Editing Gates to the Garden/Towns (section)

===People=== 

Brother Absalom is a tough old character, a hearty former dog whose leadership and organizational abilities are matched by his charisma. He is married and has several adult daughters – but no sons.  

Esther is equally formidable: almost every family in town owes her something for help in past years, and many adults remember her from their childhoods as a sort of favorite aunt. She is a widow, and Leah is her only family. 

Leah is an attractive young woman in way over her head. She is attracted to Hector, and admires and respects Absalom. The romance of the soldier’s life and the status of the Steward’s both appeal to her. 

Hector Cochrane is a romantic. He cares deeply for Leah and is willing to challenge Faithful traditions to win her love. 

Colonel Pratt, the commanding officer of Fort McGill, is a pragmatist. He wants whatever will get his men through their tour at the fort with a minimum of bother. He does have a sense of military pride, and will not accept any solution in which the army appears to be at McGill on the sufferance of the Faithful.