Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 8.djvu/402

 368 Reuben Tracy s Vacation Trips.

over the original church with its seven and let him and his friends get out and gables and its towers ; she wondered if run up some stone steps, which he said it could not now be taken off and leave he knew would lead them up through the old church, as it was meant to be, backyards into another street. So out pretty and unique. When from the they jumped, and soon were up in inside she saw the peculiar ceiling, she High Street, following its winding way thought more than ever that it ought over the rocky soil, and amidst old to be and could be done. While she houses, until they came out to Wash- was thus speculating, the boys were ington Street again, where Mrs. Tracy observing the quaint old brass chan- had driven on to meet them. They delier, with its candles, a gift from then drove along Pront Street, where England, also the pillars of the church, they had a fine view of the ocean, and stained to imitate marble. Then they also of the Neck, so prettily decked all examined the Decalogue over the with its unique jewels. Reuben was altar, written in the ancient letters, and anxious to go in Lee and State Streets done in England in 1 7 1 4. Mrs. Tracy because they were old and quaint, which wished that the old high pulpit and they soon found. The boys, much to sounding-board had never been re- their delight, spied some more steps placed by the desk which she now saw leading to another street, and also there. The sexton showed them the noticed, on much of the way, the want old English Bible, which he said had of sidewalks. They touched upon been in use there about one hundred other streets which they were inclined and twenty-five years. They noticed to call lanes.

the little organ, which was very old. So they spent a day in this old town, and also sent over from England. As with its Fort Sewall ; its Powder House, they came out of the church, they saw, built in 1755; its Ireson's house on by its side, a graveyard containing Oakum Bay, where Mrs. Tracy reread some old inscriptions, and then went to them Whittier's poem on Ireson ; its on to see the old Town House in the cemeteries, where in one they found square, which Reuben said was in its a gravestone bearing the date of 1690. prime in the days of George HI. He They visited the new Abbott Hall, told the boys to wait until they should which Mrs. Tracy told them to con- study history, and then they would sider as a historical connecting link know more about this king. That was between the old and the new. She what he was going to do. Mrs. Tracy now felt that they had seen enough noted this remark as another good sign, for one day : so, with a promise to

She treated them to some soda-water drive over again, some time, to visit

in Goodwin's apothecary-store, nearly more especially the newer part of the

opposite, so that they could the more town, and also to drive around the

easily remember the house, of which Neck, they left for home. The next

this was the parlor, where Chief- Justice day, indeed for several days, the boys

Story was bom. were in high spirits talking over their

They were still driving up Washing- trip. All of the boys in the neighbor- ton Street, through one of the oldest hood were interested to hear of it, and parts of the town, when, all of a sud- doubtless some mother was stimulated den, Reuben asked his mother to stop to do as much for her children. As for

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