Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/395

LANDLORD BOWEN's DAY BOOK. 315 While his dealings with Bovven seem to have resulted in a general breaking up, he was not the only unfortunate per- son who damaged the property of the Squire, for there apppears to have been another breakage, and the charge for this reads thus : "Samuel Allen 2d, Esq. s- d. To breaking my arm'd chair 30 To breaking one Square of glass in my window . 7 To splitting of the groove of a panel door . .20'" It would be interesting to know if there is any connection between this charge and the following, which are found registered at about the same time : " Samuel Allen 2d, Esq. s. d. To 1 1-2 mugs flip at gd i i 1-2 To I bowl toddy 9 " Samuel Allen 2d, Esq. To 1-2 Gil Bitters 2 To 1-2 bowl toddy 41-2 The broken chair was duly mended at Allen's cost, for some days later there is entered upon the book : "Samuel Allen, Cr. By paying Natt Heath for mending my arm chair, 3s." But all of his customers do not make such pur- chases ; even goodman Bicknell mixes his rum and religion, and stands charged : " To 2 Qts W. Rum 019 To I Bowl Toddy o o 10 To I Psalm book o 4 o " Another literary inclined townsman buys " the history of King Philip's War," at three shillings ; another "the Manuel Exercise," another buys a spelling book, while nearly all, at the coming in of the new year, buy either Bickerstaff's or West's Almanacks. Gingerbread seems to have been a staple article at Bowen's store, and he sells it by the barrel, " rol," and cake. When sold by the barrel it is usually for ships' stores, but most of