Show I 1 th D 0 0 CHAPTER continued 21 there tire are many here diore who have rl tithing to wear car but blankets ts with 11 irm holes belted by a n length of 0 rope there are arc hundreds allu ft ho have hare no bla bland 11 keag acts t to 0 cover them at night they haie 10 to take turns sitting by tile the ire fire wl ile othe rs are asleep for them thein it a nights lit s re brebt t Is impossible lt let t this letter be read arni to tile the people of 0 albany and may limy they not lie down don to sleep until they have stirred themselves in our belinic belin lf and if nuy any man dares to pray to god to help us until lie lias has given of ills his abundance to that thai end and and besought ills his neighbors to to do the mit e I 1 could wish that hint ills his praying wo would U id choke hlin him ar an we worthy to bo be wed saved tl that I 1 at Is 14 the question 1 K we ye expect sod od to furnish finnish tile hie flanne I 1 und iud th the e shoo leather we tie are not tit that at Is 18 our part ot of the great task are we going to shirk it nod and fall we are making a real army the men who inho tire are able to work are ba being c carefully f I 1 trained mined by the crusty a old id karon baron steuben eulien St and a number ot of french officers that they rold not fall was probably dt due e to the fact that there were t men ile n in alie lea briny like tills one who seemed it 1 I to have a e some little understanding or of tile will ot of god an and lie duty of man this letter and others like it traveled far and wide and more than a million hands fiands began to work for the lie army tito schuylkill was on one side of 0 tile he caknip and wooded ridges protected protected by entrenchments on tile other tit tires L s were felled and log huts constructed 10 by 11 14 1 1 feet in ilze i twelve privates were quartered in each cacti lilt hut the gates propaganda was again being pushed anonymous letters complaining ili pla 11 ining that washington was not protecting the people of pennsylvania and new jersey from depredations were appearing in sundry newspapers ily by and by a committee of investigation arrived from congress they left satiated that washington had bad lone done well to keep ills ids army alive and that lie I 1 must have help kielp or a n large part of it would dle die of cold and hunger it was on a severe boero day in march ila ach that eliat washington agton sent for jack irons tito the scout found tile general sitting alone by the fireside in ills his office which was part of a small farmhouse lie was eating a cold luncheon of bilked baked beans and broad bread without butter buffer jack had just returned from philadelphia acro chero lie he had risked ills life its as ft a spy of which adventure no details aro are recorded the general arose and went to ills de desks and ye returned turned with settled letters in iii ills hla hand an and sold said colonel I 1 have it a task for you ou I 1 could rive give it to no man lit in chona I 1 had not tile utmost confidence you have earned a respite from tio the hardships and perils of this army hero here Is a n purse and two letters with them I 1 wish vish you ou to make your jour way to france as soon as possible and turn over tile the letters to franklin the doctor Is much Is need eod of help put your services at ills disposal A ship will be leaving leading boston on oatlie tile A good livorse liaa has been provided your route Is mapped you will need to start after tile the noon mess for tile the first time in ten days there will bo be fresh leef beef on the tables two hundred blankets have arrived and more are anre coming coining after they have eaten give ghe the mon men a farewell talk tind and put them lagood heart if you can we fire are going to celebrate tile winters end which cannot be long delayed when you have left tile the table hamilton will talk to the boys in ills his witty and inspiring fa fashion Ellion soon after one on tile the ath tit of blaich march 1778 colonel irons bade solo mon men goodby good by and set out on tits iong ion journey CHAPTER in france with franklin jack shipped in tile tho packet mercury 0 of 70 tons under capt sampson one of americas ablest naval commanders she had been built for rapid salting sailing and when tile the second day out they saw a british frigate bearing down upon her they wore ship and easily ran awny away from their enemy their first landing funding was at st martin on the isle de alie they crossed tile the island asland on mules being greeted with the cry volla les braves Bo sostones stones I 1 in franco france the word bostone meant american ka lerlean revolutionist at the ferry they embarked on on a long gambone for la ito cli elle there the young man enjoyed enjoy eil ills hla first repose un on a french lit built up ot of sundry layers of feather beds I 1 in the morning he set out will in n heavy vehicle of 0 two wheels drawn by three horses its postil llon in frizzed frizzel and powdered hair under it cocked hat flat with a long queue on tits his back and in great boots boot with iron rode a lively little bidet such was the french stagecoach of those days its running gear having been planned with tin in eye to economy since vehicles were taxed according to die number of their wheels the diary informs one that when the traveler stopped for food fit at aa inn lie he was expected to furnish tits his own knife the highways were patrolled night and day by armed horsemen and robberies were unknown the vineyards were not walled or fenced all travelers had a license to help themselves to as much fruit as as they might wish to eat cat who when n it was won on the vines th they ey arrived at Chant eray tl on n cold rainy evening they were sett settled ledin in by IRVING copyright by irving Bac bacheller haller their rooms happy that they find protection from the weather when their landlord went from room to mobil informing them that they the would have to on why jack venture to inquire because a i bialk arrived A tel jack exclaimed lined out nul monsieur lie ile Is a very lery great man hut but suppose wo we refuse refus to go said jack then monsieur I 1 shall detain cpr dwir horses it Is a law of lu grand mun arque IN I 1 inre here re was no dodging it the coach and horses came back to the inn door the passengers went out into the dark rainy night to plod along in the mud another six illas or so fo that tile the nour and his fits could enjoy that camf comfort rt if alio e weary travelers had been forced to loine olive such ft as s the power of privilege with which lie great louis lidid lilt saddled ills kingdom kingdo ill they proceeded to Anc erds angers ona anil the last stage from versailles to illais was called tile hie post there e the post lIllon lind had to he be dressed like it a gent lenion it wits was a magnificent avenue crowdog every arter afternoon noon by tile the wealth alliff of 1 I tile tho kingdom in gorl painted conches coaches and lighted ut tit night hy by grent great bamps tamps with double reflectors oer mer its center they came upon 11 II in tile morning on their way to the calif tit II there were few people traveling nt lit t lift hour suddenly ahead they saw it a hand band of horsemen riding lat at a wild gallop they were the kings couriers clear the way they shouted tile the kings hunt I 1 Is s coming coining all travelers hearing this command ande tit it it quickly for the sidings there to draw rein and dismount the leer deer came lit la sight running for its life the lie king close behind with nil all ills his trail the hounds in full cry near jack the deer bounded over a liedke and took it a new direction ills majesty a 11 short stout man with blue eyes and aquiline nose wearing a lace cocked hat flat and brown velvet coatee and high boots with spurs dismounted not twenty feet from the stagecoach saying with great animation vitel bonnez mot un tin cheval brals instantly remounting lie bounded over tile hedge followed by his train A letter from jack presents all this color of the journey and avers that lie he readied reached the house or of franklin in bassy ow HE 13 A A athan kawl about two in tile the afternoon of a pleasant slay may day the savant greeted ills young friend with an affectionate embrace sturdy son of my beloved country you bring rue me joy und and a new problem ho he said what Is the problem jack inquired that of moving margaret across the channel I 1 have a double task now I 1 must list secure the happiness of america and of jack irons rend read tho the dispatches and then the doctor and the hie young man set out in it coach for the palace of vergennes tho the prime minister colonel irons was tilled filled with astonishment nt at the tokens of veneration for or the white hatred haired mait man which lie he witnessed in the streets of parts paris the person of the king could not have attracted more respectful re attention lie he writes A crowd gathered about the coach when we were leaving it ond and every roan man stood with ered head na as we passed on our way to the palace door in the crowd there was much whispered praise of le grand savant I 1 did not understand this until I 1 met in the office of the compte de vergennes Vcr gennes the eloquent senator gabriel illnore de Miral mirabeau Ml leau what ati an impressive name I 1 yet I 1 think ile he deserves it lie he lifts lias tile the eye of mare und and the hair of samson and the tongue of an angel ancel I 1 am tot told d in our talk I 1 assured him that in philadelphia kiln camo came and wen went t anil and was less observed than the town crier but your people seem to adore him I 1 said As if lie he were a god cod answered yes it Is true and it Is right has lie he not ill like e jove hurled the of heaven in his right hand Is fie 1 ie not cot an unpunished prometheus la Is he not breaking the scepter of a tyrant tyrnn ti going back to ills his home where in tile the kin kindness driess of ills his heart lie he had asked tile me to live lie endeavored modestly mod estl to explain the evidence 4 of high regard which were being showered upon him it happens liap pens that my understand understandings inS and small control of a arlous and violent force foice of nature hils has appealed to the imaginations of these people lie said 1 I vin urn tile the only man who has fins used asod thunderbolts for ills playthings then too I 1 am speaking for a new world to an old one just at present I 1 nin cm the voice of human liberty I 1 depre represent s ent the hanger of the spirit of mini mail it Is very strong here you have not traveled so far in franco france without deping thousands of beggars they are everywhere hut but you ou do 10 not know that when it a child comes in a poor family the father and mother go to prison pour mols do de nour nourrice rice it Is a pity that the lie poor cannot keep their cliff iron dron ut home this old kingdom to lo a muttering mattering 1 vesuvius growing hotter y ear by year vear with discontent you will presently heur hear its voices there liere wits a dinner that evening nt at franklins house at which the marquis de Mira beati SI al hurgot the madame lie de brillon tile the abbe nna and the compte and Comp tesse d colonel irons and three other amerl run can gent lealen were present the madame tic do britton was first to ar rive re site entered with A careless jaunty j aunt air and run ran to meet franklin and caught ills liand hand and gave him ailin a double hisa 1 las on each cheek check and one on lila ills forehead and called him papa at table site sat between me and doctor franklin I 1 jack writes she frequently locked her hand in the doctors and smiled sweetly as she looked into ills ill s eyes I 1 wonder what the poor simple hardworking hard liard working deborah franklin would have thought of these familiarities yet here I 1 am told no one thinks III of that kind of thing the best women of france seem to treat their favorites with like tokens of regard now and then slie site spread her arms arins across the hacks backs of our chairs as if she would have us feell tint that her affection was wide enough for both she assured me that all the women of france were in love with le ie grand savant frinklin franklin hearing the compliment remarked it Is because they pity my age and infirmities first we pity then embrace its as the great sir air pope lina has written 11 we think it a compliment that tho the greatest intellect in the world Is willing fo 0 o allow itself to be in a way captured by b tile the charms of women madame brillon declared As the dinner proceeded the abbe asked the doctor if it was true that there were signs of degeneracy in the average male american let the 16 fads facts before us be my an biwer said franklin there are at this table four frenchmen and four americans let these gentlemen stand up tile the Fren chipen were wen undersized tile the abbe himself being a i mere shrimp of a man the americans harmer humphries and mv my milf elf lf were big men the shortest being six feet tall tile the contrast raised a laugh among tile the ladles then said fald franklin in tits fits kind kindness nest tones 11 illy M dear abbe I 1 nm am aw aware are that manhood Is not a matter of feet and indies inches I 1 aidy assure you that the these se are average americans and that they are pretty well filled with brain and spirit the abbe spoke of a certain printed story on which lie he had based tits his judgment Frnnk franklin lin laughed and answered 1 I know that Is n fable because I 1 wrote it myself one day long ago when we were short of news tile the guests having departed frank tin asked the young oung man to sit hit down for a talk by tile lie fireside the doctor spoke of the yemen women of france saying you will not understand them or tile me unless you ou remind yourself that we are in europe and that it Is 1 the eighteenth century here the clocks are lagging time noves slowly with the poor it stands still they know not the tiling thing we call progress 4 those who w ho have money seem to be ba veay very busy having fun I 1 said TO BG BE CONTINUED |