Beadle's Dime Novels, No. 34: Ruth Margerie

Ruth Margerie: A Romance of the Revolt of 1689 by Mrs. M. A. Denison

This historical romance is set in colonial Boston at the time of the 1689 Revolt. The narrative opens with Godfrey Lamb's letter from Boston describing the city's architecture, society, and inhabitants, including a young maid named Ruth at the Red Lion tavern, whose beauty attracts attention from the Captain of the Prudent Sarah and causes social commotion. The story then shifts to Boston Harbor at night, where two men arrive separately: the pirate Captain Bill, who secretly lands to investigate the frigate Kingfisher and gather intelligence on passengers aboard the Prudent Sarah, and the honorable Captain Cameron, admired as Boston's handsomest man, who arrives with his crew including the colorful sailor Marmaduke Catchcod. Both captains converge on the Red Lion tavern, where Mistress Bean, the proprietress, bustles about describing the Governor's recent triumphant arrival.