chool, and many
of the persuasion he knew did not disdain education. But his father was
quite as rigorous as the Church Catechism about the duties pertaining to
one's station in life, and as his son was to be a farmer and inherit
broad acres, he cared for him to know nothing outside of his business.

But the bits of history, of men and women, interested him very much.

"I hear them talk sometimes," she said. "And some of them do not want a
king. Why is he not content to govern England and let us alone?"

"I am not clear in my own mind about that," he answered thoughtfully.
"So many of us came over here to escape the rigors of a hard rule and to
worship God as we chose. And methinks we ought to have the right to live
and do business as we choose. I should like to hear able men talk on
both sides. I heard some things in the market place this morning that
startled me strangely."

"They will not have the tea," she said tentatively. "It is queer, bitter
stuff, so I do not wonder."

He laughed at that.

"Yes, I heard we were like to be as famous as Boston."

"Patty knows about Boston," she said. "She was a little girl there. But
she doesn't like it very much."

Mistress Kent came in with some cake and a home brew of beer, and asked
politely after Mrs. Henry. Then Andrew rose to go.

"I cannot take thee just yet," he said, twining the little fingers about
one of his. "But the time will soon pass. And I shall be likely to come
in on market day once in a while, if I do not make bad bargains!" with a
grave sort of smile. "Then I shall see thee, and take home a good
account."

"Thou mayst indeed do that," said Mistress Janice, with high dignity.
"She learns many things in this great house."

He stooped and kissed her, and she somehow felt sorry to say good-by.

"I suppose," exclaimed his father that evening, "that the child has been
tutored out of her simple ways, and is aping the great lady with fine
feathers and all that!"

"She is not much changed and plainly dressed, and seems not easily to
forget her old life, asking about many things."

"My brother Philemon's intentions will be sorely thwarted. He was called
upon to give up his son, but I am not sure I should have done it for
worldly gain. It was going back to the bondage we were glad to escape.
And he had counted on other sons to uphold the faith. But the mother was
only half-hearted, and the child will always be in peril."

Andrew Henry wondered a little