Let the candles be lighted."
His words put courage into every heart. The candles were brought in.
Then with his strong face aglow in their feeble light, he made a speech
in favor of a law to help poor fishermen.
And as he spoke, the other lawmakers listened in silence till the
darkness began to fade and the sky grew bright again.
The people of Connecticut still remember Abraham Davenport, because
he was a wise judge and a brave lawmaker. The poet Whittier has written
a poem about him, which you will like to hear.
THE SURLY GUEST
One day John Randolph, of Roanoke, [Footnote: Ro'a noke.] set out on
horseback to ride to a town that was many miles from his home. The
road was strange to him, and he traveled very slowly.
When night came on he stopped at a pleasant roadside inn and asked for
lodging. The innkeeper welcomed him kindly. He had often heard of the
great John Randolph, and therefore he did all that he could to
entertain him well.
A fine supper was prepared, and the innkeeper himself waited upon his
guest. John Randolph ate in silence. The innkeeper spoke of the
weather, of the roads, of the crops, of politics.
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