CHAPTER 4
The Maid’s Story
You wake before sunrise. It’s hard to get out of bed on these cold February mornings. But it’s your job to light the fires. First, you light the kitchen fireplace. Then you tiptoe throughout Mr. John Hancock’s big house. You stir the embers in each fireplace and add wood so that the house will be toasty by daybreak.
Mr. Hancock’s house sits high atop Beacon Hill, surrounded by elegant gardens. After all, Mr. Hancock is one of Boston’s leaders. His ships carry goods all around the world.
John Hancock was one of Boston’s most famous merchants and patriots.
“You’ll be amazed who comes here to meet with Mr. Hancock,” Cook said when you came to work at the big house. “Many of the leaders of the Sons of Liberty — Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and Will Molineux. Remember, what happens in this house stays in this house. Don’t wag your tongue in the streets of Boston. If you can’t keep a secret, you don’t belong here.”
Now that you’ve been here several months, Cook trusts you. She lumbers into the kitchen and puts on a pot of water to boil. “We’re nearly out of Labrador tea,” she says. “Oh, how I miss real English tea.”
There’s been no real tea for some time now. The Sons of Liberty won’t allow it, because tea is imported from Britain. Labrador tea is made from a bush. It’s a poor substitute for real tea, but Cook would never disobey Mr. Hancock.
“After you get the tea, go to Mr. Revere’s shop. He’s made a fine silver bowl for Mr. Hancock.”
Cook warns you to be careful. Newspaper reports tell of British soldiers bothering girls and women, beating up boys, and causing all sorts of trouble.
You stop to watch the cows grazing on Boston Common. They remind you of your home, a farm near Lexington, Massachusetts. Today, February 22, is your brother’s birthday. Even though you enjoy life in the big city, you miss your family.
There’s a commotion in the street near Mr. Revere’s shop. One of his apprentices rushes past. “Come quick,” he says. “It’s Mr. Theophilus Lillie. He imports and sells goods from Britain. Some of the boys plan to teach him a lesson.”