 He noted that, although it is often mistaken for a "native" form of speech there, it should be considered “a living reminder of the great mother tongue of early America.” 

In keeping with the passage of time, Richter uses the “pioneer” form of speech in "The Town" less frequently than in earlier books of the trilogy.By this time, Sayward’s husband, her children, and many of the newcomers to the town are better educated and have abandoned the old forms of expression.Toward the end of the book, Sayward is one of the few surviving members of the founding generation of the town.