The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-10-20
A CENTURY AGO.
CHAPTER 1,
1777.


The British have landed at the Back
Cover shouted Peletiah Wardwell, one
fine May morning in 1777, as he burst
into the keeping-room of Capt Joe Per.
kins' house. Dame Perkins dropped hel
needle work, and, looking steadily over
her spectacles at the lad, SAID:
Peletiah, you have forgotten some.
thing"
Peletiah, with a blush mantling his
honest and already flushed face, pulled
off his sealskin cap and made an awk-
ward bow, Boys were brought up in
that way 100 years ago.
Then he added, excitedly, but with
less boisterousuess: " Yes, the British
have landed at the Back Cove. Capt.
Blodgett has called for volunteers"
And Mr.. Perkins has gone off to the
Neck, said the dame, rising and going
to the window, from which she could
look up toward Windmill Hill. No horse
man was in sight There was no sign of
her husbands return. Then with a flash
of indignation in her eyes, she turned to
the boy and asked:
Why stand you there? Go! alarm the
town."
The boy was Off like a shot.
What's that? What's that, mother?'
cried Oliver, a boy of sixteen, who rushed
in from the back garden, where he had
been spading up the beet beds. His
mother had taken down Capt. Perkins
gun from the wooden mantel where it
hung, and was looking at the old flint
lock.
1.-The red-coats have landed at the
Back Cove, my son, and we must defend
the town"
"You! mother?" cried the boy, with
something like laugh in his eye, but
with his face glowing. "You! mother?'
"The time has come at last, my boy
Father said that there was danger that
the British would come over from the
Penobscot shore and take the town in
the rear. They have landed at the Back
Cove. There is no force in the little
battery between them and the fort. And
Capt. Blodgett has only thirty militia
men with him in the fort Everybody
must do his share to save the town.
can run bullets for somebody to use with
your fathers gun"
Give me the gun, mother! I'll gor
and the lads eyes sparkled as he
spoke.
"Said like man, my boy! said like 6
man! There are the hornsw and Just
then the sound of fish horns brsying on
the village-green showed that the alarm
had spread
The preparations were few and hur
ried. Oliver hung his fathers powder
horn about his neck, put into his poucf
what few bullets he could find, pickeC
the flint of the gun-lock, so that it should
not miss fire; and was then ready to ruI
to the green to report himself for duty
81 shall run some more bullets anC
send to you anon" said the mother
"The skillet is on the Goals and Dorca
will help me-"
The lad fingered an instant in the opel
doorway, and the sun streaming bright.
on him gilded his yellow hair and shed
sort of glory over his fair young face
So full of life, so alert and ardent, h,
seemed for the moment TRANSPORTED il
the eyes of his mother. She went swift
ly toward him; kissed him, and withou
culver in her voice said:
~ cannot give you to your country
Molly. God gave you when he gave yol
a country. You will do your duty"
THAT I will, mother" and the boy
throwing his fathers gun over his shoul
der, ran down the village street to tn
green.
AS he fed, two stalwart fellows hur
ried by, not forgetting to salute Dam
Perkins as they passed. Shading he
eyes from the sun, she called after them
"Seth and lothian Buker My littl
Molly has gone to the defense. Will yol
have an eye on mis- welfare in the fight?
"Aye! aye! answered the men cheeril
as they ran.
Then Dame Perkins softly closed tn
door, threw her apron over her head an
sat down on the stairs, crying to herself
My son my son!
Dorcas, the little handmade of tn
house, brought a bag of bullets, all he
from the molds, to Oliver as he stoo
with the other volunteers on the green.
"And | thought, Molly, that mayb
you'd like your fshin' tackle, :" and she pre-
duced the boys tom.cod lines as sh
spoke.