- Shmoopers, meet sixty-four year old Tim Meeker. Tim tells us precisely when he decided to write this tale down: "I have written this story down in this year 1826, on the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of our nation, to commemorate the short life of my brother Samuel Meeker, who died forty-seven years ago in the service of his country" (Epilogue.1).
- Curious to know what happened after Sam's death? Well ol' Timmy is ready to tell ya.
- For three more years, until the Revolutionary War finished, Tim and his mom kept the tavern going. Mr. Heron taught Tim how to be a surveyor (kinda like a colonial era land inspector and real estate agent).
- With the war over and new surveying skills in hand, Tim and his mom moved to Pennsylvania and went into business. They opened a tavern and Tim did the whole surveying thing (which means he inspected, bought, and sold land a lot).
- He even ended up opening a saw mill and a store.
- Oh, and he got hitched to a lady (but doesn't tell us a thing about her) and had some kiddos. And eventually grand-kiddos, too.
- And how about Mrs. M? Well, she was a tough old gal so she kept trucking, even with all the sadness in her life. But she also "never really got over Sam's death" (Epilogue.4).
- Now, for one final word from old Timmy, since he's an old wise man: Tim thinks this country (yep, it's a country now, instead of colonies) is pretty great. He's not going to deny that he likes the United States. But he's also not going to jump on the pro-war bandwagon.
- In fact, after everything he's been through, here's what he leaves us with: "somehow, even fifty years later, I keep thinking that there might have been another way, beside the war, to achieve the same end" (Epilogue.5).