COUNT RUMFORD. 101 



him as of a fine manly make and figure, nearly six feet 

 in height, of handsome features, bright blue eyes, and 

 dark auburn hair. He had the manners and polish of a 

 gentleman, with fascinating ways and an ability to 

 make himself agreeable." * Thus writes his biographer. 

 In Concord, at the time of Thompson's arrival, dwelt 

 the widow of Colonel Kolfe with her infant son. Her 

 husband had died in December, 1771, leaving a large 

 estate behind him. Thompson was indebted to Mrs. 

 Eolfe's father, the Rev. Timothy Walker, minister of 

 Concord, for counsel, and to her brother for civility 

 and hospitality. The widow and the teacher met, and 

 their meeting was a prelude to their marriage. Rum- 

 ford, somewhat ungallantly, told his friend Pictet in 

 after-years that she married him rather than he her. 

 She was obviously a woman of decision. As soon as 

 they were engaged an old curricle, left by her father, 

 was fished up, and, therein mounted, she carried 

 Thompson to Boston, and committed him to the care 

 of the tailor and hairdresser. This journey involved a 

 drive of sixty miles. On the return journey, it is said, 

 they called at the house of Thompson's mother, who 

 when she saw him exclaimed, " Why, Ben, my son, how 

 could you go and lay out all your winter's earnings in 

 finery ? " Thompson was nineteen when he married, 

 his wife being thirty-three. 



In 1772 he became acquainted with Governor Went- 

 worth, then resident at Portsmouth. On the 13th of 

 Xovember there was a grand military review at Dover, 

 Xew Hampshire, ten miles from Portsmouth, at which 

 Thompson was present. On two critical occasions in 

 the life of this extraordinary man his appearance on 

 horseback apparently determined his career. As he 

 rode among the soldiers at Dover, his figure attracted 

 * Ellis, p. 43. 



