Evidently he had
not inherited his grandfather's metaphysical faculty. Finally, with an
air of being entirely posed, and losing interest in the subject, he
sat down on the edge of his bed and abruptly closed the interview by
observing:
"I'm going to take off some of these trowsers. They're too hot."
Desire discreetly went out.
The only point in the observance of Sunday by the forefathers of New
England, which is still generally practiced in these degenerate days,
namely, the duty of sleeping later than usual that morning, was
transgressed in at least one Stockbridge household on the Lord's Day
following. Captain Perez Hamlin was up betimes and busy about house
and barns. Since he had returned home he had taken the responsibility
of all the chores about the place from the enfeebled shoulders of his
father, besides supplying the place of man nurse to the invalids. This
morning he had risen earlier than usual because he wanted to do up all
the work before time for meeting.
It would have been easy for any one whose eye had followed him at his
work, to see that his mind was preoccupied. Now he would walk about
briskly, with head in the air, whistling as he went, or talking to the
horse and cow, and anon bursting out laughing at his own
absent-mindedness, as he found he had given the horse the cow's food,
or put the meal into the water bucket.
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