"I suppose the winter has been very gay in Boston," said I, with an endeavor to attract his attention, though I laughed in my sleeve at the oddity of such a figure as my new acquaintance presented being familiar with elegant society.

"What do you mean by being gay?" he asked, turning rather sharply toward me. "Why, we have heard, even in our secluded village, of the splendor and expense of the Governor's parties."

"Splendor and expense of the Governor's parties!" he exclaimed, with a strong emphasis on the last word, and never did I see such a scowl upon a man's brow as his then wore. "Parties! and how does he obtain supplies for his parties? The hands of honest men, sir, are made hard with toil, to furnish his delicate fingers with white kid gloves. The produce of a year's labor, gained by the sweat of the brow, weighs down his lordship's table; and while honest men are working like slaves for the good of their country, he and his lazy soldiers are tom-fooling" (what an odd expression, Julia) "over champagne. Bah! it sickens me."

"Roused you up at last, old fellow!" I thought, while he jerked the reins of his horse rather roughly. "But I have obtained one satisfaction-you're no Tory!"

"I believe the farmers have suffered considerably from the great expense incurred in supporting the military force," I observed, still resolving to feel my way along, and not touch on dangerous ground.

"Suffered! imagination cannot conceive, tongue cannot utter the extent of their grievances. What! because the people are not decked out in tinsel gew-gaws, to inspire awe in the eyes of staring fools, must they be trodden under foot? must they tamely bow to the base will of a tyrant? Forbid it justice, forbid it Heaven! Young man, they have borne the yoke too long; it shall be torn from their necks, if the life-blood is poured out in the struggle!" and in his excitement, the blunt farmer brought down his whip with such force upon the railing of the bridge we were crossing, that it snapped in two.

He smiled. "Thus shall the cord be snapped that connects free men with tyrants and slaves." But, as if suddenly recollecting himself, he turned towards me, while his countenance beamed with an odd expression of frankness and good humor: "But you are looking at me as if I were a wolf, waiting an opportunity to devour you. Don't be frightened, young man. I've met with wolves afore now; yes, face to face, alone; and one never scared me yet."

"Were you ever engaged in aetive service in the army ?" I asked, merely to hear what he would say, for I did not for a moment suppose the old rough farmer had ever done any thing but hoe potatoes!

"I've seen a little of strife," he replied, evasively. A British soldier just then passed us. His gold epaulets and gilt spurs denoted him a person of some consequence. My companion turned his head toward the water, and when he was gone, he said, pointing toward the retreating horseman : "There goes one of the Governor's delicatehanded body-guard, who spends more money in one day than he earns in a month. Why, when I was in the old French War," (“ Aha!” thought I, "you are coming out,") "the barracks were set on fire by the enemy, and to save the magazine of powder from explosion, I stood pouring water on the flames until my mittens were burned off my hands, and the skin came with them; you can see the scars now," he continued, holding out his hands. "A single spark lighting upon that magazine, and we should have all been in eternity, and there I stood pouring on water until my limbs fairly began to roast with the intense heat; and all the while, what do you think? that popinjay was strutting about with a cigar in his mouth, puffing away, and now and then stopping to inquire if I thought there was any va-ry serious danger! if so, not to stop pouring on the water! He was my superior officer then. I'm thinking our conditions are a little changed now."

Who can this singular man be, thought I, who, in the plain garb of a farmer, appears to have been once foremost in war? "You

seem to have become soon tired of active life," I said, "and returned to the pleasures and quiet of home. It must be a great change for you."

"My young friend," said the stranger, who became more and more familiar as we rode on-" "My young friend, there is nothing like the love we bear to the home of our infancy. With that is connected the memory of our parents, of our childish sports and pastimes; and whether we are cast helpless upon the world in after years, or are raised by fortune far above all care and concern as to our future welfare, still must our hearts turn to the spot where we first drew breath, with a lingering love that nothing can extinguish. What strength should then nerve our arm when we are called upon to defend that hallowed home from the hand of the spoiler, shield the revered head of a parent from the sword, and preserve what years of toil and suffering have made justly ours!"

Julia, you should have seen this man as he uttered these words. His sunburnt face glowing with the excitement of his feelings, the few scant locks which shaded his brow waving carelessly in the breeze, and his small, keen gray eye fixed almost sternly upon me as he spoke. But the habitual good-nature of the old farmer soon got the better of his sternness, and then he laughed as he observed the seriousness with which I was listening to him.

"Come, come, youngster," said he, patting me on the shoulder, "don't look so serious. I didn't mean to preach a sermon, not I; but I sometimes get into a fit of reflection, or, as your school-books have it, of meditation, when one hardly knows that he is thinking aloud. Here's the change, good man, let the youngster pass ;" and spite of my remonstrance, my strange companion paid toll for us both, and motioned me to ride on.

"A young recruit, I take it," said the toll gatherer, with a significant smile. "But on which side is he?"

"If he is not on ours he soon shall be, if he has the true spirit in him, which I doubt

not from what I have seen and heard. But hark ye, Johnson, another of a different stamp will pass here to-night. Keep your eyes open, and watch his motions. If the man is not a dastardly spy, then my name's

not Israel Putnam."

"Israel Putnam, the brave old hero! can it be possible!" thought I; "and here I have been talking with him as freely as if it was our old black Cæsar. What will he think of me?"

"Well, boy! what's the matter now?" exclaimed he, with a queer look, as if he half divined my thoughts. "Why do you stare?"

"I acknowledge I was somewhat astonished," I replied, "to discover in you a man whose gallant deeds have been the theme of praise to the whole country. I must beg you to pardon my freedom, sir."

"Tut, tut! pardon what? For speaking out your sentiments like a man? I hate the smooth-faced hypocrisy, always on its guard against an unlucky word. You, if I may judge by your somewhat aristocratie notions, have been bred up a gentleman's son, and taught to regard wealth, and titles, and lordly airs as elevating one man above another, and the approach of a king to cause the poor beggar to shrink into nothingness, or be recklessly crushed to death. Now, I am no king, nor duke, nor gentleman of fashion. I am a plain old farmer, Putnam of Danvers, who assisted in building his own house and ploughs his own acres. My country has seen fit to reward some slight services I have rendered her, by placing a few men under my charge, and putting what a Paddy would call a handle to my name; but I trust, if I were even made a Governor, I should never think myself above my fellow-creatures. But the night wears away. I suppose we must soon part, unless you will accept my humble fare, and accompany me to my lodgings. What say you, my young friend? I am pleased with your frankness, and should like to be better acquainted!"

"Nothing would afford me more pleasure," I replied, delighted with the propo

sition; "and being a stranger, your introduction will greatly benefit me."

"But I intend spending the evening among a party of the disaffected Americans. While you favor the royal cause, you might be looked upon with suspicion."

"I do not favor the royal cause," I replied, now fully assured, by the remarks of my new friend, that I might speak my sentiments openly. "On the contrary, I have started from home, even with a father's curse upon my head, to join in the ranks of those who have formed the resolution to resist unjust oppression; and if you, sir, will accept my services, I shall be honored in being permitted to fight by your side!"

"Singular, and yet hardly to be wondered at," replied Putnam, dropping the reins of his horse upon his neck, and rather replying to his own thoughts than to me—“ very singular how quick a good cause gains votaries! High and low, rich and poor, young and old, all seem inspired with the same feeling. And now, my dear young friend, are you aware of the perils and difficulties in the way? You are young and enthusiastic. Gray-haired men have paused to consider, ere they hazarded all upon such a venture. Perhaps they would still have worn the galling chain, but the blood of their countrymen, shed at Lexington and Concord, is calling upon them for vengeance. Yet still the struggle will be a terrible, perhaps a fatal one. All who engage in it may be doomed to suffer on the gallows instead of obtaining what they are striving for."

"And if they do meet with such an unjust retribution," I replied, "shall the aged alone suffer, while there are young hearts and strong hands to aid them? May eternal disgrace rest upon the name of all those who hesitate! Sir, I witnessed the first shedding of blood in the cause which all men hold dear in life. From that moment my resolution was taken. If you will accept my humble services, I will say, in the language of Scripture, 'I count not my life dear unto myself,' and I will perform my duty to the best of my ability."

He made no reply, for we were now in one of the public streets of Boston. The British soldiers passed and repassed us, and there seemed to be a hurry and confusion in their motions that denoted something more than usual in agitation. We stopped before a public-house, and as we alighted from our horses Putnam laid his hand upon my arm. "We are going," said he, “to take some refreshment here, and may meet with some who do not favor the cause in which we are engaged. Put a guard upon your tongue, my young friend. Listen and be silent, unless something should be said to call forth a reply such as their speech may deserve." I bowed, and, the master of the house coming out at that moment, our horses were taken care of, and we ushered into a large room, where were seated more than fifty persons, some in uniform, others in plain citizen's dress, and all deeply engaged in conversation; so much so, that our entrance was hardly noticed, and we took possession of a recess in one corner, and lent our attention to the conversation carried on in different parts of the room.

"Thank you, sir," said Putnam, in reply to the invitation of the landlord to join the company at table. "Thank you, we are very well here. Bring us a slice of corned beef, a few vegetables, and a mug of cider. My friend and I" (with a side-glance at me which I understood, as I looked round the company) " prefer dining alone."

"Just as you please," said the landlord, with rather a contemptuous glance at the homely attire of his guest, and went away, doubtless supposing the unwillingness of the plain farmer to join the rest of the company was owing to his consciousness of the meanness of his appearance. My humble self met with no more favoring thought, for as a man is known by the company he keeps, I was included in the sarcastic leer he cast upon Putnam.

The dinner at the large table passed away as all dinners do where there are hungry men to devour them. The conversation was at first carried on between one man and his

next neighbor, but by degrees it grew more universal, and each seemed to vie with the other in making as much noise as possible. Meantime, Putnam quietly ate his corned beef and drank his cider; as for myself, I had no appetite, and was too much interested in listening to the conversation around me to think of my own wants. At length, we both started at the remark,

"Well, Captain, your ships present a goodly row of teeth in the harbor; what scheme is on foot now?"

"Why," replied the person addressed, "there's a rumor that the beggarly knaves whom we whipped at Concord are about to show fight in return; and we are preparing to give them a peppering as they deserve." "Ha! ha! ha! that will be moighty fine," said a whiskered dandy, helping himself to wine. "I'd like to see these boors get a demmed thrashing." "You would! yes, I dare say you would!" said Putnam, aside. "But suppose you try it."

"There's a rumor around Roxbury that the militia are rubbing up their guns; I imagine we shall have a brush with them before long."

"Nothing more likely," said Putnam, bowing to me with the utmost gravity.

"Well, for my part," said another, whom I had not before noticed, "it's deuced disagreeable work going backward and forward, carrying messages, over that lonely bridge, where a man can be so easily picked off. I mean to resign, if I have to do it much longer."

Putnam grasped my arm, set his teeth firmly, and directed his whole attention to the speaker, whom he appeared to know.

The expression of this man's countenance

was very forbidding. He wore his hair combed straight back on his head and confined in a green silk bag behind. This gave a boldness to his features. He had large, light-blue eyes, very prominent and very unmeaning in their expression; his nose had been broken, and appeared to be divided into two parts; his thin lips were puckered up with a sarcastic expression which I cannot describe. On his long, thin fingers sparkled a superb diamond ring, which he pompously displayed whenever he had an opportunity. Did any one ask him to hand the salt, the diamond-decked finger was elevated above the rest, as he conveyed the box across the table. If he was relating an anecdote, the gem blazed in the light. If he wished to address any one of the company, he made the finger it adorned conspicuous, while he rattled on with a tirade of nonsense, his own exploits forming the sole theme on which he delighted to enlarge.

man.

"Well, to be sure, his Majesty has favored me a little," replied the blue-eyed gentle"Now this ring," holding up his hand so that all present might have a good view of the bauble-" this ring was presented to me for the valuable service I rendered Abercrombie, when he was sent to reduce Ticonderoga. There were about ten of us sent out on a scouting expedition, and on our route we came across an encampment of Indians. I immediately prepared for defense by throwing up a temporary fort; and when they attacked us, as we expected they would, I" At this moment his eye fell upon Putnam. As if suddenly struck by lightning, he stopped short in his speech.

"Ran away, like a base coward, and left your men to the mercy of the enemy!" shouted Putnam, in a voice so loud, that it attracted the attention of the whole com

pany; and the ring on your finger was stolen from the finger of a brave English officer, who fell gloriously at the storming of Quebec."

A dead silence followed this speech, and all eyes were turned towards us. The boaster appeared completely discomfited; but several of the British officers rose and demanded satisfaction for the insult to their comrade, though the gentleman in question appeared too much cowed down to second the motion.

"Satisfaction!" growled Putnam, while his eyes flashed fire. "Ask him who led thirty brave men into ambush, that he might insure his own safety. Ask him who was the principal cause of the massacre at William Henry! He was employed as a messenger from one post to the other; and, instead of attending to his duty, he was idling away his time in pursuit of one who despised him for his cowardice. Ask him

if he remembers the night when he deserted two brother-soldiers in distress, and left them to the mercy of their enemies? Gentlemen, I have no cause of quarrel with you. If the officer with the diamond ring has any thing to say to me, I am ready to answer him." But the officer with the diamond ring answered not; and at length the company seated themselves again, many casting a look of mingled admiration and respect toward Putnam, while low hisses passed round the table, as they looked toward the boasting hero.

It was now seven o'clock in the evening, and the company, having dined to their hearts' content, rose one by one, and disappeared. Yet several of the more prominent speakers remained, and, among the rest, the knight of the ring, on whom Putnam kept his eye fixed with the gaze of a basilisk, which circumstance led me to suppose that he had some object in view in keeping watch upon his motions. He would not stir until the other was fairly in the saddle, and had turned his horse's head in an opposite direction from that we were pursuing. Then,

drawing a long breath, he appeared to breathe freely, as if relieved from the night

mare.

"Ah!" said he, "I knew the prying rascal would make himself scarce after the lecture I gave him: let him dare follow me, and the cowardly spy shall be treated as he deserves. I forgot to ask your name, my young friend; as we are going to spend the evening at a friend's house, some introduction will be necessary."

"My name is Douglas," I replied.

"A good old Scottish name, and I do not doubt you will do honor to it. But how happens it that, bearing such a loyal name, you take side with the people in this controversy!"

"I was born on this soil, and feel that I am under the same obligation to defend it as others who may perhaps have greater interests at stake. Besides, my own reason convinces me that the colonists are right; and I am not one to profess what I am unwilling to maintain. I feel sure that the perverse obstinacy of the British government in refusing to acknowledge our just claims will lead to a struggle greater than ever yet took place between two nations; and with this prospect in view, I hold it to be the bounden duty of every man to be steadfast in the cause."

"Right, boy, right. The firmness of the people will soon be put to the test. The train is about to be laid for an explosion that will shake the thrones of tyrants, even if those who fire it perish in the attempt: and now, as you have placed yourself under my guidance, I am going to make you acquainted with one of our staunch adherents, in whose family you will meet with kindness and hospitality." And as he spoke, he paused before a handsome house, and, taking me by the hand, led me into a parlor, where sat a fine-looking old gentleman who greeted him cordially; and then, turning to me, he said: "Mr. Palmer, allow me to introduce to you a young friend of mine-Mr. Douglas."