The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-03-08
itam retrrson', Masa inc for fehruar'
A Centennial Story.

|
my great grand Nancy Robertson
who, one hundred Years ago to-day, wa.
i Slim wild little maiden of fifteen, with
bright hazel eyes, and short, curling
brown hair
The picture represents a beautiful young
woman several years Older than that
magnilicentiy dressed iii white sill: bro
ca,ied with pini. roses. her hair powdered
rolled back from her forehead and falling
IN two or three heavy ctlri3 on her bare
white necE iiere are rows OF pearls II
her h,ir, and on her neck and arms, and
rich lace rutties fall around her Sqnare-cul
bodice. and her dimpled elbows One
slender hand h0ldsa great leathe, fan. the
other 4 spray Of PM, losc
Well. 1 find have described the picture
more as it must have been when the colors
were not dry, than il is now. It is darl
and dngy-lookiDg now, and YOU can Just
see what the dress must have been; but
somehow the face leans out "a rldently
arrhlY, lovely rs ever. The hazel eyes
under their delicate line OF brow9, look in.
to Yours aS gayly As they ever did; the
sweet lips almost part and smile As YOU
gaze; the white throat seems to rise and
fall with soft, happy breathing The great
charm Of the picture is the look ot perfect
@irlish happiness on the lO> ely face
And yet Aunt Nancy's bright eyes hat
been dmmed with hot and bitter tears
many time. ! have heard all about these
times from dear old Aunt Kitty, who heard
them from her mother, my grandmother,
who died at ninety-five years Of age, and
was Aunt Nancy's Younger sister 50, you
see, | Know.
Aunt Nancv's father lived on Long Is
land, somewhere, | have heard, near the
town OF Jamaica. lie was a man Of wealth,
for those times, and the Robertson mansion
was filled with solid comforts and many
luXuries. imported from France and Eng
land and other countries; curious screens.
carved chairs. etc. etc. The most beau
tlul thing in the house, SO the children
thought, was II great punch-oowl, tor that
was a time when no entertainment was
considered complete without punch. 1t
held almost "hali AS much AS Il barrel.
The china was 80 thin that You could sec
through il )" and il was painted in glowing
colors, with "a thousand bright birds and
flowers, and figures 1t stood ON the
great sdeboard all the year, and on Christ
mas Eve, NancYs father would brew il
full Of punch-Nancy and her sisters roll
ing the lemons, | suppose. And then there
would be healths drunk, beginning witt
king George and the Royal Family
and songs sung, and merry dancers. unC
kissing under the mistletoe, until the great
bowl was drained, and twelve strokes OF
the tall clock in the corner ushered in
Christmas day
But there came 4 time when King
Georges health was no longer drunk, be
cause the Continental Congress had de-
cllred the nted States free and indepcn-
dent. And there was at last q time when
no puuch was bFeWed in the bic bowl, be
cause Nancy'a father had kissed his wife
and little daughters, and taken his mus
kct, and marched away to fight the British
In little while Nancy's two young broth
rr4, boys oi sixteen and seventeen, fol
lowed him r. and never came back. pool
lads One persisted Of pneumonia during
that dreadful winter, at ~ alley Forge =
the other died, glorlonsly lighting. under
/ the Quaker General Green, in South Car
olina
| There WAS SORROW and weeping In The
farmhouse during all these sad years OF
ten have heard how little Nancy was a
her wheel, spinning yarn to knit socks 10
her brother Geolirey, when the news Of hi
death came / fancy | can see the slim
little figure stepping back and forth light
| ly by the Wheel and hear the chid's cIea
voice singing gayly until the news came
They say that after one burst OF passion
ale grief TOT the dead brother, little Nancy
rose up dry-eYed and calm, and went bacl.
To her spinning.
Child, what are you doing =" cried he
| sobhlng cousin Deborah
~ have no time to weep, said the glrl
here are other soldiers tu work tor
| though t1eoilrey is gone.
lime went on the British soldiers, il
| their toraglng excursions, began to come
very near the Robertson farm. One day
news arrived that a party of them WOult
probably be there in an hour. The womel
and children dared not stay TO face them
50, in frantic haste, horses were hitched t.
| the great larm-wagon, ,juba, the faithful
negro, driving it, Feather beds wer
thrown into it, clothes and valuables mad
into bundles, and piled high upon them
and the whole family got in, each Will
some special treasure in her arms
Lightly Nancy climbed to the top Of tn
pile of beds and seated herself there, whil
Juba carefully handed up to her the grea
china punch-bOWl. Then he sprang to hi
seat and drove of i'll mad haste The fOu
strong farm horses pulled stoutlv, and tn
wagon fairly flew over the stony roa,
How carefully little Nancy's slender arm
casped the precious bowl, and how anXi
ously all the frightened company gaze,
back at the home they were leaving, ex
pecLing momently to see the red>coats rid
ing about the yard, under the elms. am
maybe smoke and flames bursting fror
the windows
For a mile the house was in sight The
the road went up a hill, and down on tn
other side. Once over that hill, they woul
be out of sighta not likely to be pursued
The horses were already trottng merr
ly down the hill, when suddenly. tordin
the shallow stream at the foot, there al
peared group of British troopers. Thei
red coats glared like an angry flame 0
the frightened eyes OF the women and Chi
dren. Juba drew up the horses, and wit
a wild impulse of flight, tried to turn the1
in the narrow road. 1t was too late Th
horses plunged the clumsy wagon stuc
fast, with its front and hind wheels locke
together. The children screamed, Cousi
Debby joined them; the poor pale mothe
clasped her hands and prayed. and u
came the British soldiers at q gallop. Wit
shouts and brutal laughter, they surround
ed the wagon, and ordered its occupant
to get out. Then little Nancy rose up lik
an insuted queen. With eyes blazing an
cheeks scarlet, she stood up and held tn
great, gorgeous punch-bowl high in he
arms
AT least you shall never have this
she cried, in clear, ringing, defiant tone.
and the next instant the fragile thing la
in thousand fragments on the rollin
roads. The crash and the child's DARN