n the harbor, and the
women and children kept snug at home in the little houses.

Captain Enos had finished the cedar chair for Anne's doll, and Amos had
made one as near like it as possible for Amanda's "Lovely Anne." Both the
little girls could now knit nearly as smoothly as Mrs. Stoddard herself,
and almost every day Amanda came up to Mrs. Stoddard's, for she and Anne
were reading "Pilgrim's Progress" together. Now and then Mrs. Stoddard
would read several pages aloud of the adventures of Christian, while the
two little girls knit. Anne had a warm hood of gray and scarlet yarn which
she had knit herself, and mittens to match, so that she could go to church
on Sundays, and run down to Mrs. Starkweather's or to see Amanda without
being chilled by the cold.

It was a mild day late in February when Jimmie Starkweather brought home a
pink blossom from the woods.

"See, mother! The first Mayflower," he exclaimed. "I found it half under
the snow. Does it not smell sweet?"

"It does indeed, son," replied Mrs. Starkweather; "bring me your
grandmother's pink china cup from the cupboard, fill it with cool water,
and we will put the blossom on the table for thy father to see. Spring is
indeed close at hand."

On the same day that Jimmie found the arbutus bloom, Captain Enos came in
from fishing with news to tell. A Boston schooner outward bound had come
near to where he was fishing, and in response to his hail and call of
"What news?" had answered that a battle was now expected at any day
between the British and Americans.

"If it be so," said Captain Enos, "'twill not be long before the British
ships will be homeward bound, and they'll not stop to trouble us much on
their way."

"We must keep a lookout for them," said Captain Starkweather. "I wish we
could get more news. 'Tis like enough all will be settled before we know
aught of it."

All through March, with its high winds and heavy rains the people watched
the harbor for a sight of the big white-winged ships, knowing that if the
English ships were homeward bound it would mean that the Americans had
won, and that the colonies would be free from paying the heavy taxes which
England had fixed upon them, and that they could go about their work in
peace and quiet.

April brought warm, sunny days, and Anne no longer wore the knit hood and
mittens, and had once more set her playhouse under the pine trees in
order, and now Amanda with her doll often came to play with her.