"I'll hear nae mair o' such folly.--Gie me my bonnet and plaid, madam,

and I'll be going.--The King o' England needna ask his Dutch subjects

for leave to wear his crown, I'm thinking."

"Subjects!" said Bram, flashing up. "Subjection! Well, then, Elder,

Dutchmen don't understand the word. Spain found that out."

"Hoots! dinna look sae far back, Bram. It's a far cry, to Alva and

Philip. Hae you naething fresher? Gude-night, a'. I hope the morn will

bring you a measure o' common sense." He was at the door as he spoke;

but, ere he passed it, he lifted his bonnet above his head and said,

"God save the king! God save his gracious Majesty, George of England!"

Joris turned to his son. To shut up the king's customs was an overt

action of treason. Bram, then, had fully committed himself; and,

following out his own thoughts, he asked abruptly, "What will come of

it, Bram?"

"War will come, and liberty--a great commonwealth, a great country."

"It was about the sloop at Murray's Wharf?"

"Yes. To the Committee of Safety her cargo she sold; but Collector

Cruger would not that it should leave the vessel, although offered was

the full duty."

"For use against the king were the goods; then Cruger, as a servant of

King George, did right."

"Oh, but if a tyrant a man serves, we cannot suffer wrong that a good

servant he may be! King George through him refused the duty: no more

duties will we offer him. We have boarded up the doors and windows of

the custom-house. Collector Cruger has a long holiday."

He did not speak lightly, and his air was that of a man who accepts a

grave responsibility. "I met Sears and about thirty men with him on Wall

Street. I went with them, thinking well on what I was going to do. I am

ready by the deed to stand."

"And I with thee. Good-night, Bram, To-morrow there will be more to

say."

Then Bram drew his chair to the hearth, and his mother began to question

him; and her fine face grew finer as she listened to the details of the

exploit. Bram looked at her proudly. "I wish only that a fort full of

soldiers and cannon it had been," he said. "It does not seem such a fine

thing to take a few barrels of rum and molasses."

"Every common thing is a fine thing when it is for justice. And a fine

thing I think it was for these men to lay down every one his work and

his tool, and quietly and orderly go do the work that was to be done for

honour and for freedom. If there had been flying colours and beating

drums, and much blood spilt, no grander thing would it have been, I

think."




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