Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-06-23
A STORY OF REVOLUTIONARY TIMES.

If our heroine, Cynthia Smith, walked
tile earth to-day, she would be great
great-grandmother. But at the time of
this story, 1850. she was only small
girl, who lived on plantation near the
Santee River, in South. Carolina. She
was twelve years old, four feet and two
inches Highland, for so young and so small
a person, she was as stanch rebel as
you could have found in all America !;
for the War of Independence had been
raging in the United States ever since
Cynthia could remember.
When she was only Eve years old her
little heart had beaten hard at the story
of the famous Boston Tea Party" at
which whole ship-load of tea had been
emptied into the harbor because stupid
George HI. insisted ON 81 threepenny
tax"
And New York and Philadelphia
would 81 done the same, but. for tie
ships turning tail. and going where they
came from. They've burned the stuff
in Annapolis, and it's spelling i'm the
Charleston cellars, blessFhe Lerdi" said
Mr.. smith striking his heavy hand on
his knee.
"HurrayI" shouted John, and Jack,
and William and Ebenezer, Cynthia's
brothers. "Hurray%. echoed Cynthia, as
ifslse understood al. about it.
The following year, when England
shut up Boston sHarbOr with her '.Stamp
Act, never bit of.riee did Cynthia get
to eat, for her father sent his whole har-
vest North, as did many another South
erner.
After that, John went to Massaehu-
sets to visit Uncle HeZekiah, and the
next June theysheard that he had been
shot dead at the Battle of Bunker Hill
Cynthia wept hot tears on her coarse,
hOmespun apron; but she dried them in
u sort of strange delight when Jack, all
on fire to take Johns place, insisted on
Joining the Virginia Rifiemen, and fol-
lowing certain George Washington to
the war.
Its Liberty of Death we have mark
Ell on our shirts, and it's Liberty or
Huath' We have burned into our. hearts"
Jack wrote 3otne at which his mother
.e4s 'tcA s@i.tos Gnu nag ioeiiOi pinLtou
grffhly.
Just wait, you two other boys" said
the latter; well have it hot and heavy
at our own doors before we're through"
That was because Will and EbeneZer
wished to follow in Jacks footsteps
Cynthia longed to be boy, that she
might indulge in a private skirmish with
the "Britishers" on her own account.
D.,4., ,h. h..A g.,
otic .dreamings and yearnings. There
was deal of work to be done in those
days. s.ss& f@ -A '.+
Cynthia helped to weave clsth for the
family gowns and trousers, and to spin
and knit yarn for the paternal and fra
tersha4 stockings. This kept her very
busy until 1776, when two great events
took place.
One was the signing of the Declare
tion of Independence; the other was the
birth of afed and white calf in Mr..
Smiths barn. Which was of the most
Importance to Cyntina it is hard to say.
To be sure she tingled from head to
foot ut her fathers ringing tones, as he
read from a sheet of paper some one
had given him, "All men are born free
and equal" but she also went wild with
joy when her father said, You may keep
that bossy for your own, if you'll agree
TO raise her, Cynthia"
Cynthia took the calf into her inmost
heart. and she named her .Free-'n-equaI.'
That was the way the words sounded to
her. - -. l5s
Ii ever an animal deserved such a
Hame, this was the bsasiie. She scorn-
ed zliaushbrity y kicked. ap her hind legs.