XI
"'T IS AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD"

The next ripple in the Greenwood life was due to
more material circumstances, being inaugurated by
the receipt of the Governor's writ, convening the
Assembly of New Jersey. A trivial movement of
a petty pawn on the chess-board of general politics, it nevertheless
was of distinct importance in several respects to the
Meredith family. Apparently the call meant only a few weeks'
attendance of the squire's at Burlington, in the performance
of legislative duties, and Janice's going with him to make a
return visit to the Drinkers at Trenton. These, however, were
the simplest aspects of the summons, and action by the citizens
of Middlesex County quickly injected a more serious
element into the programme.

The earliest evidence of this was the summoning by the
Committee of Observation and Correspondence of a gathering
to "instruct" the county representatives how they should vote
on the question as to indorsing or disapproving the measures
of the recent Congress. The notice of the meeting was read
aloud by the Rev. Mr. McClave before his morning sermon
one Sunday, and then he preached long and warmly from 2
Timothy, ii. 25,--"Instructing those that oppose themselves,"
--the purport of his argument being the duty of the
whole community to join hands in resisting the enemies of
the land. The preacher knew he was directly antagonising
the views of his wealthiest parishioner and the father of his