ill-concealed, bantering interest of the big brothers of
the same,--asking perhaps, now and then, with mock gravity, if mother
thought Patty would be so prompt every morning at five o'clock if old
Parson Browning were the teacher!

But whatever might have been the dominant interest of the young ladies,
"Master Hale" was quite as practical in his teaching in the early hours
of the day as with the boys in the later classes. An uncle of his,
Samuel Hale, was for many years at the head of the best private school
in New Hampshire, numbering among his pupils some of the leaders in
Revolutionary times. To him, September 24, 1774, Nathan wrote a letter
from which we give the following extracts:

"My own employment is at present the same that you have spent your
days in. I have a school of thirty-two boys, about half Latin, the
rest English. The salary allowed me is 70 L per annum. In addition
to this I have kept, during the summer, a morning school, between
the hours of five and seven, of about 20 young ladies for which I
have received 6s [shillings] a scholar, by the quarter. Many of the
people are gentleman of sense and merit. They are desirous that I
would continue and settle in the school, and propose a considerable
increase in wages. I am much at a loss whether to accept their
proposals. Your advice in this matter, coming from an uncle and
from a man who has spent his life in the business, would, I think,
be the best I could possibly receive. A few lines on this subject
and also to acquaint me with the welfare of your family ... will be
much to the satisfaction of

Your most dutiful Nephew,
NATHAN HALE."

A letter to Enoch Hale, containing allusions to the excited feeling in
the colony at this time, runs as follows:

NEW LONDON, Sept. 8th. 1774.

DEAR BROTHER.

I have a word to write and a moment to write it in. I received
yours of yesterday this morning. Agreeable to your desire I will
endeavour to get the cloth and carry it on Saturday. I have no
news. No liberty-pole is erected or erecting here; but the people
seem much more spirited than they did before the alarm. Parson
Peters of Hebron, I hear, has had a second visit paid him by the
sons of liberty in Windham. His treatment, and the concessions he
made I have not as yet heard. I have not heard from home since

I came from th