Ellsworth American., 1876-07-06
Miserllaneous. q
The only Woman in the Town.
Bi SARAH j. PRICHARD.
A CEN rENNIAL STORY.

AZ ttii. tit stiut utrut, ii uii-I'NtI %
the Charles. oarsmen two. with passenger
silent and grim. had seen the signal ligh
out-swung. and rowed with speed for III,
Chsrlestown shore.
At eleven. the moon was risen. aud th,
grim passenger. Paul Revere, had riddei
up the Neck, encounte red foe. who OPP
posed his rice into the country, and, ate
a brief delay. rode on. leaving British OF
, ficer lying IN a clay pat.
AT midnight a hundred ears had heard
the flying hofseman cry, "t p and arm
The Regulars are coming out
You know the story we'll. You have
heard how the wild alarm ran ffom voic,
to voice aud echoed bcneath every roof
until the men of Lexington aud Concord
were stirred and aroused with patriotic
fear Tor the safety OF the public stores that
had been committed TO their Keeping.
You know how long ere the chill Apr
day began to dawn. they had drawn, by
horse power aud by hand power. the cher
ished stores into safe hIdin.-places in the
depth of friendly forest coverts.
There is one thing about that day that
you have not heard aud Will tell you
now. 1t is how Que little woman stsid in
the town of Concord. whence all the wo-
men save her had fled.
All the houses that were standing then,
are very o'dfu- hioncd now but there was
one dwelling place on Concord Common
that was old-iashioncd even then. Ii was
the abode OF Martha Moulion and Uncle
John" Just who Il ucle john was. j.
not now knawn. but he was probably Mar
tha Moultou's uncle. The uncle II appear,
1y record. va, ciEhty-l,e years old; while
the niece WA, oHiy shrec.scnre and eleven.
once and again that morning, a friendly
hand had pulled the latch string at Martha
Mnulton's kitchen cntraQcc aud offered 10
convey herself aud treasures away. bat, Ia
cilhcJ prolirr, she had said: "No. | must
stay until Uncle John gets the cricks out
OF hi- back. il all the British soldiers ~
the land march into town.
At last, came Joe Devins. Ia lad OF fifteen
ycar>--Juc's two aStoni>hed eyes pecrci
tor \ moment Into Martha Mouton' /,
Kitchen. aud then eyes and owner dashed
into the room, 10 learn, what the si.ht lac
there saw. could mean.
"Whrw, Mother MouItou. what are you
dnin.s'
lin getting Uncle John his breakfast to
be- sure. Joe" She answered. Have yOa
seen so many sights this morning that you
don't know breakfast. when you see IL :
Have q care there. tor hot fat lciN burn,
a. she deity poured the contents of pan,
fre,h from the fire, into "A dish.
!tuusry Joe had been a>tir since the first
drum had beat To arms at two OF the clock.
lie gave one glance At the boiling cream
aud the slices OF crisp pork swimming In it,
A. lac ga.ped forth the words. Getting
breakfast in Concord his morning .Hothsr
MulfOH. you must be crazy"
so they tell me = She said, scrcncly.
There comes Uncle John" :" she added. A.
.1r .t a - Au ..t
the stairway outran.. fpr an iustaut, the
cries OF hu.ryiuS and confusion that nsled
the air OF the street.
Don't YOU know. Mother MoUitou.
Joe went ON TO say, THAT every single wo-
man and child have been carried OF, where
the Britishers won't mud eu' 2
II don't believe the Kings troops have
stirred out OF Boston" she replied, going
10 the door l-ading to the stone staircase.
to open it for Uncle John.
Don't believe it, aud Joe looked. a.
he echoed the words. a. though only Il boy
could feel sufficient disgust at such want of
common sense, In full view OF the fact. that
Reuben Brown had just brought the news
that eight uru had been killed BY the
kings Red Goats, in Lexington, which fact
he made haste 10 impart.
Il won't believe "a word of it," she said
-kbtLlN. uiikii j ste TIC SpltafAs Npiihi-'
An, Hear that, cried Joe. tossing back
bis hair and swinging his arms triumph
autly at an airy foe. You won't have Ia
wait long. That signal is for the minut,
men. They are going to march out 10 meeI
the Red Goats. Nish was minute man
this inmate.
Meanwhile. poor L Incle John was getting
down The steps of the stairway. with many
"A .rimace and groau. A. he touched tht
floor. Joe. his lace beaming with excite
ment aud enthusiasm, spraug 10 place 3
chair for him at the table, saying. "GoOl
morning. at the same Domeih.
Maybe" groaned Uncle John, young
,iers Ike you may think it is good morn
in. but / don't, such Il din and clattcr a
the fool, have Kept up all night long. 1t
had the power" (and now the poor old maj
fairly eroancd with rage), I'D make 'cir
! quiet Ion. eIough to let an old man get 2
| wink OF sleep, when Il { rheumatism lei'
go
.I'm real sorry for you" said Joe,
..but YOU don't know the news. The KING
/ troops, from camp, in Boston, are march
ing right down here, 10 carry of all ou
| arms that they can find"
Are they = was the sarcastic reJoinder
/ "lt's the best news I've heard in Ion.
/ while. Wish they had my arms, this MN
ute. They wouldn't carry them stei
/ farther than they could help. | know. Rul
and tell them mine are ready, Joe.
But, Uncle John, wait till after break
fast, you'll want 10 use them once more,
sand Martha Moulton. trying to help HIN
! iuto the chair that Joe had placed on tn
white sanded floor.
Meanwhile. Joe Devins had ears for all tn
sounds that penetrated the kitchen IRON
out of doors. aud he had eyes for the slice
OF well-browned pork and the golden hue'
johnny cake lying before the glowing
Goals on the broad hearth.
As the little woman bent to take up tn
breakfast, Joe. intent on doing some kind
ness for her in the way OF saving treasure
asked, "Shant l help you, Mother Moul
! TOM
Il reckon am not so old that l can
lift a mite of corn bread" she replied wit
chilling severity.
"Oh. didn't mean To lift that thing" b
made haste 10 explain. but To carry o
things and hide 'em away. as everybod
else has been doing halt the night. l kno'
a first-rate place up in the woods. Used I
be Il honey tree. you know. and it's just "A
hollow as anything. Silver spoons an
things would be just as safe in it bt
Joe's words were interrupted by unusu;
tumult on the street and he ran oil to lear
the news, intending To return and get IL
breakfast that had been offered TO him.
Presently he rushed back TO the hons
with cheeks sfiame and eyes ablaze wit
excitement. They're coming he crie'
They're in sight down by the rocks. The
see 'em marching, the men on the hi
do"
You dent mean tnat its really true tn
The soldiers are coming here, right into Ol
to,ca," cried Martha Moulton, rising
haste and bringing together with rap
fourishes to right and TO left. every fra
meut of silver on ii. Divining her inter
Uncle John strove TO hold fast his indivi
ual spoon, but she twitched it without ce
emony oot from his rheumatic old finger
and ran next to the parlor cupboar
wherein lay her movable treasures.
What in the world shall l do wi
them" she cried, returning with her apr
well filled with treasures. and borne do'
by the weight thereof.
sGive 'em to me-" cried Joe. Here's
basket. drop 'em in, and I'll run like
brush-fire through the town and across I
old bridge. and hide 'em as safe as We
sells nap"
Joe's fingers were creamy; his mor
WAS half filled with Johnny cake. and