lroad was built through Townsend Centre in his father's day.
Therefore the family, being ousted by the march of progress from their
chosen employment, took up with a general country store as being the
next thing to a country tavern, the principal difference consisting in
the fact that all the guests were transients, never requiring
bedchambers, securing their rest on the tops of sugar and flour barrels
and codfish boxes, and their refreshment from stray nibblings at the
stock in trade, to the profitless deplenishment of raisins and loaf
sugar and crackers and cheese.

The flitting of the Townsends from the home of their ancestors was due
to a sudden access of wealth from the death of a relative and the
desire of Mrs. Townsend to secure better advantages for her son George,
sixteen years old, in the way of education, and for her daughter
Adrianna, ten years older, better matrimonial opportunities. However,
this last inducement for leaving Townsend Centre was not openly stated,
only ingeniously surmised by the neighbours.

"Sarah Townsend don't think there's anybody in Townsend Centre fit for
her Adrianna to marry, and so she's goin' to take her to Boston to see
if she can't pick up somebody there," they said. Then they wondered
what Abel Lyons would do. He had been a humble suitor for Adrianna for
years, but her mother had not approved, and Adrianna, who was dutiful,
had repulsed him delicately and rather sadly. He was the only lover
whom she had ever had, and she felt sorry and grateful; she was a
plain, awkward girl, and had a patient recognition of the fact.

But her mother was ambitious, more so than her father, who was rather
pugnaciously satisfied with what he had, and not easily disposed to
change. However, he yielded to his wife and consented to sell out his
business and purchase a house in Boston and move there.

David Townsend was curiously unlike the line of ancestors from whom he
had come. He had either retrograded or advanced, as one might look at
it. His moral character was certainly better, but he had not the fiery
spirit and eager grasp at advantage which had distinguished them.
Indeed, the old Townsends, though prominent and respected as men of
property and influence, had reputations not above suspicions. There
was more than one dark whisper regarding them handed down from mother
to son in the village, and especially was this true of the first
Townsend, he who built the tavern bearing the Sign