While Harry's character waa being so unfavorably discussed, he was
taking a walk by himself, observing with interest the main features
of his new home. He had been here before with Professor Henderson,
but had been too much occupied at that time to get a very clear idea
of Centreville, nor had it then the interest for him which it had
acquired since. He went upon a hill overlooking the village, and
obtained an excellent view from its summit. It was a pleasant,
well-built village of perhaps three thousand inhabitants, with
outlying farms and farm-houses. Along the principal streets the
dwellings and stores were closely built, so as to make it seem quite
city-like. It was the shire town of the county, and being the
largest place in the neighborhood, country people for miles around
traded at its stores. Farmers' wives came to Centreville to make
purchases, just as ladies living within a radius of thirty miles
visit New York and Boston, for a similar purpose. Altogether,
therefore, Centreville was quite a lively place, and a town of
considerable local importance. The fact that it had a weekly paper
of its own, contributed to bring it into notice. Nor was that all.
Situated on a little hillock was a building with a belfry, which
might have been taken for a church but for a play-ground near by,
which indicated that it had a different character. It was in fact
the Prescott Academy, so called from the name of its founder, who had
endowed it with a fund of ten thousand dollars, besides erecting the
building at his own expense on land bought for the purpose. This
academy also had a local reputation, and its benefits were not
confined to the children of Centreville. There were about twenty
pupils from other towns who boarded with the Principal or elsewhere
in the town, and made up the whole number of students in
attendance--about eighty on an average.