"I hearn ez haow the convenshun up tew Lenox is a go in tew 'bolish
the lawyers an the courts," said a stalwart fellow of bovine
countenance, named Laban Jones, one of the discharged iron-works men.

"The convenshun can't 'bolish nothin," said Peleg Bidwell, gloomily.
"It can't do nothin but rekommen the Gineral Court way daown tew
Bosting. Bosting is too fer orf fer this caounty, nor Hampshire
nuther, tew git no considerashin. This eend o' the state ull never git
its rights till the guvment's moved outer Bosting tew Worcester
where't uster be in war times."

"That's so," said Ezra Phelps, "everybody knows as these tew counties
be taxed higher nor the other eend o' the state."

"Hev yew paid up ye taxes fer las' year, Peleg?" inquired Abner.

"No, I hain't, nor fer year afore, nuther. Gosh, I can't. I could pay
in pertaters, but I can't pay in money. Ther ain't no money. Klector
Williams says as haow he'd hafter sell me out, an I s'pose he's goin
ter. It's kinder tough, but I don' see zi kin dew nothin. I callate to
be in the jail or poorhouse, afore spring."

"I dunno o' nobody roun here, as haz paid ther taxes fer las year,
yit," said Israel. "I callate that more'n half the farms in the
caounty 'll be sole fer taxes afore spring."

"I hearn as how Squire Woodbridge says taxes is ten times what they
wuz afore the war, an its sartain that they ain't one shillin intew
folks' pockets tew pay em with whar they wuz ten on em in them days.
It seems dern curis, bein as we fit agin the redcoats jest tew git rid