Smyrna times., 1876-07-26
nj SC eIIU21 e OUS.
Hannah Arnett's Faith.
y CENTENNIAL SKETCH.

The days were at their darkest and the
hearts of our grandfathers were weighed
down with doubt and dependency. Defeat
had followed defeat for the American
troops until the army had become demor-
allied and discouragement had we'll nigh
become despair. Lord CORVALLIS, after
his victory at Fort Lee, had marched his
army TO Elizabethtown December, I776,)
where they were now encamped. On the
Both Of November the brothers Howe had
issued their celebrated proclamation, which
offered protection TO all who within sixty
days should declare themselves peaceable
British subjects and bind themselves
neither to take up arms against their
sovereign, nor to encourage others to do so.
1t was to discuss the advisability of accept
ing this offered protection that a group of
men had met in one of the large old houses
of which Elizabethtown was at that time
full.
We are apt to think of those old times as
days of unmitigated loyalty and courage
OF our ancestors as unfaltering heroes,
swerving never in the darkest hours from
the narrow and thorny path which con-
science babe them tread. Yet human
nature is human nature in all ages, and il
at times the old-fashioned fire" burned
low even in manly hearts, and profound
encouragement palsied for a time the most
ardent courage, what are we that we should
wonder at or condemn them? OF this
period DIR. Ashbel Green wrote:
" heard a man of some shrewdness once
say that when the British troops overrar
the State of New Jersey, in the closirI
part of the year l776, the whole population
could have been bought for eighteen pence
ahead"
The debate was long and grave. Som,
were for accepting the offered terms a
once; others hung back a little, but al
had at length agreed that it was the onl,
thing to be done. Hope, courage, loyalty
faith, honor-all seemed swept away upol
the great flood Of panic which had ovs1
spread the land. There was one listener
however, of whom the eager disputant
were ignorant, one to whose heart thei
wise reasoning was very far from carryin
conviction. Mrs. Arnett, the wife of tn
host, was in the next room, and the sount
oil the debate had reached her where sh
sat. She had listened in silence, until
carried away by her feelings, she coul
bear no more, and springing to her fee
she pushed open the parlor door and cor
honted the assembled group.
Can you fancy the scene? A large, lor
room, with the dark, heavily carved furn
ture of the period, dimly lighted by tn
tall wax candles and the wood fires whic
olazed in the huge fireplace. Around tn
table the group of men-pallid, gloomy
detected, disheartened In the dOorwa
the figure of the woman, in the antiqu
costume with which, in these latter day
We have become so familiar. Can you nC
iancy the proud poise of her head, the il
dignant light of her blue eyes, the crisl
clear tones of her voice, the majesty an
defiance and scorn which clothed her as
garment7
ihe men all started up at her entranc'
the sight Of a ghost could hardly hay
caused more perturbation than did that
TINS little woman. Her husband advance
nastlly. She had no business here;
woman should know her place and kee
IL Questions of politics and political e
pediency were not for them; but he wou