Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-04-23
DOROTHEA.

Tho pretty town of Hingham ritu
ated on the southern shore of Mas'a
chusetts bay, was among the first
settlements of the state. dating as far
mack as 1888 Originally the place
went by the classic name of Bear
Cove. but in 1885. when the settlers
drew their lots for houses, il was re
baptized as bingham. from pleasant
re,sollpc.tions of the English town of
that name whence so many of them
had come. From this band sprang
the future Otises Hobarts, LincOlns.
Thaxters and others whose naides
are identified with the town, and
among whom 80 many bright alld
shining lights have arisen.
Upon these lots new village suOn
spfnng up. and conspicuous among
the houses was that of the minister
I. The Rev. Peter Hobart had east his
lot with a people who had forsal:en
home and country for what was still
dearer to them religious liberty.
Ten years elapsed Newcomers
had increased the village to a consid
erable size and Mr. Hobart's cong1e
CATION was augmented in proportion.
ln those days ''the minister" was Il
little king, and woe to the refractory
subject who disputed his behest.
THE minister" held in his hands
sterner punishment than the stoclIs
OF the whipping post. He held, like
st. Peter, the keys Of heaven, and re-
fractory culprits could be threatened
at any time with being shut from it's
gates.
Still Mr. Hobart lived pleasantly
and quietly with his people; and they
loved and respected him and his
family. Indeed Mrs. Hobart and her
four little SONS were the objects OF a
very strong interest to the good peo-
pie of bingham, and the feeling ex-
tended TO his niece, Dorothea Win
chester, whom no had brought from
England as child.
Dorothea was betrothed to Anthony
Eames. a young man OF some stand
ing in the colony. He had been a
deputy in the general court; was a
lieutenant in the militia and prom
ised to be one of the leading men Of
the day. His intended wife was a
very lovely girl. Educated by her
uncle, who had adopted her, in the
same studies she would have pursued
had she chanced to have been boy,
she was untitled for the society Of
the simple, unlearned women of the
times; yet, so amiable and gentle,
that none of them were troubled be-
cause of her superiority.
Her sweet, low voice and kindly
face made friends for her every
where. None appealed to her in
vain for help or counsel in any mat
ter of domestic doings She sewed
for the old and the poor, watched
with the sick and carried food for
the hungry. Little children 'plucked
her gown to share her smile and
old people blessed her wherever her
shadow crossed them upon the road.
Minister Hobart was blessed in his
niece, most certainly. He thought
40 every time he saw her engaged in
these works of charity to his parish
ioners---every time he heard her
sweet voice as she sang in meeting
every time that she led out the
four little boys destined afterwaId
TO be ministers of the gospel. giving
their weary mother an hours timely
rest
indeed. Dorothea was the light of
the parsonage as she was of Leuten'
ant Eames eyes; and surely the tall,
handsome young man was as devoted
to her rs the shy, reserved ways of
that period permitted him to DO.
Such were the cautious, quiet man
ners Of the Puritans that the inter
course of the young people was neces-
sarily limited TO very constrained
and unfamiliar conversation. But in
spite of forms or conventionalities
the heart itself must speak out and
we fancy there were times when
those of Anthony Eames and the
minister's niece came into a very full
understanding Of the feelings OF
each.
AT all events, the girl was not long
in discovering whether her lover was
gay or gloomy. and one night when
they met. as usual, upon the rock
above the beach. with the full light
Of harvest moon across the waves,
eho knew by the quick, hurried
breathing of her lover and the com
pressed look about his mouth that he