Show pills V in the days L bays of poor richard by IRVING BACHELLER IT by HIVING ER IL CHAPTER continued 27 oh my Fa father therl I 1 he cried in it a broken voice and with tears streaming down his cheeks arnold has sold amerika on an fill all its folks an gone down the river washington knelt beside him and felt his bloody garments the colonel Is wounded he said to his orderly go for help the scout weak from the loss ot of blood tried to regain his feet but failed ile he lay jay back and whis whispered perel 1 I guess the sabbas all oozed out ol 01 0 me but I 1 had enough washington was one of those who put him on a stretcher lind and carried him to the hospital when lie he was lying on his bed and his clothes were being removed the commander in chief paid him this well deserved compliment as he be held his hand colonel when the war Is won it will be only because I 1 have had men like you to help me soon jack came to his side and then margaret general washington asked the latter about mrs Ar arnold riold my mother Is doing what she can to comfort tier rier margaret answered solomon revived under stimulants and was able to tell them briefly of the dire struggle straggle he had bad it were stops slops that saved me he whispered ile he fell into a deep and troubled sleep and when he awoke in the mid the dla of the night he ha was not strong enough to lift tits his head bead then these faithful friends of his began to know that this big brawny redoubtable soldier was having his last fight ile he teemed seemed to be aware of it himself tor for he whispered to jack take keer 0 mirandy an the little cricket late the next day he called for his great father feebly and brokenly he had bad managed to say jes want to feel his hand margaret had sat beside him all day helping the nurse A dozen times jack had left his work and run over for a look at solomon on one of these hurried visits the young man had learned of the wish of his friend lie he went immediately to general washington who rho bad just returned from a tour of the forts the latter saw the look of sorrow and anxiety in the face of his officer how Is the colonel le ie asked 1 I think that he be Is near the end jack answered lie ile has expressed a wish to feel your hand band again let us go to him allm at once said the other there has been no greater man in the army together they went to the bedside of the faithful scout the general took his bis hand margaret put her lips close to solomons ear and said general washington has come to see gee you solomon opened his eyes and smiled then there was a beauty not of tills world in his homely face and that moment holding the hand belled loved and served and trusted the heroic soul of solomon birkus went out upon the lonesome trail jack who bad been kneeling at his side bide kissed his white cheek oh general I 1 knew and loved this mant man I 1 said the young officer as be arose it will le be well for our people to know what men like him have endured for them said washington 1 I shall have to learn how to live without him blin said jack it will be hard bard margaret took his big arm and they went out of the door and stood a moment looking off at the glowing sky about the western hills bills now you tou have me she whispered he bent and kissed her no man could have a better friend end fighting mate than iou he answered we spend our years as a tale that Is 1 told jack Jacki wrote Arote from philadelphia to his wife in albany on the of june 1787 dear Af margaret argaret we wc thought that the story was ended when washington won five cars have BB as a watch in the night bight and the most impressive details are just now railing falling out you recall our curiosity about henry thornhill when stopping flopping at kinderhook I 1 learned that the only man of that name who had lived there had been lying in his grave these 20 years he was one of the I 1 first dreamers about liberty what think you of that I 1 for one cannot belleve believe that the man I 1 saw was an impostor imposter was wag he an angel like those who visited the prophets who shall say bay naturally I 1 think often of the look of him and of MB his sudden disappearance pe arance in that highland road and looking back at thornhill this thought comes to me who can tell how bow many angels he has hag met in the way of 0 life ell all unaware of the high commission of his visitor on my westward trip I 1 found that the indians indiana who once dwelt in the lost long house houe were scattered only a tattered remnant remains remal ni near old fort johnson I 1 taw saw a squaw sitting in her blanket her face w w wrinkled ad with age and hardship I 1 her eye were nearly blind abe bb held bid la in her hands the tagged ragged moth eaten tall of a gray wolf I 1 asked her why she kept the shabby thing because of the hand that gave it she answered in english 1 I shall take it with me to the happy hunting grounds when he sees it he will know me so quickly the beautiful little white birch had faded at mount vernon washington was as dignified as ever but not so grave he almost joked when he spoke of the sculptors and portrait alt painters who have been a great bother to him since the war ended now no dray horse moves more readily to the thill than I 1 to the painters chair he said when I 1 arrived the family was vas going in to dinner and they waited until I 1 could make myself ready to join them the jocular light horse harry lee was there ilia his anecdotes delighted the great man I 1 had never seen G W in better humor A sin aln pleasant smile lighted his whole countenance I 1 can never forget the gentle note in his voice and his dignified bearing it was the same whether he were addressing his guests or his family the servants watched him closely A look seemed to be enough to indicate his wishes the faithful billy was always at his side I 1 have never seen a sweeter atmosphere in any horns home we tat rat an hour at the table after the totally bad retired from it in speaking of his dally life he said 1 I ride around my farms until it Is time to dress for dinner when I 1 rarely miss seeing strange faces come as they say out of respect for me perhaps the word curiosity would better describe the cause of it the usual time of sitting at table brings me to candlelight candle light when I 1 try to answer my letters lie ile had bad much to say on his favorite theme viz the settling nj of the immense 7 9 now you HANE HE mense interior and bringing its trade to the atlantic cities 1 I was coughing with a severe cold he urged me to take some remedies which he had in the house bouse but I 1 refused them he went to his office while lee and aad I 1 sat eat down dovin together the latter told me of a movement in the army led by colonel nichola to make washington king of america lie he had seen answer to the letter of the colonel it was as follows be assured sir no occurrence in the course of the war has given me sensations more painful than your information of there being such ideas in the army as those you have imparted to me and I 1 must view them with abhorrence hor rence and reprehend them with severity I 1 am much at a loss to conceive what list part of my conduct could have given encouragement to an a address d which aich to me seems big with the greatest mis chiefs which could befall my iny country Is it not a sublime and wonderful thing dear margaret that all our leaders save one hac bae been men as incorruptible as stephen and peter and paul when I 1 went to bed my cough became more troublesome after it had gone on for halt half an hour or so BO my door was gently opened and I 1 observed the glow of a candle on drawing my bed curtains I 1 saw to my utter astonishment ish ment washington standing at my bide with a bowl bou I 1 of hot tea in his hand it embarrassed me to be thus waited on by a man of ills his greatness we se set out next morning for philadelphia to attend the convention washington riding in n hla his conch coach drawn by six horses I 1 riding the blaze faced mare of destiny still as sweet and strong as ai ever AL A slow blow journey it was over the old road by Ca calverta lverts to annapolis chestertown Chester town and so on to the north 1 I found franklin sitting fitting under a tree in hit his dooryard surrounded by his grandchildren lie he loom looks very white and venerable ren erable now his hair Is a croan of glory wall jack it bus ha been bateu no small p put art of my life lit work to get gel you hap married lie began in ills his playful way A celibate Is like the odd half of a pair of 0 scissors fit only to scrape a trencher how many babies have you three I 1 answered it Is not halt half enough said he be A patriotic american should have at least ten children I 1 must not forget to say to you what I 1 say to every young man always treat your wife with respect it will procure respect for you not only from her but from all who rho observe it never use a slighting word my bet beloved oved how bow little I 1 need this advice you know but I 1 think that the old philosopher never made a wiser observation I 1 am convinced that civilization itself depends largely on the respect that men feel and show for women 1 I asked about his health 1 I am weary and the night is falling and I 1 shall soon lie ile down to sleep but I 1 know that I 1 shall awake refreshed in the morning he be said he told me how distressed by ills infirmity he came out of france in the queens litter curried carried by her magnificent mules of england he be had bad only this to say she Is doing wrong in discouraging emigration to america emigration multiplies a nation she should be represented in the growth of th the new world by men who have a voice in its government by this fair means she could repossess it instead of 0 leaving it to foreigners of all nations who may drown and stifle sympathy for the mother land it Is now it n fact that irish emigrants and their children are in possession of the government of pennsylvania 1 I must not tall fall to set down here in the hope that my sons may some time read it what he be said to me of the treason of arnold here Is the vindication of poor richard Kl chard extravagance Is lot cot the way to self satisfaction the man who does not keep ills his feet in the old honest way of thrift will some time sell himself and then lie he will be ready to sell his friends or his country by and by nothing Is so dear to him as thirty pieces of silver 1 I shall conclude my letter with a beautiful confession of faith by this master mind of the country it was made on the motion for dally prayers in the convention now drafting a constitution ution for the states I 1 shall neer forg forget t the look of him as standing on the lonely summit of ills eighty years tears he be said to us in the beginning of our contest with britain when we were sensible of danger we had bad dally prayers in this room for divine protection our prayers sirs were heard beard and they were graciously answered all of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a directing providence in our affairs and have we forgotten that powerful friend or do we imagine that we no longer need ills ilia assistance I 1 have lived sirs a long time and the longer I 1 live the more convincing proof I 1 see of tills this truth that god governs in the affairs of it if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without ills notice Is it probable that an empire carl can rise without ills ilia we have bien been assured sirs that except the lord build the house they labor in vain who build it I 1 firmly believe this and I 1 rise also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political structure no better than the builders of babel we shall be divided and confounded and we ourselves become a reproach and a byword down to future ages and what Is worse mankind may hereafter despair of establishing tab lishing government by human wisdom and leave it to cliance chance war and conquest dear margaret you and I 1 who have been a part of the great story know full well that in these words of out our noble friend is the conclusion of if the whole matter THE END |