Where there was no child to need support,
or where the mother chose to assume the office of bearing her infant in
person, the man was seen to carry one of the heavy muskets of the day; and
when his arms were otherwise employed, the stoutest of his boys served in
the capacity of armor-bearer. But in no instance was this needful
precaution neglected, the state of the Province and the character of the
enemy requiring that vigilance should mingle even with their devotions.
There was no loitering on the path, no light and worldly discourse by the
way, nor even any salutations, other than those grave and serious
recognitions by hat and eye, which usage tolerated as the utmost limit of
courtesy on the weekly festival.
When the bell changed its tone, Meek appeared from the gate of the
fortified house, where he resided, in quality of castellan, on account of
its public character, its additional security, and the circumstance that
his studious habits, permitted him to discharge the trust with less waste
of manual labor than it would cost the village were the responsible
office confided to one of more active habits.
Pages:
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492