Henry.  “The ‘Boston Massacre!’ father—­pray, what was that?”

Gen. P.  “William! you know the story, I trust—­can you tell it to your brother?”

William.  “I have read about it; but I don’t know well how to tell it.  Will you tell it, father?”

Gen. P.  “Tell it as well as you are able, my son.  It is by practice that we learn to do things well.”

William.  “One evening some British soldiers were near a ropewalk in Boston.  A man, who worked in the ropewalk, said something to them which they did not like, and they beat him.

“Three days after, on the 5th of March, while the soldiers were under arms, some of them were insulted by the citizens, and one, it is said, was struck.  This soldier was so angry, that he fired.  Then, six others fired.  Three citizens were killed, and five were wounded.

“All Boston was soon roused.  The bells were rung.  Many thousand people assembled, and they said that they would tear the soldiers to pieces, and I don’t know but that they would have done so, if Gov.  Hutchinson had not come out, and told the people, that he would inquire into the matter, and have the guilty punished.  This pacified them.”

Gen. P.  “Well done—­quite well done, master William.  You now know, Henry, what is meant by the ‘Boston Massacre.’”

Henry.  “It was a bloody affair, I think.”

Gen. P.  “Bloody indeed!—­inhuman and highly provoking.  The news of it spread—­spread rapidly, in every direction.  The country was filled with alarm.  War was seen to be almost certain; such an insult—­such a crime could not be forgotten.  Even at Phillipstown, where Crosby was at his trade, the story was told.  It roused his spirit.  He thought of what his father had said.  And he was even now desirous to enlist as a soldier, to avenge the slaughtered Americans.

“The next year—­in January, I think it was—­Enoch’s time being out, he left his master, and went to live at Danbury, Connecticut, where he worked at his trade, as a journeyman, and here he continued for several years.

“During this time, the difficulties between England and America increased.  The king and his ministers grew more haughty and oppressive.  The Americans waxed more firm and confident.  Several events tended to make the breach wider and wider.  The British parliament taxed the Americans—­next the people of Boston threw into the sea a large quantity of tea, belonging to people in England, because a tax was laid upon it.  Then, by way of revenge for this, the parliament ordered that no vessel should enter Boston harbour, or leave it.  And, finally, the king sent a large body of English soldiers to America, to watch the people here, and force them to submission.