The good reason was that they were not allowed to leave the village, with their barrows or trucks or baskets, until the night had fallen, on penalty of being pelted with their own wares.

Such was the dignity of this place, and its noble abhorrence of anything low.
The vision of lofty institutions, which one may not participate, inspires in the lower human nature more jealousy than admiration.
These higglers may have been very honest fellows, in all but pecuniary questions, and possibly continued to be so in the bosom of their own families.

But here in Springhaven, by the force of circumstances they were almost compelled to be radicals: even as the sweetest cow's milk turns sour, when she can just reach red clover with her breath, but not her lips.

But still they were not without manners, and reason, and good-will to people who had patience with them.

This enabled them to argue lofty questions, without black eyes, or kicking, or even tweak of noses; and a very lofty question was now before them.
To get once into Admiral Darling's employment was to obtain a vested interest; so kind was his nature and so forgiving, especially when he had scolded anybody.