Litchfield enquirer., 1876-08-10

she said, was peStllent, rebel and de lnded man, who had deserted his child ren. Nevertheless, she was most generous and dressed me in such manner that though l had thought my pink padusay fine, twas but as one of the plainest O crowns which I now wore. She also tool much pleasure in my voice, and caused her spinet to be new tuned to the end tha I might sing and play to her every even ing; but she would hear to none of the songs that I had been accustom ed to sing hitherto. Her psalms were more often to the King George than tc that the King of kings, as witness this following, which was sung each morning at family worship:
 PSALM Lxxv.
 I0 the happy Accession of King George to the Throne
 "Britain was doom'd to be Slave,
 Her Frame dissolved; her Fears were great;
 When God new Supporter gave,
 To bear the Pillars of the State.
 'He from thy Hand received his Grown,
 And sware to rule by wholesome Laws;
 His Foot shall tread tn Oppressor down,
 His Arm defend the righteous Cause.
 "Let naughty Sinners sink their Pride,
 Nor lift so high their scornful Head,
 But hay their foolish Thoughts aside,
 And own the King that God hath made. ',
 ":Such Honors never come by Chance,
 Nor do the Winds Promotion blow;
 'Tls God the Judge doth ons advance,
 ... lis God that lays another low. .-. ,. 'tHis Hand holds out the dreadful Cup
 Of Vengeance mixd with various Plagues. ..- To make the Wicked drink them up, t
 Wiring out and taste lhe bitter Dregs."
 My aunt was a staupch Church woman. Each Lord's-day the whole family. inclu; ding the negro boy Jack, repaired to Kings Chapel to hear discourse from the rector, Dr. Gamer, who was a vehement loyalist, and did often stir up my spirit within me by reason of the sermons which he preached against Washington and the Continental Congress. I liked much the grand and solemn music of the organs; but it seemed not meet to me that the walls and pillars of the house oi God should be hung with heraldie ban ners and escutcheons of mans vainglory. Jack sat with the other slaves in the gal lery, and being of an unrulie and mis. chievous disposition, caused no small pains to good Mister Rutley whose busi- ness it was ''to appease the boys and ne- groes and other unrulie persons" The British officers sat in great square pew beside that of the Governor. and my mind was often drawn from the Litany to a contemplation of their gorgeous uniforms. I think verify that I received more exer- else of a truly religious nature from hear ing the chimes of Christ Church-Devo- tion having the habit of entering my soul through the door of Music-than from any other thing during my stay in Bos- ton.
 So came on the winter of 1775 and 1776, but with such exceeding mildness that it seemed mark of Divine favour to our half f-cioathed soldiers in the field. My aunt saw great deal of society. Gener- al Howe himself was not seldom at her house. By his gracious and worshipful presence, as we'll as through the person of his brother, Lord Howe, slaine at the bat tie of Ticonderoga in our defence in the former war, he had stolen the hearts of the greater part of the people. Among the officers who most did frequent my aunt's house was one Colonel Arthur Frothingham, to whom she took q mighty liking. His elder brother was a lord, and my aunt could never divest herself of the notion that he would one day arrive at the same dignity, whereas. from what could learn, there were, brothers and nephews, as good as five lives between himself and the coronet. He was of oomely and en- gazing exterior, but addicted to the vices of extravaganza gaming. and smoking, and withal so great braggart that could not abide him. But for this latter quality, fancy it served rather to advance him in the good graces of my aunt, for she could never tire of hearing him tell how he went shooting with Lord this andSir tEat, and that h1s sisters rode to hounds better than any of the sporting men in their county. When my aunt heard this. and from other quarters that he was accredited to be the best horseman at General Rurgoynes rid ing school (for the general had converted the Old South Church into such a place of amusement), she asked him to give me lessons in riding, and caused fine cloth out that I went no further than my first lesson, for the horse which he brought me was an unrulie and surlie beast, which when he felt that he was not bestridden after the manner of tho cavallery, did break lnto ghercef run, and l, being thrown in the Common, and dragged so far as Frog Lane (now Boylston Street), was so grievously injured that. I durst never afterward adventure myself on so fearsOme creature.
 *4ANV"p oAoOS tnO O1 SOukS was changed, my aunt taking most pleasure in such old English ballads as '.Chevy Chace. and Colonel Frothingham like wise.! though sh his voiceYr was in no manner to be compared to that of Consid- CT Dillaway, did acqnit himself creditably, and we sang many worldlie and foolish songs together. He procured for me, also, much of the music played by the Royal Fusileers' Band, which we made shift to adapt to the spinet. It chanced of cer- tain day that we. were practicing together carol for Christmas, which was then near at hand, and as the colonel sang,
 ..she with her bright eyes seemed to be
 ;. The star of that goodlY companie,T 4 he placed his arm with much familiarity about my my waist, :. At the same instant was heard the loud beating of the knock CT and the laughing and stamping of some of his brother officers upon the front steps, whereat the colonel, being much abashed,. did most inconsiderately fly into my aunt's china closet and close the door. When the companie was entered. my amt having also descended to receive them. my little brother Obadias began to amuse himself Ill an unseemly manner at the end of the room, ranging the chairs in line of battle and reviewing them as he had often seen the officers do npon the Common. .Whereat my aunt did sharplie rebuke him: but one of the a 4zfA se