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Roger Malvin's Burial
Hisonesecretthoughtbecamelikeachainbindingdownhisspiritandlikeaserpentgnawingintohisheart;andhewastransformedintoasadanddowncastyetirritableman.
InthecourseofafewyearsaftertheirmarriagechangesbegantobevisibleintheexternalprosperityofReubenandDorcas.Theonlyrichesoftheformerhadbeenhisstoutheartandstrongarm;butthelatter,herfather’ssoleheiress,hadmadeherhusbandmasterofafarm,underoldercultivation,larger,andbetterstockedthanmostofthefrontierestablishments.ReubenBourne,however,wasaneglectfulhusbandman;and,whilethelandsoftheothersettlersbecameannuallymorefruitful,hisdeterioratedinthesameproportion.ThediscouragementstoagricultureweregreatlylessenedbythecessationofIndianwar,duringwhichmenheldtheploughinonehandandthemusketintheother,andwerefortunateiftheproductsoftheirdangerouslaborwerenotdestroyed,eitherinthefieldorinthebarn,bythesavageenemy.ButReubendidnotprofitbythealteredconditionofthecountry;norcanitbedeniedthathisintervalsofindustriousattentiontohisaffairswerebutscantilyrewardedwithsuccess.Theirritabilitybywhichhehadrecentlybecomedistinguishedwasanothercauseofhisdecliningprosperity,asitoccasionedfrequentquarrelsinhisunavoidableintercoursewiththeneighboringsettlers.Theresultsofthesewereinnumerablelawsuits;forthepeopleofNewEngland,intheearlieststagesandwildestcircumstancesofthecountry,adopted,wheneverattainable,thelegalmodeofdecidingtheirdifferences.
