March 1804 Summary

Martha was now seventy years old and was very tired and ill. Martha was also stressed by Jonathan, whose temper was as bad now as it was when he was a young man. Martha, however, was more concerned with the fact that she was getting older and was having to give up her authority and independence to the younger generation. Martha could not fight against age, but she did fight to retain her independence. However, with Ephraim's arrest in 1804, Martha became dependent even more on Jonathan.

Ephraim had been working as a tax collector and he was short in his accounting by $800. The courts added up his belongings and realized they were not $800, so he was arrested and put in the Hallowell jail. Ephraim was released during the day, so that he could work to pay the $800, attend meetings and church, but he...