I callate to
be in the jail or poorhouse, afore spring."
"I dunno o' nobody roun here, as haz paid ther taxes fer las year,
yit," said Israel. "I callate that more'n half the farms in the
caounty 'll be sole fer taxes afore spring."
"I hearn as how Squire Woodbridge says taxes is ten times what they
wuz afore the war, an its sartain that they ain't one shillin intew
folks' pockets tew pay em with whar they wuz ten on em in them days.
It seems dern curis, bein as we fit agin the redcoats jest tew git rid
o' taxes," said Abner.
"Taxes is mosly fer payin interest ontew the money what govment
borrowed tew kerry on the war. Naow, I says, an I ain't the on'y one
in the caounty as says it, nuther, ez debts orter run daown same ez
bills does, reglar, so much a month, till they ain't nuthin leff,"
said Ezra Phelps, setting down his mug with an emphatic thud. "S'poosn
I borrers money of yew, Abner, an built a haouse, that haouse is boun
tew run daown in vally, I callate, 'long from year tew year. An it
seems kinder rees'nable that the debt sh'd run daown's fass as the
haouse, so's wen the haouse gits wored aout, the debt 'll be, tew.
Them things ez govment bought with the money it borrered, is wore
aout, an it seems kinder rees'nable that the debts should be run daown
tew.
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