Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-05-18
THE TWO ALTERS,
Or Two Picture in One.
IL l.. n m
l. TIE ALTER OF LIBERTY, OR l776.

down IN the west. 1t was brisk clear, me
tallic evening the long drifts of snow blush
ed crimson red on the hill tops, and lay in
shades of purple and lilac in the hoIlows and
the old wintry wind brushed shrewdly along
the plain, tinglng peoples noses, blow
open their coats, putting in the back of their
necks, and showing other unmistakabe indiea-
tions that he was getting up steam for a real
registering night.
"Hurrah! How it blows p said little Dick
Ward, from the top of the messy 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 iE the
clden time considered wholesome and gracious
employment, and the peculiar duty of the ris-
ing generation. But said Dick, being boy
mounted the wood pile, and erected flagstaff,
on which he was busily tying little handker-
chief. occasionally exorting Grace "to be sure
to pick up FAST
20, yes will,' said Grace "but you see
the chips have got ice on 'em and make My
hands so cold
30, don't stop to suck your thumbs i! Who
cares for ice? Pick away, l say while I 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 an offering on
the shrine of liberty; while soon the red hand
kerchief, duly secured, futtered and snapped in
the brisk evening wind.
"Now you must hurrah, Grace, and throw
mp your bonnet" said Dick as he descended
from the pile.
'Rut won't it lodge down some place in the
wood pile ?' suggested Grace, thoughttully.
so, never fear give it 20 me, and just hol-
Ter now, Grace, "Hurrah for liberty p and
we'll throw up your bonnet and my cap and
we'll play, you know, that we are whole ar
N.Y. and I'm General Washington"
So Grace threw up her little red hood, and
Dick swung his cap, and up they both went
into the air and the children shouted and the
flag snapped and Huttered, and altogether they
had merry time of it. But the wind-good
for nothing rognish fellow made an ungen-
erous plunge at poor Gracie's little hood, and
whsked it off, off, off-huttering and boiling
up and down, qrite across wide, waste, snowy
field, and finally lodged on the top of tall
strutting rail, that was leaning. very independ-
emily quite another way from all other rails of
the fence.
Now, do see :" said Oracle. ''tlere goes my
bonnetl What will Aunt Hitty say?" and
Grace began to cry.
Don't you cry, Oracle; you offered it up
for liberty, you know; its glorious TO give up
anything for liberty"
30 but Aunt H;tty won't think so.''
"Well, don't cry Oracle, you foolish girl =
na,,+ x,o, I Sar, frnt Now only
play that the great rail is fort, and your
bonnet is prisoner in it. and see how quick
I'll take the fort and get it!'' and Dick shoul-
dered a stick and started off.
"What upon ai1tA keeps those children so
long? l should think they were making
chips p said Aunt MehetabeI; sthe fires just
going out under the tea kettle.'
By this time Grace had ugged her heavy
| basket to the door, and was stamping the
snow off her little feet, which were so numb
that she needed to stamp, to be quite sure
they were yet there Aunt Mehetabels shrewd
face was the first that greeted her as the door
opened,
'Gracie-what upon airth wipe your nose
child your hands are frozen. Where alive /:
Dick ?-and what's kept you out all this time:
and where's your bonnet?
Poor Gracy. stunned by this cataract o
questions, neither wiped her nose or gave any
answer hut sided up into the warm corner
where gandmama was knitting, and begaT
quietly rubbing and blowing her fingers, while
the tears silently rolled down her checks, al
the fire maze the former ache intolerably.
poor little dear !" said grandmama taking
her hands in hers ''Hitty shant seold you.-
Grandmamma knows you have been a goot
girl-the wind blew poor Gfatie's bonue
!" and grandmamma wiped both eye
and nose, and gave her moreover, a stalk o
dried fennel out of her pocket whereat Grac
took heart once more.
"Mother always makes fools of Rozy's chi
dren said Mehetabel, putting zealously unde
the tea kettle. There's little maple suga
in that saucer up there mother, if you wi
keep giving it to her." she said, still vigorous
ly putting. ''And now Gracie," she said whe
after while, the fire seemed in tolerabe Oh
3 der, "wil you answer my question? Wher
is Dick?
"Gone over in the lot to get my bonnet :
] allow came your bonnet off ?" said Aur
L
"Dick wanted me to take it off for him,
to throw up for liberty" said Grace.
Throw up for fiddlesticks! Just enc
Dicks cut ups and you was silly enough
mind him. %
"Why, he put up flagstaff on the woo
pile, and a fl; 6 of liberty, you know, tn,
: papa's fighting for" said Grace more con-
II IDENTIFY, as she saw her quiet, blue-eyed mothe
:, who had silently walked into the room durin
the conversation.
y Grace's mother smiled and said, eneourag
" ingly. "And what then?''
i "Why he wanted me to throw up my bo
net and then the wind took it and carried
, off and he said | ought not to be sorry if
= did lose tit was all offering to liberty.
- "And so did, said Dick, who was stan
~ ing as straight as poplar behind the groul
~ aud heard in one of fathers letters to moth
= = that we ought to offer up everything on t
alter of liberty-so | made an alter of t
a woodpile.
u GOOD boyI' said his mother; 'always rene
- - Der everything your father writes. He has
~ - fered everything on the alter of liberty, true
' nough; and hope you, son, will to do
same"
"Only, if had the hoods and caps to max
it said aunt Hitty, Il hope he won't offer tn
MS up every week-that's all!'
lat 40 WELL Aunt Hitty, I've got the hood;
us me~.ione for that. 1t blew clear into
he Daddy Wards pasture lot and stuck on
I'd. top of the great rail; and 1 played that
ta- rat was fort; and beseiged it, and took
5he 30, yes you're always up to taking fc
I'll warrant, now, you left Oracle to pick
every blessed one of them chips"
"Picking up chips is girls work, said Di
an "and taking forts and defending the countr,
ats, mems work"