridegroom in battle, the manliness of character 
 that fitted him for fighting the battle of life. Tears 
 came to many eyes as he pictured the love of a 
 maiden who rescued her beloved, swept by life's ebb 
 ing tide far out towards a shoreless sea. 
 
 They who stood around beheld the countenance of 
 the bride transfigured as she pronounced the words, 
 " to love, to honor, and cherish him." 
 
 Amid the general joy, one heart alone felt a mo 
 mentary pang. Never might Rachel whisper such
 
 380 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 words to him whose last thought had been of her, 
 who had given his life that liberty might live. 
 
 Once more food was to be had from the market- 
 men around Faneuil Hall joints of beef, pigs, sau 
 sages, chickens, turkeys, vegetables and fruit, brought 
 in by the farmers of Braintree, Dedham, and Rox- 
 bury. Fishermen once more could sail down the 
 harbor, drop their lines for cod and mackerel on the 
 fishing ground beyond the Outer Brewster, and re 
 turn to the town without molestation from a meddling 
 town major. 
 
 With joyful countenance and conscious dignity, 
 Pompey perambulated the market, inspecting what the 
 hucksters had for sale. 
 
 " I want de juiciest j'int, de tenderest, fattest 
 turkey, de freshest eggs right from de nest, 'cause de 
 'casion is to be Missus Ruth's weddin' dinner," he said. 
 
 Many banquets had Phillis prepared, but never one 
 like the dinner for Miss Ruth on her wedding day. 
 
 " I 've roasted de turkey and sparrib for Massa 
 Ginerel Howe and Massa Ginerel Clinton, but dey 
 ain't of no 'count 'side Massa Major Walden and 
 Massa Ginerel Washington, 'cause dey drive de red 
 coats out of Boston. Miss Ruth fired de pistil and 
 I scaldid dem with de b'ilin' water. He ! he ! he ! " 
 she laughed. 
 
 It was a pleasure to stuff the turkey, to turn the 
 joint of beef roasting 011 the spit, mix the plums in 
 the pudding, and mould the mince pies for Ruth and 
 her friends. 
 
 " Miss Ruth told me to go free, and now she "s 
 Missus Ruth Walden. He! he! he!"
 
 IN THE OLD HOME. 
 
 381 
 
 The laughter bubbled from her lips. 
 
 It was a joyful party that sat down to the dinner. 
 The toasts drunk were not the health of George III. 
 and Sophia Charlotte, but the health of General 
 George Washington, the Continental Congress, 
 
 The Dinner-Party. 
 
 Major Robert "Walden, and, more heartily than any 
 other, long life and happiness to Ruth Newville 
 Walden. 
 
 Years have gone by, years of sorrow, privation, 
 and suffering to those who, through their loyalty to 
 King George, and their inability to discern the signs
 
 382 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 of the times, have been exiles from the land that 
 gave them birth, whose property has been seized by 
 the Great and General Court of Massachusetts. The 
 days are long to Mary Shrimpton in the little cabin 
 at Halifax. The great estates once owned by her 
 father are no longer his. Her once beautiful home 
 has been sold to the highest bidder. Only with her 
 spinning-wheel can she keep the wolf from the cabin 
 door. Parliament has been talking of doing some 
 thing for the refugees in Nova Scotia, but the com 
 moners and lords are three thousand miles away, and 
 the people of England are groaning under the burden 
 incurred by the fruitless attempt to subdue the Colo 
 nies. The struggle is over. Lord Cornwallis has 
 surrendered his army to General Washington at 
 Yorktown, and commissioners are negotiating a peace. 
 Through the years Abel Shrimpton, unreconciled to 
 life's changes, has been cursing Samuel Adams and 
 John Hancock for having led the people to rebel 
 against the king, not seeing that Divine Providence 
 was using them as instruments to bring about a new 
 era in human affairs. When the curses are loudest 
 and most vehement, Mary's gentle hand pats his lips, 
 smooths the gray hairs from the wrinkled brow, and 
 calms his troubled spirit. Pansies bloom beneath 
 the latticed windows of her cabin home. Morning- 
 glories twine around it. Swallows twitter their joy, 
 and build their nests beneath the eves. Motherly 
 hens cluck to their broods in the dooryard. The fare 
 upon the table within the cabin is frugal, but there is 
 always a bit of bread or a herring for a wandering 
 exile. When women pine for their old homes, when
 
 IN THE OLD HOME. 383 
 
 homesickness becomes a disease, it is Mary Shrimp- 
 ton who cheers the fainting hearts. As she sits by 
 her wheel, she sings the song sung by the blind old 
 harper Carolan, who, though long separated from his 
 true love, yet recognized her by the touch of her gentle 
 hand : 
 
 " True love can ne'er forget. 
 
 Fondly as when we met, 
 
 Dearest, I love thee yet, 
 
 My darling one." 
 
 Tom Brandon said he would be true to her. The 
 war is over ; surely if living he will come. Though 
 the thick fog at times drifts in from the sea, shutting 
 out the landscape and all surrounding objects, though 
 the rain patters on the roof, and the days are dark 
 and dreary, her face is calm and serene, glorified by 
 a steadfast faith and changeless love. 
 
 The time has been long to the occupants of the 
 cottage across the way. Though little gold is left in 
 the purse, there is ever room for hungry refugees at 
 the table of the king's former commissioner of im 
 posts. The locks beneath his tie-wig are whiter than 
 they were, the furrows on his brow have deepened. 
 Officers of the army and navy in Halifax, once guests 
 in his home on the slope of Beacon Hill, sometimes 
 call upon him, but the great world has passed him by. 
 Old friends, fellow exiles, at times gather at his fire 
 side, talk of other days, and of what Parliament may 
 possibly do for them. 
 
 Time has left its mark upon the face of her who 
 sits by his side. The soft, brown hair, has changed 
 to gray. Plans of other days have not come to pass.
 
 384 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION, 
 
 Disappointment and grief have quenched ambitious 
 fire. Father and mother are separated from a 
 daughter beloved. How could Ruth ever become a 
 rebel, disloyal to her rightful sovereign ? What pos 
 sessed her to turn her back upon Lord Upperton, 
 upon the opportunity to become a peeress of the 
 
 Home of the Exiles. 
 
 realm ? Oh, the misery that has come from such 
 waywardness! What has become of her? Will 
 they ever again see her ? 
 
 With the flag of the new nation the banner of 
 crimson stripes and fadeless stars flying at her mast 
 head, the ship Berinthia Brandon, Major Tom Bran-
 
 IN THE OLD HOME. 385 
 
 don owner, comes proudly sailing into Halifax har 
 bor. The anchor dropped, he makes his way to the 
 vine-clad cabin, listens a moment by the latticed win 
 dow to hear a sweet voice singing words that thrill 
 
 him. 
 
 " Dearest, I love thee yet, 
 My darling one."- 
 
 He lifts the latch. There is a cry of delight, and 
 Mary springs to his arms. 
 
 " I said I would come, and I am here." 
 
 " I knew you would, Tom. Ever since a ship 
 arrived bringing the news from Yorktown that Corn- 
 wallis had surrendered, I have been expecting you." 
 
 " How do you do, father ? " said Major Tom, hold 
 ing out his hand to Mr. Shrimpton. 
 
 " I ain't your father," the surly reply. 
 
 " But you are to be, as soon as I can find a minis 
 ter. The past is past. I 've come to take you and 
 Mary to your old home. When it was sold, I bought 
 it ; you are to go back to it and live there. It is to 
 be our home." 
 
 There is astonishment upon the cold, hard face, 
 which relaxes its sternness ; the chin quivers, the lips 
 tremble, tears roll down the cheeks of the gray- 
 haired exile. Through the years he has nursed his 
 hate. But there is no sword so sharp, no weapon 
 so keen to pierce the hardened human heart, as 
 kindness. He has hated Samuel Adams, John Han 
 cock, and Tom Brandon ; and this is Tom's revenge. 
 His old home to be his own once more ! No longer 
 an exile ! To sit once more by the old fireside, 
 through the kindness of him whom he had turned from
 
 386 DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 his door ! His head drops upon his breast ; he sobs 
 like a child, but reaches out his arms to them. 
 
 " Take her, Tom. I 've hated you, but God bless 
 you ; you were right, and I was wrong." 
 
 No longer hard-hearted, cold, and animated by hate, 
 but as a little child he enters the doorway leading to 
 the Kingdom of Heaven. 
 
 A man of stalwart frame, a woman radiant and 
 beautiful, with a little boy and girl, are standing by 
 the door of the humble home across the way ; fellow- 
 passengers with Major Tom on the Berinthia Bran 
 don. Mr. Newville opens the door in answer to the 
 knock, to be clasped in the arms of Ruth. Great the 
 surprise, unspeakable the joy, of father, mother, and 
 daughter, meeting once more, welcoming a worthy 
 son, taking prattling grandchildren to their arms. 
 
 " We have come for you, and we are all going home 
 together. You will find everything just as it was 
 when you left," said Ruth. 
 
 Once more there were happy homes in Boston, 
 that upon Copp's Hill, where Berinthia and Abraham 
 Duncan cared for the father and mother ; that where 
 Tom and Mary Shrimpton-Brandon made the passing 
 days pleasant to Abel Shrimpton, loyal no longer to 
 King George, but to the flag of the future republic ; 
 and that other home, where Major Robert Walden 
 and his loving wife, with queenly grace, dispensed 
 unstinted hospitality, not only to those distinguished 
 among their fellow-men, but to the poor and needy, 
 impoverished by the long and weary struggle for in-
 
 IN THE OLD HOME. 387 
 
 dependence of the mother land. Abel Shrimpton and 
 Theodore Newville were no longer exiles, but citizens, 
 acknowledging cheerful allegiance to the flag of the 
 confederation, through the fealty to liberty by the 
 Daughters of the Revolution.
 
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