The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-08-27
THE TWO AFFAIRS.
/. THE ALTAR LIBERTY, OR lI16.

Sence IN vice nud crime.
THE TWO AFFAIRS.
1.-THE ALTAR LIBERTY, OR lII6.
The wellsweep of the old house on the
hill was relieved, dark and clear, against
the rcddening sky as the early winter sun
was going down in the west. twas brisk,
clear, metallic evening; the long drifts of
the snow blushed crimson red on the hall
tops, and lay in shades of purple and lilac
in the holows; and the old wintry wind
brushed shrewdIy along the plain, tinglng
peoples noses, blowing open their cloaks,
putting in the back Of their necks, and show
ing other unmistukeable indications that he
was getting up steam for real registering
night.
Hurrah. How it blows!' said little
Dick Ward, from the top Of the mossy wood
pile.
Now, Dick had been sent to said wood
pile, in company with his little sister Grace,
to pick up chips, which, every body knows,
was in the olden time considered whole
some and gracious employment, and the
peculiar duty of the rising generation. But
said Dick, being boy. mounted the wood
| pile, aud erected there flagstaff, on which
he was busly tying little red pocket hand
kerchl,t, occasionally e2horting Grace "to
be sure and pick up fnst."
/ 80. yea, will - said Grace; "but you
see tho chips have got ice on 'eln and make
my hands so cold ~
80, don't stop to suck your thumbs -
Who cares fer ice? Pick away, say,
while set up the flag Of liberty"
SO Grace picked away as fast as she could,
nothing doubling, but that her cold thumbs
were in some mysterious sense IN Offering
on the shrine of liberty while soon the red
handkerchief duly secured, futtered and
snapped in the brisk evening wind.
snow you must hurrah, Oracle, and
! throw up your bonnet" said Dick, as he
descended from the pile.
"But won't it lodge down some place in
the wood pile 2" suggested Grace, thought
fully.
80. never fear; give it to me, and just
holer now, Oracle, 'Hurrah for liberty >
and we'll throw up your bonnet and my cap;
and We'll play, YOU know, that we are a
whole army, and I'm General Washington"
SO Grace gave up her little red hood,
ard Dick swuag his cap, and up they both
went into the air; and the children shouted
, and the flag snapped and futtered, and alto
gether they had merry time of it. But
then the wind-sood for nothing roguish
fellow = made an ungenerous plunge at
poor Grace's little hood, and shipped it up
in a twinking and whisked off, of, off,
iiuttering and bobbing up and down, quite
across wide, waste, snowy field, and finally
lodged it on the top of tall strutting rail,
that was leaning, very Independently quite
another way from all other rails of the
fence.
snow see, do SEES said Grace, " there
goes my bonnet! What will Aunt Hitty
say - and Grace began to cry.
''Don't you cry, Oracle; you offered it up
for liberty, you know: and it's glorious to
give up everything for liberty
go, but Aunt Atty wont think So"
"Well, don't cry, Oracle, you foolish girl
DO you think | can't get it Now, only
play that the great rail is fort, and your
bonnet is a prisoner in it, and see how
quick I'll take the fort and get it 70 and
Dick shouldcred stick and started of.
"What upon dirth keeps those children
so long! should think they were making
chips!' said Aunt Mehetable; ''the fires
By this time. Grace had lugged her heavy
basket to the door, and was stamping the
snow IF her little feet, which were 80 numb
that she needed to stamp, to be quite sure
they were yet there. Aunt Mehetable's
shrewd face was the first that greeted her
as the door opened.
Gracie-Whas on dirth wipe your
nose. child; your hands are frozen. Where
alive is Dick ?-and what's kept you out all
this time and where's your bonnety"
Poor Oracle, stunned by this cataract of
questions, neither wiped her nose nor gave
any answer, but sidled up into the warm
corner, where grandmamma was knitting,
and began quietly rubbing and blowing her
fingers, while the tears silently rolled down
her cheeks, as the fire made the former ache
ntolerably.
"Poor little dear!'' said grandmamma,
taking her hands in hers; Hitty shnn't
scold you. Grandma knows you've been a
good girl-tbc wind blew poor Gracie's
bonnet away" and grandmamma wiped both
eyes and nose, and gave her, moreover, q
stalk Of dried fennel out of her 20 ket,
whereat Grace took heart once more.
''Mothcr always makes fools Of Roxy's
Children" said Mehetable, putting zealously
under the tea kettle. "There's little ma
pie sugar in that saucer up there, mother,
if you will keep giving it to her," she said,
still vigorously putting. "And now, Grace"
she said, when, after n while, the fire seem
ed in tolerable order, "will you answer my
question? Where is Dick 20
"Gone over in the lot to get my bonnet"
GLOW came your bonnet off" said Aunt
Mehetable. 81 tied it on firm enough"
''Dick wanted me to take it off for him,
to throw up for liberty" said Grace.
sThrow up for fddlestick Just one of
Dicks cut ups; and you was silly enough
to mind him?'' .
"Why, he put up flagstaff on the wood
pile, and had flag of liberty, you know,
that papa's fighting for" said Grace IN ore
confidently, as she saw her quiet, blue-eyed
mother, W no had silently walked into the
room during the conversation.
Grace's mother smiled, and said encour.
agingly, Sand what then ?''
"Why, he wanted me to throw up nv
bonnet and be his cap, and shout for liberty:
and then the wind took it and carried it Off.
and he said ought not to be sorry if | did
lose tit was an offering to liberty"
"And so | did," said Dick, who was
standing as straight as poplar behind the
group; and l heard it in one of father s
letters to mother, that We ought to offer up
everything on the altar Of liberty-and 80
made an altar Of the wood pile"
"Good boy!" said his mother ssalways
remember everything your father writes
He has offered everything on the altar Of
liberty, true enough; and hope you, son,
| will live to do the same.' ~
"Only, if | had the hoods and caps to