ural 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 England, who could not then, and who
cannot now, bear to think of a spinning-wheel whirling or a shuttle
flying anywhere outside of England, or of anybody selling anything
unless for the benefit of the men who keep shop in the vicinity of
Threadneedle Street or Amen Corner.[21] The course of England in
selfishness 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.'"

[Footnote 21: Threadneedle Street and Amen Corner--noted localities in
London.]

Robert, Berinthia, and Mrs. Adams laughed heartily. 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 felters 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 unfinished,
shall be put on board any vessel in any place within any
British plantations, nor be laden upon any 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 willingly aiding therein, shall forfeit forty pounds."

"That is diabolical," said Robert, his blood beginning 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