The National tribune., 1883-07-12
\ YOUTHFUL HERO,
And How He Saved a Soldiers Life.
A Story of the Revolution.
by Hrs. Frances A H,.mphrey.l

/ fire. 1t was July, but there was an east wind
and the night was chilly. Besides Mrs. Heath
| had a piece of fresh pork to roast. Squire
/ Blake had killed +" the day before-that was
the term used to signify the slaughter of any
| domestic animal for food-and had distributed
| the fresh " ITO various families in town, and
Mrs. Heath wanted hers for the early breakfast.
Meat was the only thing to be had in plenty
meat and berries. Wheat and corn, and vege-
! tables even, were scarce. There had been a
| long winter, and then, too, every family had
/ sent early in the season all they could spare to
the Continental army. AS to sugar and tea and
molasses, it was many day since they had had
| even the taste of them.
The piece of pork was suspended from the
| ceiling by stout string, and slowly revolved
| before the fire, Dorothy or Arthur giving it
| fresh start when it showed signs of stopping.
/ There was a settle at right angles with the fire.
| place. and here the little cooks sat, Dorothy in
the corner nearest the fire, and Arthur curled
up on the floor at her feet where he could look
| up the chimney and see the moon, almost at
the full, drifting through the sky. At the OPP
poste corner sat Alram, the hired man and
faithful keeper of the family in the absence of
| its head, at work on an axe helve, while Bath
sheba, or Basha," as she was briefly and af
fectionately called, was spinning in one corner
of the room just within range of the freight
There was no other light-the freight being
sufficient for their needs-and it was necessary
from the royal army might take away both
cattle and sheep, and then where would the
tailow come from for the annual fall candle
making? There was rumor-Abram had
brought it home that very day-that the royal
army We're advancing, and red coats might
make their appearance in Hartland at any
time. Arthur and Dorothy were talking about
it as they turned the roasting fork.
Wish ! was man. said Arthur, glaneing
towards his mother who was sitting in low
splint chair knitting stockings for her boys
winter wear. "Pd like to shoot red coat"
o Arty," exclaimed Dorothy, reproachfuly;
| you're always thinking of shooting! Now [
/ should like to nurse a sick soldier and wait
upon him. Poor soldiers it was dreadful what
papa wrote to mamma about them"
| Would you nurse red coat?" asked Ar
thur Indignantly
"Yes,'' said Dorothy. "Though of course
should rather, great deal rather, nurse one Of
our own soldiers. But Arty," continued the
little elder sister, papa says If we must fight,
why we must fight bravelY, but that we can be
| brave without fighting"
| Well, mean to be a hero, and heroes al
ways fight. King Arthur fought Papa said so.
| He and his knights fought for the Sangreal, and
| liberty is our SaRgreal. I'm glad my name is
Arthur, anyhow, for arthur means noble and
high" he said, lifting his bright boyish face
with its steadfast blue eyes, and glancing again
towards his mother. She gave an answering
SMILE 9tt
81 hope my boy will always be noble and
high in thought.and deed. But, as papa said,
to be hero onedoes not need to fight at least,
not to fight men, We can fight bad tempers
and bad thoughts and cowardly impulses. They
who fight these things successfully are the
truest heroes, my boy.p
All, mamma, did Inot hear you tell grand
mamma how you were proud of your hero.
That's what you called papa when General
Montgomery wrote to you, with his own hand,
how he drove back the enemy at the head of
his men, while the balls were flying, and the
4 cannonS roaring and flashing, and when his
horse was shot under him, how he struggled
out and cheerod on his men on foot, and the
Il bullets whizzed and the men fell all around
him. and he wasn't hurt, and here the
boy stopped abruptly and sprang impulsively
forward, for his mothers cheek had suddenly
grown pale.
an undertone, as she paused in her walk to and
fro by the spinning-wheel to join broken
thread. - But there never was coward yet
man or woman, 'mong the Heaths, an' I've
known em OFF an on these seventy year. Now
there was ole Gineral Heath" he continued
holding up the axe helve and viewing it crit
ically with one eye shut, :" he was marstel
hand for fightin'. Fit the Injuns S though he
, liked it. That gun up there was hisn.n
"Tell us about the sassy one,' said Arthur
turning at the word gun.
Youngster, f I've told yer that story once
I've told yer fifty times" said Abram.
Tell it again" said the boy, eagerly. "And
take down the gun, too"
{ Abram got up as briskly as his 20 years and
his rheumatism would permit, and took down
the gun from above the mantel-pieee 1t was
q very large one.
] Not quite so tall as the old Gineral him
self" said Abram, but q purity near to it
= l.
was seven feet two-a powerful built man
f Wall, the Injuns had been mighty obstreperous
long bout that time, burnin' the Widdel
Browns house and her an her baby a-hidin il
q hol!er tree near by. an carryin' off critters
an hosses an that day yer gran 'ther was after
'em with a posse of men, an what did thai
> pesky Injun do but git up ON a rock q auartel
o. a mile off an iestickerlate in an outrigerou
manner, like sarcy boy, an your gran'ther
: he took aim and fired, an that impident Injur
: jest tumbled over with yell; his last mint
i. ye, and good enough for him |"
: 81 like to hear about old gran'the sale
i, Arthur.
AS Abram was restoring the gun to its plac
: upon the hooks, sound was heard at the sid
. door-a sound as Of heavy body falling
D against it, which startled them ALL The do.
Caesar rose, and going to the door which opened
into the side entry, shifted along the craei
? above the threshold. Apparently satisfied, h.
parked softly, ana rising on ms hind legs iifte(
the latch and sprang into the entry Abran
! followed with Basha. As he lifted the latch o
? the outer door-the string had been drawn il
= early, as was the custom in those troublou
!, times and swung it back the light from th
! fire fell upon the figure of man lying acros
g the doorstone
!. !, "Sal1es alivel" exclaimed Abram, drawing
. back. But at a word from the mistress the,
lifted the man and brought him in and lai
:, him down on the braided woolen mat befor
y the fire. Then for moment there was silence
i for he wore the dress Of British soldier ant
!: his right arm was bandaged. He had fainte
{, from loss of blood, apparently-perhaps fror
}. hunger. Basha loosened his coat at the throa
IS and tried to force drop or two of spirits
d into his mouth, while Mrs. Heath rubbed hi
+ hands. d
d :" He amt Dead" said Basha in a grim tone
n sand mind you, we'll see trouble from this.
= Basha was an arrant rebel, and hated the YER
s- sight of q red eoat. I" What are you doin
here" she continued, addressing him, killir
: honest folks when you'd better we staid eros
= seas in yer own country 2"
). Basha p said Mrs. Heath reprovingly b
p is helpless" ssc Hl4
" But Basha, as she unwound the tight band
+. age from the shattered arm, kept muttering t
"a herself like rising tempest, until at lengt
n the man hayingcome quite to himself detecte
her feeling, and with great effort said, g I al
not a British soldier"
"Then what to goodness have you got O
their uniform for?n queried Basha.