In Eastborough town matters he was a
general factotum. He had been an undertaker's assistant and had worked
for the superintendent of the Poorhouse. In due season and in turn he
had been appointed to and had filled the positions of fence viewer, road
inspector, hog reeve, pound keeper, and the year previous he had been
chosen tax collector. Abner Stiles said that there "wasn't a better man
in town for selectman and he knew he'd get there one of these days."
To those residents of Mason's Corner whose names have been given, whose
homes have been described and some whose personal peculiarities have
been portrayed, must be added a late arrival. The new-comer whose advent
in town during Christmas week had caused so much discussion at the
rehearsal in the old red schoolhouse, and whose liberality in providing
a hot supper with all the fixings for the sleighing party from Mason's
Corner, when it arrived at the Eagle Hotel at Eastborough Centre, had
won, at a bound, the hearts of the majority of the younger residents of
Mason's Corner. The village gossips wondered who he was, what he was,
what he came for, and how long he intended to stay.
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