"Had I sons, I should train them as your husband intends to train
Phil. It may be that he will never be called upon to draw a sword,
but the time he has spent in acquiring its use will not be wasted.
These exercises give firmness and suppleness to the figure,
quickness to the eye, and briskness of decision to the mind. A man
who knows that he can, at need, defend his life if attacked,
whether against soldiers in the field or robbers in the street, has
a sense of power and self reliance that a man, untrained in the use
of the strength God has given him, can never feel. I was instructed
in arms when a boy, and I am none the worse weaver for it.

"Do not forget, Lucie, that the boy has the blood of many good
French families in his veins; and you should rejoice that your
husband is willing that he shall be so trained that, if the need
should ever come, he shall do no discredit to his ancestors on our
side. These English have many virtues, which I freely recognize;
but we cannot deny that many of them are somewhat rough and
uncouth, being wondrous lacking in manners and coarse in speech. I
am sure that you yourself would not wish your son to grow up like
many of the young fellows who come into town on market day. Your
son will make no worse a farmer for being trained as a gentleman.
You yourself have the training of a French lady, and yet you manage
the farm to admiration.

"No, no, Lucie, I trust that between us we shall make a true
Christian and a true gentleman of him; and that, if needs be, he
will show himself a good soldier, also."

And so, between his French relatives and his sturdy English father,
Philip Fletcher had an unusual training. Among the Huguenots he
learned to be gentle and courteous; to bear himself among his
elders respectfully, but without fear or shyness; to consider that,
while all things were of minor consequence in comparison to the
right to worship God in freedom and purity, yet that a man should
be fearless of death, ready to defend his rights, but with
moderation and without pushing them to the injury of others; that
he should be grave and decorous of speech, and yet of a gay and
cheerful spirit. He strove hard so to deport himself that if, at
any time, he should return to his mother's country, he could take
his place among her relations without discredit. He learned to
fence, and to dance.

Some of the stricter of the Huguenots were of opinion that the
latter accomplishment was unnecessary