different roles in johnys life

Cilla is the pretty, intelligent daughter of Mrs. Lapham. As part of Johnny's apprenticeship, it is agreed that he will marry her when she comes of age. However, this arrangement is cancelled when he burns his hand and is unable to continue with his career. She is fiercely attached to her younger sister, Isannah. As she grows older, Cilla becomes a charming young woman with a talent for drawing.

Lavinia is Johnny’s mother. She died of illness when he was fourteen, but she did her best to ensure a bright future for him. She taught him to read and write and moved from Maine to Boston so that he could be an apprentice to Mr. Lapham after her passing. Johnny eventually learns more about her early life as a Boston socialite, which she gave up to marry a French prisoner of war.