Elsie's Vacation and After Events

s to be taken by his father. The captain lifted him tenderly, saying somet

Captain Raymond's account of the attacks upon the forts, and the gallant conduct of their defe

e where there was fighting in those d

; then continued, "When I was quite a little girl, my father took me to Philadelphia, a

them, won't you, mamma?" Wal

he returned, smiling lovingly into the eager yo

e Hall, of course, and we've all been there, I believe; but there must be some other po

tinental Congress held its meetings, and its bell that proclaimed the glad tidings that that grand Declaration of Independence had been signed and the colo

gland for it?" cried Walter i

you must remember, my son, nor indeed the England of that day, but her half crazy king and his ministers, who thought to raise money for him

d, his eyes sparkling. "Now, what other revolutio

to worship, with its graveyard where Franklin and his wife Deborah lie buried. Major-General Lee too was laid there;

o, where the first Continental Congress met, and Loxley House, where Ly

ut I do not know whether it i

rked Walter, with satisfaction. "I think she s

ied his mother. "She

lyn Leland. "The members of that first Congress that met in Carpenter's Hall on M

f by no means one of the least-who said, 'There is in the Congress a collection of

them, wasn't he, Gran

e, Peyton Randolph, Richard Bland, Benjamin Harrison, Edmund Pendleton, and Patrick Henr

preparations for fighting their oppressor, Geo

ave-looking member, in a plain suit of gray, and wearing an unpowdered wig, arose. So plain was his appearance that Bishop White, who was present, afterward telling of the circumstances, said he 'felt a regret that a seeming country parson should so far have mistaken his talents and the theatre for their display.' However, he

, 'Give me liberty or give me death'?" querie

ed his hearers in the Virginia House of Burgesses by his cry, 'C?sar had his Brutus,

tarting the Congr

their sessions, and then-at the beginning of the third day, and when about to enter upon the business that had c

m New York, and one from South Carolina, because the assembly was composed of men of so many different denominations-Congr

o was at the same time a friend to his country. He was a stranger in Philadelphia, but had heard that Mr. Duché deserved that

hirty-fifth psalm, which seemed wonderfully appropriate. Do you remember how it begins? 'Plead my cause, O Lord, with them t

m sure that God was on the side of the patriots, and helped

een won, and to Him be all the glory and the praise," said Gr

gned the Declaration?" Walter remarke

eclaration was not signed until

ns were very slow in getting ready to say they wou

o things, Lu," put in Grace softly, with an affec

returned Lulu, with a pleased laugh a

and, the land of their ancestors; they bore long and patiently with her, but at last were convinced that in that ca

convinced of it, m

he replied. "Dr. Franklin, Samuel Adams, and Patrick Henry were among the firs

early as 1773, said, 'She will drive us to extremities; no accommodation will take

esist successfully the fleets and armies of Great Britain, and he answered that he doubted whether they wo

tion and our Declaration of Independence, that all prospect of a reconciliation is gone, then, and not till then, will he furnish us with arms, ammunition, and clothing: and not with them only, but he will send his fleets and armies to fight our

mamma?" exclaimed Rosie exultantly

inly taken our place-by God's blessing upon the efforts of those brave and

in the nation's counsels and on the fields of battle. The foundations were well and stron

about Lydia Darrah?" asked Gracie.

la. "She belonged to the Society of Friends, most of whom, as you doubtless remember, took no active part in the war; at least, did none of the

out the doings of some of those when you are done

she answered; then wen

ered upon them. The adjutant-general took up his quarters in Loxley House, the home of the Darrahs, and, as it was a secluded place, the

he wanted the upper back room made ready for himself and the friends who would be present. He added that

disobey his order, she resolved to try to find out what was their object in holding this private night meeting, proba

them retired to her own couch, but not to sleep, for her thoughts were busy with conjectures in rega

ttle she rose and stole softly, in her stocking feet

r to the keyhole and-doubtless, with a fast beating heart-waited

ding aloud an order from Sir William Howe for the troops to march out of the

as sufficient, and it would have been dan

d again threw herself on the bed; but

heir departure; then there was a rap on her door. But she did not answer it. It was repeated, but still she d

nds had gone and she might now

s secret she had just learned, considering how she might help to avert the threatene

nd she told him flour was wanted for the family and she must go immediately to the mi

uarters she obtained a p

she left her bag at the mill, and hurried on t

an American officer, Lieutenant Craig, whom Washington had sen

en hastened back to the mill for her

, "how could she carry an

nt as to its size, and perhaps the joy and thankfulness she felt in having been permitted and enabled

ar alternating in her breast; and how her heart must have gone up con

ry night and watched the departure of the British troops to make the intended attack upon Washington and

e back to the house, summoned Lydia to his room, and

he know it was she tha

all retired at eight o'clock.' 'It is very strange,' he returned. 'You I know were asleep, for I knocked at your door three times before you heard me, yet it is certain we were betrayed. I am altogether at a loss to conceive who could have given information

ft Philadelphia, who had given the information to th

r secret; which he did; and so it has happened that her good deed finds no mention

ries?" remarked Walter in a sat

e of our best and greatest generals-was of Quaker family, and I have heard that when his mother found he was not to be persuaded to refrain from taking

alter. "I doubt if she was so very sorry that her son w

she could help feeling proud of him-so bright, brave, talented

a cannon with an inscription on it saying it had been taken from the British army and presented by Cong

very bad men, Grandm

ven when waged for freedom from unbearable tyranny and oppression, but were disposed to be merely inactive witnesses of the struggle, some of them desiring the success of the

men were employed as secret agents in detecting foes to the government, and by their secret information caused many patriots to be arres

quemada, mamma?"

nted inquisitor-general. He organized the Inquisition throughout Spain, drew up the code of procedu

t I'm glad nobody can do such cruel things in these days!

ough they seem to have shown enough malignity toward their patriotic fellow-countrymen to ma

ever ready to act as guides to those whose object was to massacre their f

Jersey known as 'Pine Robbers

er parts of the State, coming upon the people at night to burn, murder, plunder, and destroy. They burro

g-places only in the night

ers in their fields. So that the men were compelled to carry muskets and be ready to fi

t of them was a blacksmith, living in Fre

hemselves Tories, took advantage of the disturbance of the times to rob and murder h

ip. A committee of vigilance had been already organized, and its members sent Fenton

sending with it a written message, 'I have returned your -- rags. In a short time I

door and defended themselves for a while, but Fenton broke in a part of the door, fired through the hole at the old man and broke his leg. The women could not keep them out much longer; they soon forced an entrance, murdered t

n caught and well punished for his r

oody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days,' a

ten him; the victim carried his complaint to Lee, and a serge

himself as a countryman, and the young man took a seat in the vehicle. Then they drove on toward the mill, expecting to meet Fenton on

hen, as he lifted it to his lips, the sergeant silently signaled to one of his hidden soldiers, who at once rose from his hiding

felt a good deal relieved," remarked Rosie. "Sti

eople," said her mother; "and West's body was hung in chains, with hoop iron band

there yet?" asked Gracie

years-more than a hundred you will remember when you think of

Freehold," said Lulu. "I wa

should nothing happen to p

borhood, that a Captain Huddy was murde

I was refreshing my memory in regard to it by glancing over

us about it, mamma

it," she said, noting the look of eage

ly hated by his Tory neighbors. He lived at a place

ulatto named Titus, attacked Huddy's house. There was no one in it at the time but

fighting men," remarked Walter,

ere several guns in the house which she loaded for Huddy while he passed from one window to another firing throu

nto the water and escaped, assisted in so doing by the

by some refugees from New York, and, his ammunition giving out, he was obliged to surrender. He and his companion

int, by sixteen refugees under Captain Lippinc

st calmly writing his will on the head of the barrel

ing had a share in his death. After hanging him that cruel, wicked Lippincott fastened to his breast a notice to the effect that they had

those days!" sighed Grace. "Did anybody venture

as carried to Freehold and b

ple care muc

Freehold minister, who preached the funeral sermon from the piazza of the hotel, earn

ote to Sir Henry Clinton that unless the murderers

cifully postponed the carrying out of the sentence, feeling much pity and sympathy for the young man-doubtless for his relatives also; letters came from Europe earn

passed a resolution, 'That the commander-in-chief be, a

more merciful than the English," remark

indhearted men among the British of to-day, or that there were such among them even then,

ulu hotly. "But they found that Americans wouldn't be slaves; tha