the contents into the harbor."

"Grandfather," said little Alice, "I suppose Indians don't love tea; else
they would never waste it so."

"They were not real Indians, my child," answered Grandfather. "They were
white men, in disguise; because a heavy punishment would have been
inflicted on them, if the king's officers had found who they were. But it
was never known. From that day to this, though the matter has been talked
of by all the world, nobody can tell the names of those Indian figures.
Some people say that there were very famous men among them, who afterwards
became governors and generals. Whether this be true, I cannot tell."

When tidings of this bold deed were carried to England, King George was
greatly enraged. Parliament immediately passed an act, by which all
vessels were forbidden to take in or discharge their cargoes at the port
of Boston. In this way, they expected to ruin all the merchants, and
starve the poor people, by depriving them of employment. At the same time,
another act was passed, taking away many rights and privileges which had
been granted in the charter of Massachusetts.

Governor Hutchinson, soon afterward, was summoned to England, in order
that he might give his advice about the management of American affairs.
General Gage, an officer of the Old French War, and since
commander-in-chief of the British forces in America, was appointed
governor in his stead. One of his first acts, was to make Salem, instead
of Boston, the metropolis of Massachusetts, by summoning the General Court
to meet there.

According to Grandfather's description, this was the most gloomy time that
Massachusetts had ever seen. The people groaned under as heavy a tyranny
as in the days of Sir Edmund Andros. Boston looked as if it were afflicted
with some dreadful pestilence,--so sad were the inhabitants, and so
desolate the streets. There was no cheerful hum of business. The merchants
shut up their warehouses, and the laboring men stood idle about the
wharves. But all America felt interested in the good town of Boston; and
contributions were raised, in many places, for the relief of the poor
inhabitants.

"Our dear old chair!" exclaimed Clara. "How dismal it must have been now!"

"Oh," replied Grandfather, "a gay throng of officers had now come back to
the British Coffee House; so that the old chair had no lack of mirthful
company. Soon after General Gage became governor, a great many troops had
arrived, and wer