Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker

der our orchard trees in the spring, or nestled up to the fire on the long winter evenings, coiled on the settle, that its high back might keep off drafts. My aunt lent me an abundance of books afte

she never interfered. We liked greatly a book called "Peter Wilkins," by one Paltock, full of a queer folk, who had winged "g

elight. Jack and I used to row over to Windmill Island, on the great Delaware, and there at the south end we built a hut, and slew bullfrogs, and found steps on the sand, I bei

ees we found in spring arbutus, even beneath the snow, and later fetched thence turkey-foot ferns, and wild honeysuckle, and quaker-ladies, with jack-in-the-pulpits and fearful gray corpse-lights hid away in the darker w

but this severity of opinion and action increased with years, and showed in ways which made life difficult for those near to him. In fact, before I attained manhood the tinted arms and the picture of Wyncote were put away in the attic room. My mother's innocent love of orn

fe went on, and while we worked or played, our elders saw the ever-increasing differences between king and colonies becomin

, near Annapolis, and others from the "permitted islands," the Cape de Verde and the Madeiras. Staves for barrels, tobacco, and salt fish were the exports, and in return came Eastern goods brought to these islands, and huge tuns of Ma

nd Chester. As I rode ill, of course, and was sore for a week, my father thought it well that I should learn to ride, and this exercise I took to easily. Just before I was sixteen my aunt gave me a

t I had a horse, Jack's father, who would always do for him readily what my Aunt Gainor did for me, yielded to his desire to ride; and so it was that we began, as leisure served, to ex

but now I often went with her, perched on my big horse, and got from my aunt, an excellent horsewoman, so

, as fat Oliver de Lancey said years after, "There is no age to a woman's money, and guineas are always young." My aunt, Gainor Wynne, was still a fine gentlewoman, and did not look her years. As concerned this question of age, she was like a man,

e lower ferry and up Gray's Lane, and so to Mr. Hamilton's country-seat. "The Woodlands," as it was called, stood on a hill amid many beautiful trees and foreign shrubs and flowers. Below it ran the quiet Schuy

g a cat. She teased some one all her days, and did it merrily, and not unkindly. She was little and very pretty, with a dark skin. D

anks, and beside her little Peggy Shippen, who already gave promise of the beauty which won for her so pitiful a life.

a more or less distinct society, affecting London ways, dining at the extreme hour of four, loving cards, the dance, fox-hunting, and to see a main of game-cocks. Among them-not of them-came and went certain of what were called "genteel" Quakers-Morrises, Pemb

lcome, and had a dish of tea or a glass of punch; and those desiring no more bohea set a spoon across the cup, and fell into

. Grenville's stamps; I kept two. I was lucky enough to get them from M

ll keep it," he said, "unt

ver," said Andre

Let us hope, sir, it may be a l

rs. Ferguson. "As to those New England Puritans, they were i

wn, and Virginia?" said my Aunt Ga

their disloyal ways, one a

t the crown should be so thwarted. What

e to have no voice. Contented! and not a ship dare trade with France. It

m," said Mr. Macpherson, "a

nd we may not so much as have a bishop

u do, Mistress Wyn

ve us the same liberty all the English

" said Montr

she touched the sword at his side. I w

hope you will not com

to God

hus pleasantly ended a talk which was bec

brothers whom war was to find in hostile ranks. A young fellow of my age, the son of Mr. Macpherson, sat below us on the steps with the girls. He was to leave

the two little maids I, being unused to girls, had not a pleasant time, and was glad to get back to the porch, where we stood s

s silent, answering the captain in monosyllables; but just beyond the ferry his horse cast a shoe, an

ly began to rally me as to Miss Chew. I had to confess I ca

ck straight. Mr. Montresor has a pretty way of it. Observe him, Hugh. But he is a fool, and so are the rest; and as for Bessy Ferguson, I sh

why these nice people, who had su

It was the best of us who left England, and we are trained to rely on ourselves, and have no need of England. You will live to see dark days, Hugh-just what,

said no more, but rode homeward

these to myself, or to get patched up at my Aunt Wynne's, who delighted to hear of these conflicts, and always gave me a shilling to heal my wounds. My

of them all I liked. Indeed, Jack and I built over a brook in my Aunt Gainor's garden at Chestnut Hill a fair model of Caesar's great bridge over the

lk with us on a Saturday, or to go in my boat, which was for us a great honour. My father approved of James Wilson, and liked him on the holiday to share our two-o'clock dinner. Then, and then only, did I understand the rigour and obstinacy of my father's opinions, for they ofttimes fell into debate as to the right of the crown to tax us without representation. Mr. Wilson said many towns in England had no voice in Parliament, and that, if once the crown yielded the principle we stood on, it would change the whole political condition in the mother-land; and this the king would never agree to see.

s of future action, with some doubt as to my father's ability to cope with a man like our tutor, who considerately weighed my father's se

ches she liked to set in jars of water in the room where we sat, so that it might be gay with the lovely colours she so much enjoyed. As we entered the forest about Eighth street Mr. Wilson joined us, and went along, chatting agree

s, and I, for one, was not grieved,

and leaves of the red and yellow maples. This we set merrily on my mother's gray beaver, while Mr. Wilson declared it most b

said. "And what foolishness is this on thy he

Pemberton, while my mother, in no wise d

ys be a child,"

corner? The bon Dieu hath just changed the forest

" said the gentle old man. "Co

mice. We went homeward with our mirth quite at a

unusual was in store, for Mistress Wynne rarely came hither except to see my mother, and then always in the forenoon. Mo

thy aunt of my intent

disapprove of i

s; but first it is my will that, as the great and good proprietary

f the stricter Friends adhered to a rule which was once us

g," said my Aunt Gainor, s

" said my mother, "not

e thwarted. I asked thee to come hither, not to rid

les Townshend, for a pair of colours; but now that troops are sent to Boston to ov

his arm, and, with what must have been a great effort, he controlled his anger, and said coldly: "I have talked this ove

Whig to-morrow, and anything to anybody. Why do you talk such nonsense to me? Let me tell you that he has already been to ask me wh

I have not. Joseph hath ev

sistance by no means forbade the use of the brutal bludgeon of sarcasm, as many a

not tell hi

zed at a talk which s

a smithy?" sa

are well down in the world-trad

mother; but she was gone in

ady arranged with Lowry, in South street,

away but little pleased, my mother sa