Coniston, Complete

own the world what a real democracy was. The Era of the first six Presidents had closed, and a new Era had begun. I am speaking of poli

l the people's chestnuts, that the Era may be called the Boss-Era. After the Boss came along certain Things without souls, but of many minds, and found more c

would be no book. Lest he should throw the book away when he arrives at this page, it is only fair to tell him that there is ano

und the south end of Coniston Mountain, and having turned the mills at Brampton, idles through meadows westward in its own green valley until it comes to Harwich, where it works again and tumbles into a river. Brampton and Harwich are rivals, but Coniston Water gives of its power impartially to each. From the little farm clearings on the western slope of Coniston Mountain you can sweep the broad valley of a certain broad river where grew (and grow still) the giant pines that gave many a mast to King George's navy as trib

reen triangle where the militia used to drill on June days. At one end of the triangle is the great pine mast that graced no frigate of George's, but flew the stars and stripes on many a liberty day. Across the road is Jonah Winch's store, w

s classic porches north and south. Behind it is the long shed, and in front, rising out of the milkweed and the flowering thistle, the horse block of the first meeting-house, where many a pillion has left its burden in times bygone. Honest Jock

the green. Jethro was about thirty years of age, and he wore a coonskin cap even in those days, and trousers tacked into his boots. He carried his big head bent forward, a little to one

rubbing his hands o

Jock?" said J

his game of fox and geese you'r

st?" inquired Jethro, without so much as a sm

is," said Jock, looking after him as Jethr

were likewise the pillars of the state. Not many years before the time of which we write actual disestablishment had occurred, when the town ceased-as a town-to pay the salary of Priest Ware, as the minister was called. The father of Jethro Bass, Nathan the

ack. The builder of the meetinghouse rubbed a great, brown arm, scratched hi

ro Bass. In the first place; Cynthia was the minister's daughter, and twenty-one. I can summon her now under the great maples of

and geese, Joc

l-fired sight smarter that folks in this town think he be. They don't take notice of him, because he don't say much, and stutters

ray beginning to dance, "I suppose you

k, "you can laugh. Ev

plied. And it was true, although the little white parson

isiting the sick. "I've seed a good many different men in my time, and I tell you, Cynthia W

hro's face, especially when he took off the coonskin cap. She always nodded a greeting when she saw him in the tannery yard or on the road, and somet

ity?" she asked, picking flowers

d not intended a dissertation on Jethro Bass

ic

as thirty mortgages round among the far

e money?" demanded

a load, and Lyman Hull drives him down to Boston with that s

adze, for nails were scarce in those days. Still

'fox and geese' Jock

versalist; politically he admired General Jackson. "What'd you say

in the town, had come into Jonah Winch's store that morning; and Jabez Miller, who lived on the north slope, had taken away the breath of the orthodox by suggesting that Jethro Bass be nominated for town office. Jock Hallowell had paused once or twice on his work on the steeple to look across the tr

ell him there were some subjects which should not be joke

k, gathering his pegs into his apron and preparing to a

s referred to was Moses Hatch, Junior, son of the pillar of the Church and State, and it was an open secret that he was

ht of the elms that, shaded the gable of the

your head, Cynthy?" Had she mentioned perhaps, any other you

g about him. What d

o with the boys. He's always in that tannery, or out buyin' of hides. He doe

ucretia Penniman of whom Brampton has ever been so proud-Lucretia Penniman, one of the first to sound the clarion note for the intellectual independence of American women; who wrote the "Hymn to Coniston"; who, to the awe of her townspeople, went out into the great world and became editress of a famous woman's journa

out Jethro Bass is a mystery to many, for the two of them were as far apart as the poles. Cynthia, of all people, took to watching the tanner's son, and listening to the brief colloquies he had with other men at Jonah Winch's store, when she went there to buy things for the parsonage; and it seemed to her that Jock had not been altogether wrong, and

woods, strode an uncouth but powerful figure-coonskin cap, homespun breeches tucked into boots, and all. The gig slowed down, and Cynthia began to tremble with that same delightful fear. She knew it must be wicked, because she liked it so much. Unaccountable thing! She felt all

ou, Cynthy?

you do,

he notes of answering birds quickened by the song, the minister's horse nibbling at the bushes.

be you

change this book," and she held it up

it about,"

on Bona

was

fe poor and unknown, and fought his wa

rld, did you say? C

es

o pon

about that book-somethin' wro

id not realize that we were n

the kings and queens are, and be

id Jethro. "You said

" Cynthia answered. "I am sure I can

I'd understand

understand," said Cynthia, and her

oking at her eagerly. "

ed, not knowing why. "I-I must be go

you give

e said, and drove on. Once she gave a fleeting glance over he

ut of the tannery door. Jake Wheeler or Speedy Bates, the journeyman tailoress, from whom lit

Aunt Lucy Prescott in the bed, "if Cynthy a

nd who so deft as Cynthia at this kind of snatching! So Cynthia herself was a hypocrite for once, and did not know it. At that time Jethro's sins were mostly of omission. As far as rum was

He knew that George Washington and certain barefooted companions had forced a proud Britain to her knees, and much of the warring in the book took color from Captain Timothy Prescott's stories of General Stark and his campaigns, heard at Jonah Winch's store. What Paris looked like, or Berlin, or the Hospice of St. Bernard-though imaged by a winter Coniston-troubled Jethro not at all; the

on, Cynthia overtook him once more. It was characteristic of him

ce, this Corsica-no

in the Mediterran

ks, the Bonaparte

ia la

so," she said. "They were poo

found things goin' his way

"but he had to move mountains

n indirect answer to this question, "he got

her,-incredible stirring of minister's daughter for tanner's son. Coniston believes, and alw

said, "I always wish h

Jethro. "Cast her off

would be more useful to him. Josephine had become a drag. He car

ed away con

woman to blam

acks, staring, but this time he did not see her face above the hood of the gig. Presently he trudged on, head downward, pondering upon