Colony became larger from year to year.

Master Henry's teaching was not the kind which was practiced by
pedagogues of little learning and experience, who ruled with the rod
and inculcated their lessons by blows and punishments.

Fred and his sister liked to learn, and their lessons were always
prepared thoroughly the evening before.

So when shortly after midday the young minister would come to Mr.
Bradley's home, he was welcomed by the children with great joy.

Mrs. Bradley always kept a bowl of rich, hot soup for him, or some
dainty which he liked. But Master Henry was a man of frugal habits, and
while he enjoyed his meal, he partook of the food very sparingly.

The instruction would continue till four o'clock, the children were
given a vacation during which they might divert themselves.

These were the golden hours of unqualified joy when they amused
themselves to their heart's delight. As Mr. Bradley was becoming
wealthy, he could allow them many pleasures which poor parents had to
deny their children.

As soon as they were old enough, he bought them two small horses which
they could use very well, as the means of transportation were very
primitive. So they rode out into the forests and made friends with the
Indians, or they visited the other Colonies which were not far away.
To the north there was the Salem Colony, and to the south, the old
Colony of Plymouth, which was the mother colony of all the English
settlements. On these trips they not only made many friends, but also
became acquainted with the country and learned to lose all fear of white
men and Indians.

One summer Fred, with the help of young Indian friends, made a boat,
and he and Agnes rowed up the rivers and streams of which there were
many.

At first their only weapons were bows and arrows and home-made spears
which they could use with the skill of the Indians. However, when they
became older, Mr. Bradley allowed them small firearms for their hunting
expeditions.

Thus Fred and Agnes spent a very happy life in the Boston Colony, and
they grew up to be strong and healthy, with a wisdom not gotten out of
books merely, but which their varied experience taught them.

They could swim, skate, cover long distances over the snow by means of
snow-shoes, shoot, ride horseback, and do almost all the things which
the pioneers did.

Like all the Puritans they were well versed in the Bible, and they knew
many hymns by heart, so that when they