The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-01
Aunt Polly's Centennial Story.
BY MRS. H. H. ROBINSON.

eighty-siX years, and she lives in the
beautiful town of Old Concord, in Mass
achusetts, where, as everybody knows,
a hundred years ago the "shot was
fred" ETC., which I hope we shall
never be tired of hearing about. This
dear old aunt is what you might call a
pre- e-Raphaelitish old lady, (she has had
all sorts of good adjectives applied to
her before, and | hope it won't offend
herr, and she tells a story in such a
graphic manner, that she photographs
the scenes of old times upon your mind.
All the little details of dress and incl
dent she describes in such minute
way, that you are carried back with her
into the forgotten past, and sit down, so
TO speak, in an old high-backed chair,
and hear the buzz of the spinning
wheel, and whatever noise the quilting
frames made, and, by this imaginary
music, listen to her delightful tales.
When l last visited her, few weeks
ago, l said to her:
'Aunt Polly, you have never told me
your Centennial story yet. Can't you
remember something worth telling that
the women did OH that famous 18th OF
April ?"
"Why, yes" said she, and began at
L
to give in ner own words. l wish l
could initiate also her delightful style.
captain Brown lived on the street
near the bridge where the battle was
fought. Mrs. Brown was sick in bed,
for she had a little baby a week old.
When the alarm came that the reg
ulars' were coming, Captain Brown,
with his men, started of on the road to
Lexington, leaving their guns at home
in the room where Mrs. Brown was
sick. She was left in the house alone,
with one woman who had the care of
her. Pretty soon this woman, who was
on the watch, came running into her
room, saying, There's the regulars
coming down street. and then went
right off and locked herself up in an old
lumber-rOOm, and never appeared
again, leaving Mrs Brown alone with
her babe.
"Mrs. Brown did not know what to
do, for she thought of the guns, and she
expected her husband and the men
back every minute. But she got out of
bed, and began to hide the guns. She
put all she could behind the head of her
bedstead, which had high posts, and
tucked the fiOwered bed-curtains all
around them. What was left she put
under her feather bed, and then got in
again and laid down upon them, and
took her baby on her arm.
"Pretty soon she heard the regulars
enter the house, and she lay fearful, for
she did not know what would come
next. She heard them in the lower
rooms, and then they came upstairs,
tramp, tramp, into her chamber.
"When they saw her alone in bed,
they started a little, but all came in,
and one of them said:
"'Where's your ammunition p
Everybody knows that the British
soldiers came to Concord, not to kill
the people, but to get the ammunition
known to be secreted there.)
''She turned down the bed-clothes
and showed the baby, and said:
"'Here it is.'
"They all laughed at that; then she
said:
"'I am a sick woman. My child is
only week old, and | hope you won't
disturb me-
''They did not seem to know what to
say, perhaps they were touched by
some memory of home, and sne, think
ing quickly, said:
"'Hou have come a long way, and
must be hungry; there is enough to eat
in the house; the oven is full; you can
take what you want, but be sure and
put up the lid again, so the rest of the
beans will bake. If you want any
white bread and cheese, there is enough
down cellar in the chest. Shut down
the cover after you'
"And so she turned their attention
from herself and what she wanted to
hide.
"'Let's see your baby said one of
them.
"She uncovered its little face, and the
soldier took it up, and they all went
down stairs again. She heard them
laughing and talking, and she was
worried enough, for she did not know
what they would do with her baby, but
she did not dare to stir. In a little
while the soldier came back and laid
the baby on the bed, saying, Here's
your ammunition and put seventeen
silver crowns beside it on the pillow.
By that she supposed there were seven
teen regulars
"Then they went off, and they had
not been gone many minutes when
Captain Brown came back with his
men, after their guns, and they all ran
to the bridge, and the fight began.
"Mrs. Brown lay there in bed and
saw, through her open windows, the
men fighting down by the river. Think
of such a scene as that
captain Brown had among his men, 4"
to still use Aunt POlly's words, lone
who could not fight. Hecould not hold
himself up straight, and was so white,
and trembled so, that the captain
thought he wouldn't do any good, and
he sent him back to the house to look
after his wife. We told him to saddle
a horse and put a pillion on behind,
and to take Mrs. Brown and the baby
somewhere where they would be safe.
She'll tell you where to CO. said he.
"Mrs. Brown got up and dressed her.
self, and took her child and got on the
pillion behind the man, aud rode safely
10 Acton. But said she, 4 never
should have got there i'm the world if |
had not been stronger than he was.
His heart f1uttered so that I could
hardly hold him on the horse, and |
had to hold my baby with one arm be-
sides'"
''The baby lived to tell the story to
Aunt Polly, and she grew up and never
married." said my aunt.
"Was Mrs. Brown the only woman
in Concord who did anything on that
wonderful day ?" said 1. 1--WE never
hear much about the older women then.
Were they counted out then as they are
now in public affairs, and represer ted
only by an unknown land undesirablel
quantity? Weren't they of any use I?
Was the town empty of the women ?J
in ~ eE,o j