The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1898-11-25
aac Holcomb says they had cock fight
there the other evening""

there the other evening""
ga cock fight! Oh, Reuben I'm glad
Abner was not with them. Granny says
that iJ's all owing to the war that the
young men are so rough and brutal. She
says that gaming and norse-trading and
overwhelming all came from the lands
being overrun so long with soldiers"
She clasped her hands and looked from
the house to the road. Then she tiptoed
up to the kitchen window and peer
ed inside. 1t was large room
with a white, sanded floor and
straight backed, high posted furni-
| ture. The big brass clock in the
corner licked loudly and on the shelf
was handsome array Of clean wooden
bowls and highly polished pewter. The
flames shot up the chimney Of the big
| fireplace aud The faces of the two old peo-
pie on either side of the hearthstone were
| transfigured by the red glare of the fire.
| light. Granny nodded on the settle and
granther in the big table chair opposite.
The girls heart swelled with plying
| tenderness as she looked at them.
'They were burned out of their home
in the north by the Indians" she muir
INJURED. ''It's so cruel that sthey should
lose their home a second time!" Then
she looked earnestly at her brother and
added: Reuben, let us ride toward the
inn and see what they are doing down
there. If they are really going to burn
US out of home, want to know it before
hand; but do not want granther and
granny worritted without reason"
Reuben saw no improperly in the
young girls going near the inn filled with
half-drunken rioters. BE quickly sad
died the horse, led it quietly from the
barn and, with Ruth .on the pillion be-
hind him, drove slowly down the bride
path and took the great road toward the
inn. The shadow of the one log house
that they passed made huge blot upor
the snow, but elsewhere the fields wers
white in the moonlight. When they
came to the yard in front of the inn they
tethered their horse to tree and ther
!, stole up to the house and locked in at {
WluuOWs w 1ku1A was q NLOWN uA@b khestAs
Ruth tremble as she viewed them. TIL
, room was filled with wooden settees ane
benches, but there were no seats vacant
Mingled with the earthen images that or
| namented the mantel were bottles O.
brandy. A cider pitcher was on ever.
table. In the center of the room, upon
, wooden block, stood the sailor harangu
+ ing the crowd about him. Ruth recog
| nized several. Some were honest appear
. l ing farmers who ignorantly hoped to bet
ter their condition by insurreetion, blu
i. she also saw among them man who hal
been warned out Of town as poor debt
r or, another who was suspected of hors
Ghieving, and several young men who hal
> no reputation except that Of revelers
9 They were type of certain social condi
/ lions at the close of the Revolution. Tn
t Puritan morality had been tainted by tn
8 blood of bendmen and adventures. Tn
sailor was saying:
)" "Wby should we have fit seven year
A for our liberties to have them taken fror
i US? Why should the merchants and Law
, yers vote taxes to Cypress the farmers
n Look at the men in prison for debt. Loo
at the mortgages. | tell We, men, th
time has come to rise for our freedom
All down in the lower towns the men al
lup in arms against oppression. Many {
ye have been soldiers. Where shout
= Capt Shays look for more valiant SUI
porters2n With this question the sailc
= lstepped down from the block and sh
, Icrowd went on talking in lower and MOI
confidential tones. Ruth's face gre
white as she listened.
= "Come away, Reuben she finall
Whispered, and on tiptoe they stole bac
[e to their horse by the roadside. +
isl "What did We. hearg' asked Reube
re- when his sister was once more benin
W him on the pillion. II could hear lit
sr after the sailor got through talking =
d. aOh, Reuben, it's as bad as we feare,
Or They are DING to set fire to our building
ID SO soon as the rest come to jine the
ts from t'other side the hilltop. They "a
sr father holds mortgages aud has bee
harsh with the debtors. BE tried to hay
u Timothy Smith ordered out Of town. O.
& Reuben, 1t was an unlucky day FOR fatn'